My 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Pumpkin Pie (Works Every Time)

It brings out the flavors of the spices and vanilla.

I grew up in a family that doesn’t like pumpkin pie. However, my husband absolutely loves it, so I learned to like it, too. A lot of the pumpkin pies I tasted along the way didn’t have the oomph I was looking for until, browsing online, I discovered a recipe for "Spirited Pumpkin Pie."

The recipe described how, back in the early days, Puritan women weren’t allowed to drink, so one way that they consumed alcohol was through baking and cooking. The recipe called for adding rum or whiskey to the pie. As a bourbon gal, I added bourbon, and wow, what a pie!

Why Bourbon Makes Pumpkin Pie Better

Though I now would argue that Puritan women could drink (I know from researching my book, Drink Like a Woman, that they even owned taverns), I have added bourbon to my pumpkin pie ever since. 

Bourbon, which is the most American of all spirits, typically has notes of vanilla, caramel, and spice, aromas that pair perfectly with pumpkin pie. Bourbon makes everything you like about a good pumpkin pie even better.

It gives the spices and vanilla more va-va-voom, and makes the pumpkin itself taste more complex. It's the one ingredient that made me fall in love—finally—with pumpkin pie. Even my pumpkin pie-averse family liked it.

How To Add Bourbon to Your Pumpkin Pie

Now, don’t go pouring a whole glass into your pumpkin pie filling. A little will do quite nicely. The recipe I originally followed called for only two tablespoons of spirit. I will add two tablespoons to a larger pie, but if it is smaller (if you’re using an already-prepared pie crust, sometimes they’re on the dinky side), I would only add a tablespoon. 

Add the bourbon to your favorite pumpkin pie recipe at the same time as the vanilla extract. It’s pretty simple. Just measure it, and pour it into the filling. The alcohol bakes out for the most part, but its aromas are left behind.

To accentuate the bourbon even more, you can add a teaspoon or two to your homemade whipped cream to make a bourbon whipped cream. That, coupled with the spirited pie, is Thanksgiving bliss to me, especially if I pair that with an after-dinner pumpkin whiskey sour or old fashioned.