Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie

I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I made it last Thanksgiving and plan to make it again this year. Typically, I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, neither is my husband, but this pie is above and beyond any pumpkin pie I've ever had. I did add some cinnamon & nutmeg to the pumpkin mixture to give it a little depth & substituted vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste. I would highly reccommend this recipe!

Did not realize this was not a pie that was baked, the texture was awful..had to throw it away.

Great Tasty Pie for a Fun Occasion where it can be served COLD. I've made this dessert three times and have also encountered slight problems with the thickness of the Pumpkin Filling. I have found great success with the following slight recipe changes: - Increase the 1/3 Cup Flour to 1/2 Cup Flour; - Change 2 Cups Milk to 1 Cup EACH Whole Milk and Heavy Whipping Cream; - Increase 4 Egg Yolks to 5 Egg Yolks This makes the custard base very sturdy - HOWEVER as it begins to thicken whisk like mad to keep it smooth. I also stir in a good pinch each of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon when I add the Pumpkin Puree. Happy Cooking!

I've made this pie twice now. The first time, I followed the recipe exactly and it was good. The second time I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and I tweaked the recipe just a bit. The recipe does not call for it but I added a pinch of salt to the pumpkin mixture as it tastes a little "flat" without it. I also added an additional 1/2 cup of pumpkin for a stronger pumpkin flavor and used two (2) spilling tablespoons of Amaretto instead of vanilla extract and OMG, it was amazing!! As somebody else,mentioned, I think adding some pumpkin pie spice would give the pumpkin mixture a really good flavor as well! Will try that next time I make this pie...and believe me, I WILL be making this pie again!!

The crust was incredible, as was the chocolate layer!! However, the pumpkin part lacked flavor and failed to form up correctly. Will keep the crust and chocolate recipe and get rid of the rest.

Amazing flavor and gorgeous presentation! I didn't have any trouble with the pumpkin filling setting up. Just be sure to whisk it constantly as instructed (I cooked mine for about 10 minutes). I left the pie in the refrigerator overnight and would recommend doing the same. Serve it cold straight from the fridge. You won't be disappointed!

Although I did not make this pie, my 15 year old granddaughter did and I must say it is absolutely the BEST pie I have ever eaten....and I'm not just saying that because she's my granddaughter! :-) She said it is very time consuming to prepare but well worth the effort!

I made this recipe because I trusted Southern Living's judgment of it as being one of the top 10 cakes and pies- boy, was that trust misplaced! Did the Test Kitchen actually make this pie? I, too, like so many other reviewers, had a filling which did not thicken, a runny mess. If I had trusted my own judgment, I would have known that 1/3 cup of flour is not enough thickener for 3 cups of liquid- as the pumpkin is basically liquid- although the 6 egg yolks should have helped to thicken it some. I think only one or two people tried it besides myself, and no one took any home with them.As I hate to waste, I finally decided to add 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch to the filling and recook it, a messy feat and probably not worth the effort, as the pumpkin filling was really not very good without the usual spices.After many years of cooking {especially desserts like this one], I have learned that if something doesn't seem right in a recipe, my judgment is usually right. But SL should know better!

I actually had to put the pie in the freezer for a few hours before I served it because the filling was so runny. The flavor was good and it looked beautiful. If I make it again, I'll keep the crust, the chocolate layer and the maple whipped cream and find a different kind of pumpkin filling.

Filling did not set up for us either, and we used whole milk + let it cook until slight peaks formed. It did not have much pumpkin pie flavor. The maple-flavored sweetened whipped cream was awesome, as was the crust. I let it sit out during dinner, and the whole thing turned into a sloppy mess. I think it has potential, but something was off.

Filling did not set up for us either, and we used whole milk + let it cook until slight peaks formed. Noticed that the filling color was more pale than in the photograph, so I might reduce the 2c. of milk -- or find an alternative filling recipe.

The pie filling is more like pudding instead of traditional filling which I found disappointing. The crust was very good and I will use it for my pecan pie.

This was a yummy homemade pie. I did add a few sprinkles of nutmeg and cinnamon to the pumpkin mixture. The crust and chocolate portions were amazing!

If I could give this zero stars, I would. Had to run out to Publix for a back-up pumpkin pie from the bakery. Even reviewed the recipe to see if I did something wrong - nope. No idea how this made it out of the test kitchen.

Don't waste your time nor money. I followed this recipe to the T and the filling did not set up at all or taste like pumpkin pie. It was like eating pumpkin squash pudding over a chocolate cinnamon crust. I'm embarrassed that I served this on thanksgiving.

The pie is excellent - the chocolate flavor, combined with cinnamon and ginger, and creamy filling, makes it a special treat! It sets up perfectly if you follow the directions to heat on stove (while stirring) until slight peaks form. And maple cream is added to the cream after beating the cream to slight peaks first. All the directions are there. This is definitely NOT a traditional pumpkin pie flavor, the pumpkin (if fresh) cannot be tasted; perhaps using "pumpkin pie filling" already spiced would work. You wouldn't want to overpower this with too many spices.

I didn't make this recipe, but it clearly states in the directions to add the syrup to the cream as you are whipping it, in order to make a maple-flavored sweetened whipped cream. Hope that helps you all!

The pumpkin part didn't set up for me either; did it need a little bit of corn-starch? I also accidentally added too much pumpkin at the end, but I don't see how the pie would even taste like pumpkin if I hadn't. That is just peculiar; like others have said there are no pumpkin-pie-type spices, it's more of a vanilla pudding with pumpkin added at the end. I also didn't see the instructions for the maple syrup. I guess I'll return it to the store. I think the bottom part will be yummy. I might do that again but increase the chocolate filling to make a chocolate pie.

I am making this pie from the recipe in the magazine and nowhere does it tell when to add the maple syrup. Checking the recipe on line, same problem. (unless I am blind and don't see it). I assume it should be added while cooking the filling. Also from reading other reviews I am going to add a little pumpkin pie spice. Hope it is as good as the picture looks.

This pie was disappointing. The pumpkin filling tasted like I was eating mashed squash since it didn't have any of the traditional spices in it. I could hardly taste the chocolate. The only thing great about the pie was the crust. I'll return to making traditional pumpkin pie.

I have not made this pie yet, but planning on it for this Thanksgiving. My question for those that have made it, do you still get the pumpkin pie taste even though you are not using any spices, i.e., ginger, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon?

Yes I believe you may need to use full fat milk (or at least 2%) and depending on your pan to continue to cook until it thickens. This was a wonderful twist on traditional, and smooth texture and interesting chocolate/toffee flavor. Highly recommended!

This pie looked delicious and the crust certainly was. But unfortunately, the pumpkin layer never set up for me. I followed directions and made sure soft peaks were present when i lifted the wisk from the boiling goop. The only thing i can think of is that i needed to use whole milk rather than the low fat milk i normally have in the fridge. I think the recipe has potential and will likely try again using a pumpkin chiffon (with gelatin) recipe in place of the flour thickened version in this recipe.

WOW! Swoon!

When I was making this, all I could think was, "it better be worth the ridiculous time and effort this pie takes. Oh my goodness...there is a reason why this was on the cover of the issue. It is SO GOOD! My brutally honest husband said it was the best pie he'd ever eaten and the best dessert I've ever made (and I'm a pretty good cook if I do say so myself). I recommend making two of these, since it's easy to double the recipe and you will get double the yumminess for the same amount of effort. Delicious!