Recipe: Hawaiʻi-Style Pumpkin Custard Pie

Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I’ve eaten a lot of custard pies. It’s a thing here in the Islands, and everyone seems to have an opinion—sometimes a strong one!—about how to eat it. Some prefer eating custard pies warm, others chilled.

But the one thing we all agree on: the custard needs to be creamy and silky.

The secret? Evaporated milk. And almost every local recipe will call for it.

A popular twist on the local-style custard pie is the mashup with pumpkin pie. Some bakeries separate the two flavors into layers, others create a swirl. But homebakers—like me—will just combine the two to create a silky, velvety, pumpkin-y pie. This is a great alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving—but it’s also great any time of the year.

The ingredients for the pumpkin custard pie.
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox

I found a recipe in “Oldies But Goodies: Volume 1, Nā Pua Maeʻole O Kamehameha Chapter,” a cookbook sold as a fundraiser by Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association, printed in 1983. It calls for evaporated milk and cornstarch—two ingredients you often see in recipes for Hawaiʻi-style custard pie—but this one calls for separating the yolks and whites of four eggs. This makes for an even fluffier pie.

Hawaiʻi-Style Pumpkin Custard Pie

FYI: This makes two 9-inch pies.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin purée
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
• Pinch of salt
• 4 eggs, separate yolks and whites
• 2 T. vanilla extract
• 2 cans evaporated milk
• Homemade or store-bought pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, spices and salt. In separate bowls, separate yolks and whites. Beat egg yolks slightly and add to the pumpkin mixture, along with milk and vanilla. Mix well. Beat egg whites, then fold into mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell and (optional) top with ground nutmeg. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes. If knife inserted into the center comes out clean, the pie is done. (This recipe makes two 9-inch pies.)

Adapted from recipe in “Oldies But Goodies: Volume 1, Nā Pua Maeʻole O Kamehameha Chapter,” 1983