The Last-Minute Fix To Save A Runny Pumpkin Pie Before Thanksgiving Dinner

Is it even Thanksgiving without a kitchen disaster? We've covered how to smooth out lumpy gravy and fix a dry Thanksgiving turkey. Now we're back to save your runny pumpkin pie. Runny pies are one of those tricky disasters where the causes sometimes contradict each other. Underbaked pie? Soggy. Overbaked pie? Soggy. Your first task is to determine which is which.

If your pie is undercooked, the filling won't be fully set. Poke a knife into the side of the pie — not the center — and check to see if it comes out clean. If it's undercooked, the filling will still cling to the knife. Put it back in the oven and try to be patient. Keep the oven low and slow and watch the pie to avoid overbaking.

Don't stress too much about a slightly jiggly center. A perfectly baked pie should wobble right out of the oven. As long as the edges are set, you're good to go. The center will finish cooking as the pie cools. Just don't rush the process since placing a warm pie in the refrigerator can lead to a soggy center and introduce condensation along the crust.

If the filling looks lumpy or water is pooling on the top, the pie is probably overbaked. Pumpkin pies are usually custard pies, which means they use egg as a binder. Custard pies curdle at high temperatures, which is when the egg clumps together to form a cottage cheese-type texture instead of the smooth emulsion that you want. Obviously, putting the pie back into the oven isn't the solution.

Overbaked pies are a trickier fix. One solution is to just shrug it off. Pie is pie and Thanksgiving should be about gratitude, not judgment. Blot the pie with paper towels and cover your culinary sins with plenty of ice cream or Cool Whip.

If your pie is a complete disaster with a gag-worthy texture, your best bet may be pretending that it was never supposed to be a pie at all. Scoop out the filling, add a little flour or corn starch to help thicken the mixture, and use an immersion blender to break up the lumps. Pour the mixture into cups, then top with whipped cream, nuts, or crumble. You're getting experimental this year so it's a deconstructed pumpkin pie parfait.

The best way to fix runny pie is to avoid the mistakes that lead to this issue in the first place. Next year, drain your pumpkin pie filling, keep the oven low, and pre-bake the crust to keep it from getting soggy. Give yourself plenty of time, too. Pumpkin pie should cool for several hours.