Frank Sinatra's Favorite Type Of Pumpkin Pie Was Punched Up With An Unexpected Ingredient

Creamy and cool with the unmistakable flavor of warm spices, most classic pumpkin pies taste pretty similar because they're generally made with the same ingredients: pumpkin puree, sugar, evaporated or condensed milk, eggs, and a spice blend that typically includes cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Legendary crooner, Frank Sinatra, was such a fan of pumpkin pie that his first wife, Nancy, included his favorite recipe in a booklet she penned called "Desserts Frankie Loves." The recipe stands out from others because it excludes the nutmeg and cloves and instead relies on a generous glug of molasses for sweetness.

Sinatra's pumpkin pie filling comes together with canned pumpkin, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, salt, an egg, and milk. The recipe doesn't mention a brand of molasses but does specify "original molasses." Molasses is sold in a few different variations, but the kind you use in pumpkin pie definitely matters. Original denotes light molasses, which has a flavor reminiscent of brown sugar (which is made with molasses) with that slightly bitter, burnt caramel flavor that molasses is known for. Dark or robust molasses is thicker and stronger than light molasses, while blackstrap molasses is bitter to the point of being salty and really has no place in baking recipes. When Sinatra couldn't enjoy his wife's pumpkin pie, you might have found him indulging in Entenmann's crumb cake, which you can still find in grocery stores.

With Frank Sinatra's favorite pumpkin pie, you can expect a creamy, delicious dessert with an earthier flavor than traditional recipes, a darker color, and extra prominent spice notes because molasses tends to deepen them. Even though this recipe leaves out the nutmeg and clove, there's no reason you couldn't include them in your version. 

It's no secret that pumpkin pie plays well with warm spices. There are recipes for pumpkin pie with black pepper (with or without molasses), warm cardamom, mace (it's like nutmeg but more subtle in flavor), cayenne pepper, and Chinese five spice, which contains peppercorns and fennel seeds. To make things easier, consider whipping up your own pumpkin pie spice. It, too, will be complimented by molasses. Incorporating this rich ingredient will make your pumpkin pie even more of a hit as it tends to deepen everything it touches. Enjoy a slice or two with a cup of dark roast coffee, chai tea, or a mug of cinnamon-kissed Mexican hot chocolate.