Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- 425 g pure pumpkin purée
- 160 ml pure Quebec maple syrup (dark, robust)
- 2 large eggs
- 120 ml evaporated milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Whisk eggs with maple syrup until smooth.
- Add pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, spices, and salt; whisk until fully uniform.
- Pour into the unbaked shell.
- Bake 55–60 min until a knife inserted at the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before refrigerating.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g granulated sugar + 1 tsp molasses
Conversion used: Replace sugar and molasses with 160 ml dark maple syrup. Reduce evaporated milk from 180 ml to 120 ml to compensate for extra liquid. Lower oven from 205 °C to 190 °C. Dark-grade maple replicates molasses depth naturally.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Dark maple syrup mimics molasses complexity while delivering a cleaner sweetness; it integrates seamlessly with warm spices and eliminates the need for two separate sweeteners.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →