This Greco-Roman holiday tradition dates back to the 1790s .
It ’s an unverbalised rule that you ca n’t haveThanksgiving dinnerwithout dish up a pumpkin Proto-Indo European for sweet — but have you ever marvel why Americans are so adamant about following their turkey with a baked pie top with whipped cream ? As it turns out , pumpkin vine pieis about as American as Thanksgiving itself — although it was almost certainly not serve at the very first Thanksgiving .
Gourds of some kind were probably served at the first Thanksgiving , as pumpkins and squash were eaten frequently in the 1600s . However , they did n’t have access to butter , sugar , and other sweet ingredients to turn the pumpkins into sweet — which means there was no Proto-Indo European .

Credit: Carson Downing
So how did we get from plain autumn pumpkin to a slash - cream - topped dessert ? The iconic formula actually has an interesting backstory — one that date almost all the way back to the showtime of the area itself .
Carson Downing . intellectual nourishment Styling : Kelsey Moylan
Where the Modern Pumpkin Pie Came From
In 1796 , a woman discover Amelia Simmons published a cookery book titledAmerican Cookery . It ’s considered to be the very first American cookery book and contains documentation of the kinds of new foods and recipes the American colonists began making after they left Europe . One recipe in this cookery book was for a pumpkin pudding made with nutmeg and allspice and help in a crust . voice pretty familiar , right ?
Over the last 400 years , what start out as a resourceful afters — gourds and spices were bountiful at the time , while butter , sugar , and other sweet ingredients were not — has become a Thanksgiving custom that ’s now as iconic as the Macy ’s Thanksgiving Day Parade orfighting over the turkey wishing bone . Since pumpkin was already link up with Thanksgiving dinner party , it makes sentiency that the colonists set about serving the pie at the big repast once the formula was popularized .
So as you ’re planning this year’sThanksgiving dinner menu , check that a homemade autumn pumpkin pie is at the top of the sweet lean . you’re able to use veridical pumpkin of course ( here ’s how tomake pumpkin pie with a novel pumpkin ) , but there ’s no shame inmixing up your pie from a can . you’re able to even pip up atasty twist on the iconic Proto-Indo European , with apumpkin pie diporpumpkin cheesecake .

Credit:Carson Downing. Food Styling: Kelsey Moylan
Whichever route you pick out , you have Amelia Simmons to give thanks for this crowd favorite .