Pumpkin Tart
recipes
This pumpkin tart is dense, rich, and deeply concentrated. In other words, it’s the best pumpkin pie without the soggy, squashy texture.
November 25, 2025
Pumpkin Tart
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This pumpkin tart is dense, rich, and deeply concentrated. In other words, it’s the best pumpkin pie without the soggy, squashy texture.
Looking for more deeply flavored pie recipes? You’ll love this Bourbon Cashew Tart and Chocolate Chess Pie.
Ingredients and Substitutions
• Pumpkin puree: Blotting away the excess moisture is what makes this pumpkin tart better than any pumpkin pie. Pumpkin, like most squash, has a lot of water. But we don’t want that squashy texture here.
• Spice: Homemade or store-bought pumpkin spice, mixed spice, or just plain cinnamon are perfect choices.
• Maple extract: It’s like vanilla mixed with heavy notes of toffee. And it just really brings the taste of fall. But regular vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will do the trick.
• Golden syrup: This sticky British import adds a luscious buttery sweetness unmatched by honey or corn syrup (though both of those make great substitutes). Some grocery stores stock it in their international aisle. If not, there’s always Amazon.
• Malted milk powder: A baker’s secret ingredient. It’s rich, nutty, toasty, and creamy. A little bit adds so much. But if you don’t have it, just skip it.
Tips for A Successful Pumpkin Tart
- Blotting the pumpkin is a must! Getting all that moisture out means you’ll have a thicker texture with concentrated flavor.
- For a firm creamy filling, the syrup mixture must reach 245°F (118°C). This is called firm ball stage. An instant-read thermometer comes in handy here.
How Should I Store Pumpkin Tart?
The tart can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To freeze the whole tart or individual slices (plain; no whipped cream), place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Wrap tightly in plastic, transfer to a resealable bag, and freeze up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. From here, you can allow it to come to room temperature or reheat in the oven until warm.
Pumpkin Tart
Ingredients
- One (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 disc Easy Pie Dough (completing the Roll Out Now instructions)
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, mixed spice, or cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon malted milk powder
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (169g) golden syrup
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30g) heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Dry the pumpkin:
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and two layers of paper towel.
- Spread the pumpkin puree all over and pat the top with more paper towels. (The goal is to absorb/discard excess liquid.) Repeat several times, wringing out or replacing the paper towels.
- Add the dried pumpkin to a medium bowl—you should end up with about 2/3 cup (150g).
Blind bake the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Set the tart tin on a sheet pan and line the pastry with foil so it covers the dough entirely. Fill with dried beans or pie weights.
- Bake until the dough starts to look dry around the inner perimeter, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and continue to bake (on the sheet pan) until light golden, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the tart tin to a wire rack and let cool. Leave the oven on.
Finish the filling:
- In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and it turns toasty and brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the butter to the bowl with the pumpkin and stir to combine. Add the eggs, spice, malted milk powder, and maple extract. Stir to combine. (This will be too thick for a whisk. I start with a fork and then move to a rubber spatula.)
- In the same large saucepan, whisk together the golden syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Have an instant-read thermometer ready.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, whisking constantly, until the thermometer registers 245°F (118°C), about 2 minutes.
- Stir the hot syrup into the pumpkin mixture, in two batches. Spread the filling into the crust.
- Return to the oven and bake until set and the surface is matte and dry to the touch, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer the tart tin to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
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