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Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 103 reviews

Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie combines rich roasted pumpkin ganache and smooth salted caramel inside a flaky, buttery pie crust, topped with a crunchy spiced streusel and fresh whipped cream. This decadent autumn treat balances sweet, salty, and spiced flavors with a variety of textures, perfect for seasonal celebrations or special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

Pumpkin Ganache

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling or mix)
  • 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1/3 cup Corn Syrup (scant)
  • 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 12 to 16 ounces White Chocolate (2 to 2 1/2 cups high-quality white chocolate)
  • 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cut into tablespoons, cold
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Salt (up to 2 teaspoons to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Pie Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cold and diced
  • 1/2 cup Fine Ground Cornmeal
  • 1 Tablespoon White Sugar (heaping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup Ice Cold Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Streusel

  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Rolled Oats
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
  • Pinch of Salt

Fresh Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  1. Roast Pumpkin Puree: Spread both cans of pumpkin puree on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in a 325°F oven for 20-30 minutes until the color deepens by two shades and the puree reduces to about 2 cups (500g). If not reduced enough, continue roasting. Let cool before use.
  2. Make Pumpkin Ganache: Place white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a small pot, bring heavy cream, corn syrup, and butter to a boil. Pour hot mixture over white chocolate, ensuring it is fully covered. Let sit for 1 minute. Add roasted pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, then blend with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth and silky. Ganache can be refrigerated for 1-2 days; reheat briefly before use.
  3. Prepare Salted Caramel: Measure cold heavy cream and butter and keep nearby. In a medium saucepan, combine water, white sugar, and corn syrup; stir to hydrate sugar. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once bubbling and clear, swirl the pan gently (do not stir) and brush down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. When the mixture becomes golden, remove from heat. Gradually whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, then slowly add cream while whisking. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Reheat gently before filling pie.
  4. Make Pie Crust: Mix dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt) in a large bowl. Add cold diced butter and toss with hands to coat butter in the flour mixture. Break butter into coarse meal and some small chunks about blueberry size. If butter is too soft, chill mixture 15 minutes. Mix ice water and apple cider vinegar, then add tablespoon by tablespoon to flour mixture, tossing until dough holds together but remains slightly crumbly. Form into disc, wrap in plastic, refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Roll out dough after resting, fold and roll 2-3 times as described to build layers, then roll into a circle slightly larger than the pie tin. Transfer dough carefully to tin, trim and crimp edges. Chill dough while oven preheats.
  5. Blind Bake Pie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line crust with foil or parchment and add weights. Tent edges with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake 30-35 minutes, then remove weights and foil. Prick crust bottom with fork to prevent bubbling. Bake another 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool crust at least 1 hour before filling. Dough can be made ahead and stored refrigerated or unbaked and frozen.
  6. Prepare Streusel: Combine flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Mix and mash with hands until loose crumbs form with no dry patches. Spread on parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden. Streusel can be stored up to 1 week at room temperature in airtight container.
  7. Make Fresh Whipped Cream: When ready to serve, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form.
  8. Assemble Pie: Pour room temperature caramel into the blind baked crust, spreading evenly to cover the base. Chill in fridge for 20-25 minutes to firm caramel. Pour pumpkin ganache over caramel layer and spread quickly to cover all the caramel. Refrigerate pie covered overnight (minimum 8 hours) until ganache is firm and solid to the touch.
  9. Serve: Serve cold directly from fridge topped with fresh whipped cream and streusel.

Notes

  • Use pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling, for best flavor and texture.
  • Roasting pumpkin puree intensifies flavor and reduces water content for better ganache consistency.
  • Keep butter and cream cold before making caramel for better texture and easier incorporation.
  • Swirling rather than stirring caramel prevents sugar crystallization and graininess.
  • Pie crust folding technique helps build flakiness and layers similar to puff pastry.
  • Blind baking pie crust with weights prevents shrinking and bubbling.
  • Ganache and caramel can be made 1-2 days ahead to save time on assembling.
  • Store pre-baked crust in fridge or freeze unbaked crust for convenience.
  • Adjust salt in caramel to taste for perfect balance of sweet and salty.
  • Serve pie cold and fresh for best texture and taste experience.

Keywords: Pumpkin Caramel Pie, Milk Bar Pumpkin Pie, Autumn Dessert, Thanksgiving Pie, Roasted Pumpkin Ganache, Salted Caramel, Streusel Topping

Find it online: https://todayfoodrecipe.com/milk-bar-hillys-pumpkin-caramel-pie-recipe/