This decadent Thanksgiving dessert has all the sweet, comforting appeal of a traditional pumpkin pie, but with a twist. The rich and custardy base is flavored with cinnamon and ginger, as well as spices typically found on the Middle Eastern spice rack. Think: warming cardamom, spicy-sweet allspice and a hint of earthy coriander. Topped with billowy whipped cream and curls of semisweet chocolate, it will brighten any Thanksgiving dessert table.
(Photo: Leah Koenig)
Pumpkin Pie With Middle Eastern Spices
Serves 8
Ingredients
- For crust:
- 10 graham cracker sheets
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter, melted
- For filling:
- 15-ounce can pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream, milk or non-dairy milk
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
- Whipped cream (or coconut-milk whipped topping) and chocolate curls for serving, optional
Directions
- Make the crust: In a food processor or using a sturdy zip-top bag and rolling pin, crush the graham crackers into very fine crumbs. (Ten full graham cracker sheets should yield 1½ cups crumbs.) Add the crumbs to a medium bowl along with the brown sugar and melted butter, and stir until the crumbs are fully moistened.
- Transfer the mixture to a nine-inch pie plate and, using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup, press the mixture firmly and evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Place the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes while making the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and arrange the rack in the middle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and coriander until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 20 minutes. Loosely drape an aluminum foil tent on top of the pie to avoid the crust browning too quickly and continue baking until the pie is mostly set, with a little wiggle left in the center, 35-45 more minutes. Remove pie from oven and let cool on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate for two hours.
- Serve chilled topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired. (To make chocolate curls, run a vegetable peeler along a bar of room-temperature semisweet or bittersweet baking chocolate.) Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to four days.
