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Hi Bold Bakers!
NOTE FROM GEMMA: Welcome back, Vedika — she’s here to spice up your favorite fall dessert with her amazing Chai Pumpkin Pie recipe! Check out a few of the other fantastic recipes she’s shared with our Bigger Bolder Baking community, like her Salted Caramel Fudge, Dirty Chai Brownies, and Cinnamon Roll Muffins too!
As the air turns colder and the days turn shorter, the scent of home-baked goods lends some much-needed warmth and comfort. If there’s anything I seem to make more of around this time of year, it’s pies from scratch. From rolling the dough to crimping the edges, filling the crust, and adding the final flourishes, it’s satisfying to feel like you’re creating something special from just a handful of ingredients.
The fall carries with it pumpkins and apples galore, and I use any excuse I can to incorporate seasonal produce into cooking and baking. Pumpkin pie is one of my favorites. A buttery pastry that encases a velvety pumpkin custard finished with a dollop of whipped cream adds both lightness and decadence all at once. It is delicious warm or cold, and this chair pumpkin pie recipe offers a medley of sweet spices, which will have you coming back bite after bite.
Chai And Pumpkin Pie
Chai is what we call tea in India. It is a brew of sweet, milky black tea infused with fresh spices: ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper, that warms every cell.
You may be familiar with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice in your classic pumpkin pie recipe. But what if we heighten the ginger and add a touch of cardamom? If you’ve tried my Dirty Chai Brownies on Bigger Bolder Baking, you may be well-acquainted with cardamom. But if you’ve never had the pleasure of trying it before, cardamom is a popular spice used in Indian cuisine, which brings the same warmth as cinnamon but is slightly more floral than sharp.
This recipe gives you the same flavors as your favorite pumpkin pie but adds a unique note that will intrigue your guests.
What You Need For The Pie Crust
For this pie crust, you’ll need your basics, including cold butter (cold butter makes the crust flakier,) flour, salt, a touch of sugar, and cold water.
What You Need For The Chai Pumpkin Pie Filling
This is perhaps one of the easiest pie fillings to make!
Pumpkin. You’ll need some pumpkin. I like to make my own homemade pumpkin puree using a Hokkaido pumpkin, a fiery red-orange squash that is sweet and delicious for baking. You can use canned pumpkin if you like!
Evaporated Milk. To give it a rich finish.
Vanilla and salt. For a little more flavor.
Eggs. The eggs help the filling set and give it a custard-like texture.
Sugar. I like to use light brown sugar; feel free to use dark brown or granulated sugar if you prefer.
Spices. Traditional pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in slightly higher ratios, plus the addition of ground cardamom and black pepper for a little kick.
Whipped cream or ice cream to serve. As you like!
Tools You Need To Make Chai Pumpkin Pie
- Large bowls to make the crust and filling
- Box grater
- Pastry blender or fork for the crust
- Pie plate (9-10cm, the smaller the pie plate, the longer the baking time)
Try More Delicious Fall-Inspired Desserts!
- The Perfect Traditional Apple Strudel For Fall
- Gemma’s Best Ever Pumpkin Bread
- My Top 20 Easy Fall Desserts
Follow Vedika Everywhere!
And make sure you get her cookbook, 52 Weeks, 52 Sweets right here!
The Bold Baking Network
Bigger Bolder Baking is thrilled to introduce you to the Bold Baking Network, a team of talented chefs, creators, and experts looking to teach, entertain and help you on your baking journey. Here are more articles from our amazing collaborators.
Try These Recipes!
Chai Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 2 ½ cups (10 oz/355 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) cold butter (I like to freeze it for 30 min before using)
- ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) ice-cold water (water kept cold using ice cubes)
For The Filling
- 2 cups (15 oz/425 g) pumpkin purée
- 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz/360 ml) evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (6 oz/170 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
To Decorate
- Pie crust leaves* (see note below)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Whipped cream or ice cream
Instructions
For The Crust
- Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.
- Next, using the larger side box grater, grate the butter, working quickly to avoid warming the butter. If you don’t have a box grater, cube the butter into small pieces.
- Mix the grated butter into the flour mixture until it is well-dispersed. You can also cube the butter and cut it into the mixture using a pastry cutter or fork until you are left with pea-sized morsels. Note that it is okay for the mixture to be chunky — this creates flakiness in the dough.
- Mix in the ice water using a fork. Add ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) of the water first, and then add 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon or so more of the water as needed.
- Gently push the dough onto a floured surface and form it into a ball using your hands. Be careful not to overwork the mixture, as you want to keep the overall temperature of the dough cool. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for 30 min before using.
- To prepare the pie shell, grease a 9 or 10-inch (23-25 cm) pie plate with butter. Then dust a work surface with flour, unwrap the dough, and dust with flour.
- Roll the dough to about ⅛-inch thickness (¼ cm), dusting with more flour as necessary. You want the dough to be larger than the pie plate, as it shrinks while baking. Gently pick up the dough and place it into the pie plate.
- Cut off a little of excess hanging, leaving about ½-inch (1 cm) of hanging. Fix cracks with the extra dough. I like to use the remaining pie dough to make leaf cutouts (see note below.) Gather the scraps and cover them with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use.
- Tuck in the excess and crimp the edges using your thumb and forefinger. You can also press a fork around the ridge of the dough to crimp the dough. Chill the pie crust until you are ready to use.
For the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Combine the pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla, and blend until smooth.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cloves, and salt until well combined.
- Gently mix the sugar and spice mixture with the pumpkin mixture until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and give it a couple of taps on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake the pie at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for 35-40 minutes or until the center of the pie has set. (Note: It could take slightly longer, depending on your oven and the size of your pan. You want the center to be set and the edges should be slightly puffed. If you notice the edges browning too quickly while in the oven, cover the crust with aluminum foil)
- This pie is delicious, warm, or cold. Cool the pie for 10-15 minutes before serving, or chill completely (this makes for cleaner cuts.) Serve the pie with the leaf cutouts, pumpkin seeds, and whipped cream or ice cream. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
