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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!
Follow Vedika Everywhere!
And make sure you get her cookbook, 52 Weeks, 52 Sweets right here!
The Bold Baking Network
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