Description
This version keeps the same flavors and proportions but uses fresh wording and clearer steps. It produces a flaky, buttery crust and a silky pumpkin filling enriched with dulce de leche.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups (about 6.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 oz unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small cubes and frozen for at least 30 minutes
- 1.25 oz vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into cubes (keep it cold)
- ¼ cup very cold water (you may not use every drop)
Filling
- 15 oz (1 can) pumpkin purée
- 14 oz (1 can) dulce de leche — store-bought or homemade (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the crust
-
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse a few times so everything is evenly mixed.
-
Add the frozen cubes of butter and shortening. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of fat remaining. Avoid over-pureeing.
-
With the motor off, drizzle in about half the cold water and pulse in five-second bursts. Add more water a little at a time only until the dough just starts to hold together when pinched. Stop before the dough becomes wet or sticky.
-
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together gently — only enough to finish any dry pockets. Shape into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (You can make this dough a few days ahead and keep it chilled.)
Roll, blind-bake, and cool
5. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough into a circle large enough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer the dough to the pan and trim/crimp the edges as desired. Return the shell to the freezer while you preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
6. Line the crust with foil or parchment, spray the foil lightly so it won’t stick, and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the rim is just beginning to color and the center looks set. Remove the weights and foil. If the bottom has puffed, press it down gently. Let the par-baked crust cool to room temperature before filling.
Prepare the pumpkin-dulce filling
7. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). In a mixing bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée and the dulce de leche together until smooth and homogeneous — no lumps.
8. Add the eggs, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is completely blended and silky.
Assemble and bake
9. Pour the filling into the cooled par-baked crust and smooth the surface. Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles when the pan is tapped. If the pastry edge darkens too quickly, wrap a strip of foil around the rim.
10. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool gradually at room temperature. Once it has cooled, refrigerate the pie for several hours (or overnight) to let the custard fully set.
Notes
- Serving & storage
- Serve chilled or at room temperature. A lightly whipped cream or a thin drizzle of extra dulce de leche makes a lovely finish.
- Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for several days. For longer storage, wrap slices and freeze; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- Notes & shortcuts
- Shortcuts: Use a purchased pie shell or refrigerated pie dough if you want a quick version.
- Make dulce de leche at home: Place an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk upright in a deep pot. Cover it completely with water and simmer gently for about 3–4 hours, keeping the can submerged (top off the pot with water as needed). Turn off the heat and let the can cool completely before opening. Safety tip: never open a hot can — let it cool fully to avoid splatters.
- If you can’t or don’t want to make dulce de leche, you may use sweetened condensed milk instead for a more traditional pumpkin pie flavor.
- Don’t overwork pastry: handling the dough too much warms the fat and develops gluten, which makes the crust tough. Cold fats = flaky layers.
- Par-baking is crucial: blind-baking the shell prevents a soggy bottom once the custard goes in.
- Measuring advice
- Baking behaves best when measured precisely. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh ingredients rather than relying solely on cups — our recipe is developed with weight measurements in mind. (Note: weight and volume aren’t interchangeable; 8 oz by weight does not always equal 1 cup.)
Nutrition
- Calories: 199kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 208mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 52mg