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Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie

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This chocolate and pumpkin mashup is surprising yet delicious. It’s so good that you don’t have to brûlée the top, though that effect surely makes the pie a showstopper.

Ingredients

8 Servings

chocolate pie dough

¼

cup plus 1 Tbsp. Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

tablespoons granulated sugar

1

teaspoon kosher salt

cups plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

6

tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2

tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

1

large egg yolk

½

teaspoon apple cider vinegar

filling and assembly

All-purpose flour (for dusting)

4

large eggs

1

15-oz. can pure pumpkin purée

¼

cup sour cream

2

tablespoons bourbon

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

½

teaspoon kosher salt

¼

teaspoon ground ginger

¼

teaspoon ground nutmeg

teaspoon ground allspice

teaspoon ground mace (optional)

¾

cup pure maple syrup, preferably grade B

½

vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1

cup heavy cream

2

tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation

  1. special equipment:

    Step 1

    A kitchen torch

  2. chocolate pie dough

    Step 2

    Pulse cocoa powder, granulated sugar, salt, and 1¼ cups plus 1 Tbsp. flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Transfer to a large bowl.

    Step 3

    Whisk egg yolk, vinegar, and ¼ cup ice water in a small bowl. Drizzle half of egg mixture over flour mixture and, using a fork, mix gently just until combined. Add remaining egg mixture and mix until dough just comes together (you will have some unincorporated pieces).

    Step 4

    Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, flatten slightly, and cut into quarters. Stack pieces on top of one another, placing unincorporated dry pieces of dough between layers, and press down to combine. Repeat process twice more (all pieces of dough should be incorporated at this point). Form dough into a 1”-thick disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour.

    Step 5

    DO AHEAD: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 3 months.

  3. filling and assembly

    Step 6

    Roll out disk of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14” round. Transfer to a 9” pie dish. Lift up edge and allow dough to slump down into dish. Trim, leaving about 1” overhang. Fold overhang under and crimp edge. Chill in freezer 15 minutes.

    Step 7

    Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line pie with parchment paper or heavy-duty foil, leaving a 1½” overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around the edge, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake until surface of crust looks dry, 5–10 minutes. Brush bottom and sides of crust with 1 beaten egg. Return to oven and bake until dry and set, about 3 minutes longer. (Brushing crust with egg and baking will prevent a soggy crust.)

    Step 8

    Whisk pumpkin purée, sour cream, bourbon, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mace, if desired, and remaining 3 eggs in a large bowl; set aside.

    Step 9

    Pour maple syrup in a small saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (reserve pod for another use) or add vanilla extract and bring syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and small puffs of steam start to release, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream in 3 additions, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth. Gradually whisk hot maple cream into pumpkin mixture.

    Step 10

    Place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in filling. Bake pie, rotating halfway through, until set around edge but center barely jiggles, 50–60 minutes. Transfer pie dish to a wire rack and let pie cool.

    Step 11

    Just before serving, sprinkle pie with sugar and, using a kitchen torch, brûlée until sugar is melted and dark brown.

    Step 12

    DO AHEAD: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead (do not brûlée). Cover and chill.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 640 Fat (g) 38 Saturated Fat (g) 21 Cholesterol (mg) 225 Carbohydrates (g) 66 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 26 Protein (g) 9 Sodium (mg) 520
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Reviews (365)

Back to TopTriangle
  • We’ve made this recipe twice now. Once with the chocolate crust, and once without. The chocolate crust is not very chocolaty and it’s not a very good crust. At least for us it was dense and dry. I recommend making the recipe with a regular pie crust, or even a store bought frozen crust. Also, the brûlée doesn’t add much. To be honest, if you’re gonna name a Bon Appetit pumpkin pie recipe, make the Pecan Pumpkin Pie. It’s amazing.

    • Sara

    • Austin, Texas

    • 11/25/2023

  • I prepared filling and crust but have not baked them yet. It was fun to make but I repeat what others have commented. I understand that not everyone has a scale. Perhaps hire an intern to make gram conversions for principal ingredients and have both both volume and weight measurements for BA recipes. Thanks

    • tRob

    • Missoula MT

    • 11/21/2021

  • 4 eggs, diviided

    • Joshua Grotheer

    • Savannah, GA

    • 11/20/2021

  • This sounds amazing. Chocolate with pumpkin pie! I think I will skip the brûlée topping as we don’t eat the pie all in one go, it would possibly melt..... Also, since you only use the egg yolk in the crust, I would use the egg white from that yolk to brush the crust when it comes out of the oven after it’s short par bake. You don’t have to have an egg yolk to brush a crust after a par bake. An egg white works just as well. Why waste a whole egg just for a few tiny brush strokes? Also the recipe is kind of confusing as the egg that is supposed to be used for the crust after the par bake is in with the filling… A very confusing way to write a recipe I think. Also I am one that would prefer all baking ingredients in grams or at least ounces as that is much more accurate.

    • Pamela

    • Japan

    • 12/16/2020

  • This pie is EXTRAORDINARY. Its perfect and dynamic in all ways. The chocolate crust is incredible with the filling which is perfectly seasoned, light and fluffy. The brûlée takes this pie to the next level. Thank you to the bon appetit are for always providing us with such wonderful recipes. Y'all rule.

    • Hallie

    • 11/27/2020

  • I make this pie every year for Thanksgiving! It's delicious and consistent - the top never cracks. Instead of the chocolate crust, I just do a regular all-butter crust. Even with the brulee, I don't think it's too sweet with the butter crust. It just makes it a little more classic.

    • Anonymous

    • Michigan

    • 11/26/2020

  • Awesome recipe. A few things- I feel like the bourbon and vanilla could be upped a little- the flavor was a bit lacking. The crust was amazing, though I had a hard time working with it- however, I'm a pie crust novice. The bruleed top is impressive but be sure to do as the recipe says and do it right before serving . otherwise the top will turn into a syrupy mess. I learned this the hard way- was able to salvage it but wasn't as thick and glassy as I wanted- now I know for next time!

    • emmyk

    • Seattle

    • 12/13/2019

  • This recipe is amazing! I had to use a different crust because I can’t have gluten but the filling and the top were perfect. Still added Dutch cocoa to the crust though and it was such a nice added touch.

    • Anonymous

    • Minnesota

    • 11/29/2019

  • This recipe is great!! The crust complements the pie super well and the brulee adds the extra umph that makes the recipe so special. Will be making this again!!!!

    • rachyfishy

    • United States

    • 11/22/2019

  • PLEASE can y'all start adding measurement by weight?

    • erica42

    • Austin, TX

    • 11/19/2018

  • Do you have weight measurement for the crust?

    • Anonymous

    • Montreal

    • 11/19/2018

  • Hi - like the other comments, my pie dough is very wet. I didn't have any "unincorporated pieces" and it seems like a very small amount of dough for a whole pie. Can anyone tell me if they experienced this as well? (I converted to grams, for accuracy. Maybe the recipe above used more flour than I did?)

    • Anonymous

    • Cincinnnati

    • 11/3/2018

  • Crust came out well. I made it ahead a couple of days and refrigerated. I made the pie one day ahead and my granddaughter and I did a double layer of brulee just before serving (fun activity with older children). I served with whipped cream on side. Overall the pie was good but not worth the extra effort and expense. I made a pumpkin torte last year that I was pretty easy and very well received.

    • danita

    • Seattle

    • 11/27/2017

  • Just made this pie and it was a total success! The crust went well and the filling was yummy. Ended up needing 70+ minutes to cook. I'll for sure be making it again soon!

    • annie4strings

    • 11/26/2017

  • Amazing recipe, but I made a different crust. Didn't like the idea of a choc crust with a pumpkin pie, too much. Made a 50% graham cracker 50% gingersnap crust and it was excellence. Also I made this recipe semi-dairy free and it turned out wonderfully. Husband can't do milk/cream/sour cream. Subbed out full fat yogurt for sour cream and an almond milk butter mixture for the cream. It was sort-of-dairy-free magic.

    • sarpre

    • Ogden, UT

    • 11/25/2017