Forget pumpkin pie. Try this chai pumpkin tart.
 | Author:
Jon Bennion, Montana Free Press
Jon Bennion, Montana Free Press |
Ginger snap pie crust and chai masala spice mix make a tempting fall pairing.
This article was originally published in the Montana Free Press. It is published here courtesy of the Montana Free Press.
https://montanafreepress.org/2025/11/17/forget-pumpkin-pie-try-this-chai-pumpkin-tart/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newspack%20Newsletter%20%28257054%29&utm_source=2
If you grew up eating your family’s special-recipe pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving, someone else’s can taste peculiar, even disappointing. Our palates grow accustomed to particular spice blends and pie crusts through repetition and recollection.
I can’t imagine improving my mom’s pumpkin pie, so I don’t deviate from her recipe on Thanksgiving. And I won’t try to convince you that whatever pumpkin pie you’re attached to isn’t your turkey-day dessert grail.
But during the rest of pumpkin season, I enjoy setting the traditional pie aside to explore other pumpkin sweets. That’s where this chai pumpkin tart enters the picture. There’s a good chance it’s different from the pumpkin pie you’re used to, not least in its crust, which is made of ginger snaps.
You do need a tart pan to make it. I use one 9-inch tart pan and a few mini versions. I prefer tart pans with removable bottoms, which make the baked tart easy to remove and slice cleanly.
Growing up in Montana, I didn’t know many people who drank chai tea, but quite a few folks now consider it a daily treat. This tart recipe uses spices typically paired with black tea to make chai — a mix often packaged as “chai masala.”
Chai masala and pumpkin pie spices can share cloves, cinnamon, allspice and ginger in common, but the similarities usually end there. Chai spices often include green cardamom, fennel seeds and black pepper — each of which just happens to partner tastily with everyone’s favorite fall gourd. I get my chai masala from a company called Spicewalla, and I boost their mix with just a bit of extra cinnamon.
Chai spices add warm complexity to this fall tart. And the salty pumpkin-seed toppers pair perfectly with the otherwise sweet seasonal treat. Trust me: this pivot from pie to tart is exactly what your autumn table needs.
PUMPKIN CHAI TART RECIPE
Crust Ingredients:
12 oz. box of ginger snaps
2 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
6-7 tbsp butter
Filling Ingredients:
15 oz. can pumpkin puree
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp chai masala spice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a food processor, pulse the ginger snaps, brown sugar and salt until the cookies are reduced to fine crumbs. Combine with 6-7 tbsp of melted butter, or until the crust holds together when you pinch it. Pour the majority of the mixture into a 9-inch tart pan, and use a measuring cup to pack the crust into the pan. (Use mini tart pans for any leftover mixture, or use two 7-inch tart pans for the entire recipe.) Place the pans on a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake for 6-7 minutes, then remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
In a large saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, chai masala, white and brown sugar, salt and cinnamon, and heat over medium. Stir as it heats for 5-6 minutes. Then remove the pan from heat and stir in the condensed milk. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, then add the two eggs, one yolk and vanilla, stirring until combined.
Sprinkle half the pumpkin seeds across the crust, then add the filling. Bake on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until the tart is mostly set with the middle still a bit jiggly. Remove the tart from the oven, knowing the pie will continue to cook for a bit. Allow the pie to cool for at least two hours. Decorate the top with the remaining pumpkin seeds.
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PhotoCredit: Jon Bennion
Image 1 Caption: Chai Pumpkin Tart
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