Print

Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 60 reviews

This Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie is a decadent layered dessert combining a rich roasted pumpkin white chocolate ganache, a luscious salted caramel base, a tender buttery pie crust, and a crunchy cinnamon-cardamom streusel topping. Finished with freshly whipped cream, this pie offers a perfect blend of creamy, sweet, and spiced flavors ideal for autumn gatherings or festive occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

Pumpkin Ganache

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling or mix)
  • 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1/3 cup Corn Syrup (scant)
  • 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 12 to 16 ounces White Chocolate (2 to 2 1/2 cups high-quality white chocolate)
  • 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Heavy Cream (cold)
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (cold, cut into tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Salt (up to 2 teaspoons to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Pie Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups Flour
  • 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (cold, cut into tablespoons)
  • 1/2 cup Fine Ground Cornmeal
  • 1 Tablespoon White Sugar (heaping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup Ice Cold Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Streusel

  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Rolled Oats
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
  • Pinch of Salt

Fresh Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  1. Roast Pumpkin Puree: Spread both cans of pumpkin puree onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 325°F for 20 to 30 minutes until the color darkens by two shades and reduces to about 2 cups (500g). Continue roasting if not sufficiently reduced. Let cool before using.
  2. Make Pumpkin Ganache: Place white chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl. In a small pot, combine heavy cream, corn syrup, and butter, and bring to a boil. Pour hot cream mixture over the white chocolate, ensuring all chocolate is covered. Let sit for 1 minute, then add roasted pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth and silky. Refrigerate and reheat gently before use.
  3. Prepare Salted Caramel: Keep cream and butter cold. In a medium saucepan, combine water, white sugar, and corn syrup; stir until sugar dissolves. Heat over medium, swirling pan occasionally to prevent crystallization. When the mixture turns golden and bubbling, remove from heat. Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, followed by cream, vanilla, and salt. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
  4. Make Pie Crust Dough: In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, white sugar, and salt. Add cold butter chunks and toss with hands until coated. Break butter into coarse pieces, resembling coarse meal with some pea-sized chunks remaining. If butter softens, chill dough 15 minutes. Mix apple cider vinegar and cold water; add gradually to flour mixture until dough holds together but remains slightly crumbly. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  5. Roll and Fold Dough: Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll dough into a rough rectangle, fold like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat the roll and fold twice more. Roll final dough into a circle at least two inches larger than pie tin base. Transfer dough to pie tin by draping, fold excess under to create a lip, and crimp edges. Refrigerate to firm.
  6. Blind Bake Pie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line crust with foil or parchment and fill with weights. Tent edges with foil if browning too quickly. Bake 30-35 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove weights and prick crust bottom to prevent ballooning. Continue baking 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool at least 1 hour before filling. Dough can be made ahead and stored refrigerated or frozen.
  7. Prepare Streusel: Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Mash and mix with hands until loose crumbs form, with no dry spots or big butter pieces. Spread on parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown. Store streusel up to one week in an airtight container.
  8. Whip Cream: Just before serving, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form.
  9. Assemble Pie: Pour room-temperature salted caramel into the cooled pre-baked pie crust and level. Refrigerate 20–25 minutes to firm caramel. Pour pumpkin ganache over caramel and spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate pie overnight (minimum 8 hours) until ganache is firm. Serve chilled, topped with fresh whipped cream and streusel. Store leftovers refrigerated.

Notes

  • The pumpkin puree must not be pumpkin pie filling or mix; fresh roasted puree is essential for flavor and consistency.
  • Use high-quality white chocolate for best texture and taste in ganache.
  • Keep butter and cream cold before adding to caramel to prevent separation and ensure smooth texture.
  • Blind baking the crust prevents sogginess from the wet fillings.
  • Roasting the pumpkin puree intensifies flavor and reduces water content for a firmer ganache.
  • Ganache and caramel can be made 1–2 days in advance for convenience.
  • Streusel can be baked ahead and stored at room temperature.
  • Allow pie to chill thoroughly overnight to set the layers firmly before serving.

Keywords: Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Pie, Milk Bar Recipe, Pumpkin Caramel Ganache, Autumn Dessert, Fall Pie, White Chocolate Pumpkin

Find it online: https://freshrecipehub.com/milk-bar-hillys-pumpkin-caramel-pie-recipe/