Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Tart
This year our Thanksgiving was pretty laid back.
We stayed home, just the four of us.
So even though I enjoy cooking for a crowd, it was nice to not have any of that pressure.
And because of that, I decided to take a few liberties with a couple of recipes.
The kitchen was just a little quieter, definitely less crowded, and a bit more relaxed.
With the kids and Eric busy decorating the Christmas Tree and breaking out the decor for the next holiday to come around, I decided to experiment a bit.
I took my very favorite Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping and switched it up a bit.
At first I was just going to bake it as a tart instead of pie, but at the last minute I decided to add some fresh cranberries to the topping.
That was a smart move!
I increased the cinnamon and a couple other spices and added some cardamom too.
I like this pie (or tart) even better than before, which I didn’t think was possible.
Eric and I both agreed that not only is this version even tastier, but it’s also beautifully festive.
As trite as it may sound, this tart was, in a word, perfection.
It barely lasted a full 24 hours in our home.
And nothing stopped me from eating a slice for breakfast the next day.
Served with a dollop of vanilla cinnamon whipped cream, I don’t know how it could get any better.
It’s simple to make the vanilla cinnamon whipped cream: I just made whipped cream like usual, adding some vanilla extract and a few dashes of cinnamon.
Just because Thanksgiving is over doesn’t mean baking with pumpkin has to be over too!
This is certainly a pie I wouldn’t mind having another slice of before winter is over…and we have a ways before that happens.
What pumpkin recipes will you still be making even though Thanksgiving is over?
Do you have year-round favorites?
Don’t forget to head over to the Recipe Exchange: Chocolate Gingerbread post to vote for your favorite chocolate recipe. Didn’t get to submit a chocolate recipe last week? This Wednesday’s theme is also chocolate!
Looking for more Pumpkin Recipes?
Be sure to check out these 25 Pumpkin Recipes to Try this Fall – So, if like me, you have a pumpkin hoarding problem you now have a very good excuse. I’ve just shared my favorite Pumpkin Recipes for you to try this fall.
Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Tart
I took my favorite pumpkin pie filling, then added cranberries to the pecan topping. The result is this super festive cranberry pecan pumpkin tart.
Ingredients
For the Pie or Tart:
- 15 oz can pumpkin
- 3 slightly beaten eggs
- 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 single pie or tart crust
For the Cranberry Pecan Topping:
- 4 ounces fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold butter
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, zest, salt, and all of the spices (nutmeg through cardamom). In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, half-and-half or cream, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and lightly beat by hand until well combined. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a pastry-lined tart plate. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the brown sugar, flour, and salt, and butter to a small food processor and chop until it resembles a coarse mixture. Stir in the chopped cranberries and pecans.
- Remove tart from the oven and sprinkle the cranberry mixture on top. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 10-20 minutes, or until the tart is set, topping is golden and bubbly, and the crust is golden.
- Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.
Notes
TIP: It's easier to remove the first slice of pie from the plate if you cut the first piece and then cut the second before removing the first.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per ServingCalories 378 Total Fat 18g Saturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 10g Cholesterol 91mg Sodium 311mg Carbohydrates 52g Net Carbohydrates 0g Fiber 3g Sugar 38g Sugar Alcohols 0g Protein 5g
This looks fantastic! I might make a big batch of it for a community meal at my local food pantry…do you think I could use the filling and topping for individual pies using gingersnaps as the crust?
That would probably be fine
I shared this on my blog with a link back for the recipe: http://for-the-love-of-pie.blogspot.com/2011/11/cranberry-pecan-pumpkin-tart.html
@pril
Oooo…yum! I’m going to have to make this for my dad. He is the pie expert in our family.
WoW! This is one perfect match. I never thought of mixing cranberry with our very traditional pumpkin, tis’ very refreshing to know. Would certainly enjoy making this one at home. Enjoy the season!
I still make Pumpkin Corn Muffins to go with soups and chilis.
What an interesting combination! Looks good, for sure!
This pie looks delicious and so festive too. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t know cranberry can go with pumpkin. Have to try this soon.
Hi Katie! I followed an entry in the november recipe exchange contest to your lovely site! I am now following your tweet, facebook and grabbed your rss feed. This thanksgiivng my mother made pumpkin pie, I made apple pie from scratch with a lard/butter crust (yes, I rendered my own leaf lard!), and my sister made a cranberry tart. We had all three together with vanilla bean ice cream. I happened to have the cranberry and pumpkin side by side and remarked to my mother, “gee, this tastes so good together! gotta figure out how to make a combo pie.” Wish granted! Will be trying this for Christmas! all the best, Alex@amoderatelife
wow, this is beautiful! And all my favorite fall/winter flavors..pecans, check. cranberries, check, pumpkin, check. Can’t wait to bake!
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
This looks delicious. I love the tartness of cranberries. Great lighting in your photos, too.
What on earth have you done? These are beyond acceptable in the indulgence factor. And now I can’t think about anything else. These cookies with good tea:) jummy jummy
Love the pop of red that the cranberries add!
I love the cranberry topping touch. It makes it so suitable for Christmas day dessert!
Girl…I’m so with you on the laid back Thanksgiving!! That is my favorite kind!!
This tart looks great!!
This tart sounds delicious, and the photos are absolutely gorgeous! I love the idea of a cranberry pecan topping to pumpkin pie – so many wonderful flavors!
I think taking Thanksgiving down a notch in terms of its pressure is about the smartest thing imaginable. I almost went into a panic this year, what with all the posts, articles, and videos about making “the most perfect Thanksgiving ever.” And once the pressure is off, you can make innovative, wonderful desserts like this one. Lovely. Just lovely.
I’m still jealous you ate all of it. Really, you should be sending gifts like this to your friends. :-p
I don’t think this would survive a trip to Minnesota! You’ll just have to come here. 😉
Excuses, excuses.
Heard a funny story about a similar pie on NPR (national public radio) a few weeks ago. The subject was pet caused holiday disaster. Well, it seems, as told by her husband many years later, this young housewife made a beautiful Cranberry Pecan pie for the family Thanksgiving Day dinner. After taking it from the oven, she placed it on the kitchen table to cool. Alittle while later her husband walked into the kitchen to find their cat sitting in the middle of the pie, licking his paws. The moral of the story – even kitty likes a good pie.
Wow- that looks like a gorgeous dessert. All those things are great individually, but together? WOW!
i’m pretty sure you just made the most perfect Thanksgiving dessert known to man…you combined all of the best things into one!
I love this! My favorite is the burst of tartness that cranberries add to a dessert 🙂