A press-in crust, short bake time, and do-ahead option liberate you (and your oven) on Thanksgiving Day.
Recipe information
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
Crust
1¼
1
2
¾
½
Filling and Assembly
1¼
1
1
2
1
1½
¾
¾
3
Special Equipment
Preparation
Crust
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8–10 minutes; let cool. Using a kitchen towel, rub hazelnuts together to remove most of the skins (don’t worry about some stubborn bits remaining).
Step 2
Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and ¾ cup hazelnuts in a food processor until the consistency of coarse meal. Reserve remaining ½ cup hazelnuts for filling. Add butter to dry ingredients and pulse until there are only a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Step 3
Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle 3 Tbsp. ice water over and mix, adding another splash or so of water if needed, just to bring dough together.
Step 4
Using your fingers, press dough evenly 1½–2" up the sides and then into the bottom of pan; compact and smooth with a flat, straight-sided measuring cup or glass. Chill 20 minutes.
Step 5
Bake crust until golden but not totally baked through, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
Filling and Assembly
Step 6
Meanwhile, bring cream of tartar, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, swirling pan occasionally (do not stir), until caramel is a deep amber color, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisking constantly, carefully add cream (mixture will be extremely hot and will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Let caramel cool slightly in pot.
Step 7
Whisk pumpkin purée, brown sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add caramel and eggs, whisking until well blended. Scrape filling into prepared crust.
Step 8
Bake tart, rotating halfway through, until filling is set around edges and center barely jiggles, 30–35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan.
Step 9
Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved ½ cup hazelnuts and cook in a small skillet over medium heat with remaining ¼ cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. water, stirring constantly, until sugar caramelizes and evenly coats hazelnuts. Transfer caramelized hazelnuts to a sheet of parchment paper and let cool completely. Coarsely chop.
Step 10
Scatter caramelized hazelnuts over tart and serve with whipped cream.
Step 11
Do Ahead: Tart (without nuts) can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Hazelnuts can be caramelized 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
Nutrition Per Serving
How would you rate Pumpkin-Caramel Tart With Toasted-Hazelnut Crust?
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Reviews (12)
Back to TopI have been making this tart every year since it came out and it is a family favorite. I am allergic to nuts so make this with a gingersnap crust but there are TWO things that consistently need adjusting with this recipe so BA ... please update! 1). You need a 1/4 water for 1C sugar to make the caramel or it will seize. 2) Maybe it is my oven but it takes 50/55 minutes to cook EVERY TIME. Otherwise ... delish. Happy Thanksgiving!
Laurel
Washington DC
11/22/2023
This is the best pumpkin pie EVER! I have made it for years with hazelnuts. I wanted to make it for myself today and didn't have any so I tried toasted pecans. Prepping hazelnuts is a bit of a hassle, so if you don't want to use them, I recommend trying pecans. The flavor was a little different but still SO delicious! I won't be picky about which way I make it but will be making it forever!!!!
Anonymous
Glastonbury, CT
10/17/2020
This tart is very delicious and a good take on the classic pumpkin pie. The recipe calls for room temperature, but the tart really benefits from a stay in the fridge. The next day, the filling set up nicely and made clean cuts with the butter in the crust solidifying it just enough. I also used pecans in place of hazelnuts and they were great.
DominicLizama
Guam
5/11/2020
I’ve now made this tart 4 times. It pleases the pumpkin lovers and happily surprises the pumpkin pie haters of this world (i as an ex-patriate Australian am among their number). I put edible gold leaf on 6 or 8 of the candied hazelnuts and strew them across the top with the rest, it is a beautiful, delicate looking but flavour packed dessert that embodies this lovely season.
Anonymous
Baltimore
11/26/2019
Can I substitute or omit the cream of tartar?
Anonymous
mexico
10/13/2019
Probably the best flavored and textured pumpkin "pie" I have ever made - a moment of hushed silence at the dinner table as people took a bite, and this was from a group that was too full for dessert. I did not add toasted caramelized nuts on top - decided to go for smooth, not chunky - it was awesomely good. Definitely add more water to the sugar when making the caramel - I doubled it, as noted in other review, and then added a splash more. Adds a bit of time to getting the caramel color, but the sugar dissolves more readily. You could triple the water amount called for to ensure faster dissolution of the sugar.
Anonymous
Newcastle, CA
11/25/2017
Delicious tart and easy to make. The only problem I found was too little water used to make the caramels. I doubled the amount for both caramels for better control. I think the hazelnut sprinklings should be added to their caramel after it takes color.
amandafrost
Santa Barbara, CA
11/24/2017