Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crunch Topping

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Pumpkin Pie with Crunchy Pecan Topping Recipe 

What's better than pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie with pecan streUsel topping. 

As usual, I recommend making your own pie crust, even though you can do this in a store-bought crust. If you've never made a homemade pie crust, or if you find that making them makes you feel incredibly frustrated (you're not alone), then check out my post for the perfect homemade pie crust. 

I also recommend making your own homemade pumpkin puree. It's really not very hard, especially if you have an instant pot. But since I try to keep the pre-recipe chatter to a minimum, I will show you how following this handy dandy printable recipe (so keep scrolling...)  

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Pecan Crunch Pumpkin Pie
by October-7-2017
Take your pumpkin pie to a whole new level with a crunchy pecan streusel topping!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 whole egg
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
  • 1 pie crust
Instructions
Make your pie crust first, if you're doing homemade pie crust (see following recipe) Then preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix pumpkin puree with the egg and egg yolks until combined. Add cream, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Pour your filling into your pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. While your pie is cooking, prepare your topping Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans. Add the softened butter and mash with a fork until the entire mixture is moistened. Remove your pie from the oven after 45 minutes and top evenly with the streusel. Return it to the oven for another 15 minutes or until it's mostly set (a little jiggly in the center is fine). Allow to cool completely before serving.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: one 9" pie

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

In the fall, most grocery stores carry pumpkins. When selecting your pumpkin to make pumpkin puree, just make sure you pick the variety called "pie pumpkins". Now the basics of making the puree is cook the pumpkin and put the meat in a food processor or blender and puree it. That's all. Now obviously the skin and seeds have to be removed. Seeds can be removed before or after cooking. The skin comes off after cooking. So how do you cook a pumpkin? 

My favorite way is in my instant pot because it is so fast and easy. All you do is just chop the stem off the top, add 1 cup of water to the instant pot, put the rack in, set the pumpkin on the rack and pressure cook on manual for about 12 minutes with a natural pressure release. When it's finished, the pumpkin will be soft and the stem and skin will fall off easily. Allow it to cool completely and then cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut it into chunks and puree in a food processor, blender, or with an emersion blender. Depending on how much moisture your pumpkin is holding, you might need to add a bit of water to get the puree going. 

If you don't have an instant pot, you should probably get one because they're pretty awesome. I use mine several times a week. But if you don't have one and you don't want to get one, you can just cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and roast it cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet with about 1/2" water at the pan at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes or until cooked through. Allow it to cool completely then cut it into chunks and puree in a food processor, blender, or with an emersion blender. Depending on how much moisture your pumpkin is holding, you might need to add a bit of water to get the puree going. 

Fresh pumpkin puree will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. I usually do several pie pumpkins at a time then freeze the fresh puree in ziplock freezer bags with 1 cup per bag. If you flatten the bag out before freezing, your puree will thaw super quickly when you're ready to use it. I like to have plenty of pumpkin puree on hand for the holidays!

piesJP BennettComment