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Author:
Franco Salzillo
The classic pumpkin pie is hard to beat. It’s close to everyone’s heart. It’s as comforting as pies get. I get it. Why not combine the traditional dessert with another passion of ours? I’m talking about the pumpkin spice latte.
Desserts and coffee and closely related. Let’s say cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos are liquid desserts. Well, the pumpkin pie and the pumpkin spice latte are kind of the same thing but in different presentations.
All their similarities make them easy to combine in a new dessert with the best of both, the traditional pie and the seasonal coffee drink.
To make a pumpkin spice latte pie, you need everything you’d find in both Fall specialties. You’ll obviously need some pumpkin purée and make sure you buy the solid-pack pumpkin and not the pie filling.
You’ll also need condensed milk to give body to the pie while mirroring the latte’s creaminess. A shot of espresso is enough to flavor an eight-serving pie with the loveliest coffee scents. And then you have the pumpkin spice mix. You can make yours combining cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and similar spices, or you can just buy some pumpkin spice mix.
For the pie crust, I recommend making a graham cracker crust from scratch with crushed crackers and melted butter, but you can also buy a ready-made pie crust; it’s no biggie.
You’ll find the complete recipe below, but let’s just say this dessert is ready in forty-five minutes, and most of it is baking the pie. You only need to put all the ingredients in a stand mixer and combine them until smooth. That’s the nice thing about pies; they’re effortless.
Here’s some advice. I use one shot of espresso, and I like it strong. Taste the batter while mixing and assess if you want a bit more coffee; you can easily add a second shot and still get a balanced dessert. Don’t tell anyone, but a splash of coffee liqueur works too, and it gives the pie a fantastic boozy quality! We want the pie to taste like pumpkin and spices, and the coffee is just a supporting actor. Remember that, and you’ll be all right!
Preheat the oven to 370°F.
In a mixing bowl, add the pumpkin purée, condensed milk, eggs, coffee and pumpkin spice. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Cooldown to room temperature before serving.
