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Home » All Recipes » Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

November 18, 2018 By beckysue

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Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust by Baking The Goods.

Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust by Baking The Goods.

In my quest to come up with the best pumpkin pie recipe, I failed, hard, at least the first few tries. My friend Liza, @ill_have_what_shes_having on Instagram, recently made the most incredibly fluffy pumpkin mousse I’ve ever tasted. We paired it with my chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies for dippin’ and those two were so good together that I began to wonder if this combination was the entire reason that the world brought Liza and I together as friends in the first place. 

I was determined to make a pumpkin mousse pie with that filling from the moment I tasted it. I tried, and failed, three times. I was ready to throw in the towel on this whole pumpkin pie recipe. Instead I realized I had to let the mousse go and be ok with the fact that this pumpkin mousse just belongs with the Ginger Molasses Cookies and not in a pie. Then I got to work again. This time focusing on a more classic pumpkin pie but with a couple of small but major changes. This Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust is my answer to my years long quest to come up with a pumpkin pie recipe worthy of sharing with you all. 

For this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust, I took crust inspiration from my hit recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Maple Bourbon Pie, also know as Nutella Pie. I added a bit of cinnamon to the chocolate cocoa pie dough bringing notes of hot cocoa to the crust. The pumpkin pie filling could not be easier to make, it’s just a simple mix of canned pumpkin puree, half and half, maple syrup, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar and a cozy mix of pumpkin spices. But, the real magic comes from the mix. As I started to whisk the ingredients together, I was struck with a tip that I learned years ago for making quiche. If you whizz the shizz out of the filling in a blender, it comes out as light and fluffy as a soufflé. So, I poured this pumpkin pie filling in the blender and whizzed it up real good for a few minutes. This Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust baked up with the airiest, most delicate pumpkin pie filling I’ve ever had in my life. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear it was actually pumpkin mousse, just what I was going for in the first place! So even if you don’t use my Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust recipe, be sure you blend the bejeezus out of your pumpkin pie filling whenever you bake your favorite pumpkin pie recipe. 

Another tip I always stress is save those scraps! When you trim the extra pie dough from your pie shell, gather those scraps together, roll them out and cut them into decorative shapes. I’ve been using my set of pie leaf cutters for years to add extra flair to my pies. For this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust, I bake the pie dough leaves separately and use them to cover any cracks that pop up when I bake my pie. Brilliant, right? Then serve it with bourbon infused whipped cream to cover any additional cracks and because bourbon whipped cream. 

While this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust may not have been what I originally envisioned, it turned out to be the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. And to think, I almost gave up. Not all fails end in failure. 

Chocolate Pie Crust ingredients

The chocolate pie crust is based off my no-fail All Butter Vodka Pie Dough recipe with the addition of dark cocoa powder and a bit of spicy cinnamon.

Mixing the dough for Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

I like to use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dough. It helps get the perfect texture without melting the butter too quickly.

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust shell

Once you shape the chocolate pie dough, you can freeze the shell until you are ready to bake it. If wrapped tightly in plastic wrap it will last a couple of months in the freezer.

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust - pie dough leaves

After you trim the edges of the pie dough, gather those chocolate pie dough scraps together, roll them out and cut cute little decorative shapes like these pie dough leaves using leaf pie stamps. I like to brush them with an egg wash and sprinkle them with sparkling sugar for extra crunch, just before baking. 

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust pie filling ingredients

The filling for this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust is a simple mix of pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, white sugar and pumpkin spices.

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust filling in blender

The key to the airiest pumpkin pie filling ever is to whizz it in a blender on high for a few minutes.

Filling the Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

Blending the maple pumpkin pie filling helps to smooth out any clumps that you might miss if you whisk by hand.

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust cooling

Once that Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust comes out of the oven, allow it to cool completely at room temperature. Sometimes you get cracks. Don’t worry too much about that, it will still taste delish. And why do you think we made those little leaves anyway?

Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

Those little crust leaves perfectly cover up the cracks that happened during the bake.

Assembling the Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

If you end up with unsightly cracks in your Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust, use those little pie crust leaves you baked up to cover the cracks. Brilliant right?

Sliced Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

How badly do you want to snuggle up with this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust? Such a cozy scene happening here, right?

Slice of Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

Is that not the most picture perfect slice of pie you’ve ever seen? Top a slice of Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust with bourbon infused whipped cream for the dreamiest dessert ever.

Leaf details of Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

Detail. Details. Details. They make this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust extra special. Those leaf pie stamps are so worth the investment. 

A slice of Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust

Who could resist a slice of this Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust? Seriously.

Print
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Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust by Baking The Goods

Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust


  • Author: Becky Sue of Baking The Goods
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices
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Description

Flaky, all butter chocolate pie crust holds a smooth pumpkin spiced filling that’s as airy & delicate as a soufflé. It’s topped with decorative pie crust leaves & fresh bourbon whipped cream. 


Ingredients

Units

CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (- very cold)
  • 1 cup + 2 TB all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder (- sifted)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons ice cold vodka
  • 1–2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 1 large egg (- at room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon sparkling sugar (- optional)

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

  • 1 – 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups half & half
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs (- at room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • a pinch of fine sea salt

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM – optional

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon

Instructions

CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST

  1. Cut the butter into 1/4″- 1/2″ cubes and put in the freezer to firm for a few minutes.
  2. Place the flour, sifted cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl with high sides and whisk together. 
  3. If you have a food processor, you can use it to mix the pie dough. Place the flour mixture and cubed butter in food processor. Gently pulse until the flour changes from silky to mealy; this should only take a handful of pulses so watch it carefully.

    If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily cut in the butter by blending the flour mixture with either a pastry blender, two butter knives or by squishing it between your fingers, just be careful that the butter doesn’t start to melt.

  4. If using a food processor – while pulsing, gently pour the vodka through the feed tube just until combined. At this point, I like to turn the crumbly dough into a large mixing bowl to check the hydration level of the dough by gathering a small fistful; if it holds together, it’s ready. If it is dry or crumbly, slowly add the ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using a pastry blender (or the butter knife method). Test the dough by pinching it occasionally.
    If you aren’t using a food processor, use a pastry blender or fork to combine the vodka into the dough.
    *Be careful to add only as much water as it takes to combine the dough into a ball or disk. The exact amount of water can vary depending upon the moisture content of the flour, the quality of the butter, and the weather. When it has the proper amount of water, the dough will come together without much effort or deliberate packing. If you need to add more water, make sure the ingredients are still cold.
  5. Form the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before rolling and forming.
    *If you don’t plan on using the dough within 24 hours, you can store the dough in the freezer. It will last up to 3 months tightly wrapped in the freezer. To defrost, transfer to the refrigerator to defrost overnight or allow it to sit for about 2 hours at room temperature. 
  6. Remove the dough disk from refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured surface into a 12″ round about 1/8″ thick.
    Gently transfer the rolled dough into a 9″ pan, leaving a 1″-2″ overhang all the way around. Tuck the edge underneath itself to form a ring around the edge of the pie plate.
    Flute the edges by pinching the dough between your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and your pointer finger knuckle on the other. Use a fork to prick small holes into the bottom of the pie shell. Place the pie shell in the freezer and chill for at least 20 minutes
    *Don’t waste the scraps, gather them together and re-roll, then cut fancy leaf stamps or desired shape. Place on a lined baking sheet in the freezer until ready to bake.
  7. Set oven at 400° F.

    Place the frozen pie shell on a baking sheet and line with a layer of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill the lined shell with beans, pie weights or rice. Be sure the weights fill the entire shell and reach to the edges and up the sides.
    Bake with weights for about 15 minutes, until the crust barely begins to turn a deeper chocolate color and starts to look dry. Remove the lining and weights and bake for another 5 minutes until the bottom of the shell looks dry, too. Allow to cool on a rack.

  8. If you have dough scraps and plan to add leaves, lightly beat the egg for egg wash. Gently brush the leaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake on a lined baking sheet alongside the pie shell, until the leaves are crisp and a deep brown color, 10-15 minutes.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

  1. Set oven to 325°F. 
  2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender and blend on a medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is super smooth and airy.
  3. Place the cooled pie shell on a lined baking sheet (preferably lined with a silpat mat to keep if from sliding around on the pan). With the remaining egg wash, gently brush the bottom, sides and fluted edges of the blind baked pie shell with the egg wash.
  4. Gently pour the blended pumpkin pie filling into the shell and carefully transfer to the center rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then lower the temperature to 300°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes more, until the filling is set and the top of the pie has begun to caramelize. It should still jiggle a bit in the center when you remove if from the oven. 
  5. Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature then gently top with the baked pie crust leaves to decorate the top. 
  6. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Top with fresh whipped cream and a light sprinkle of cocoa powder and cinnamon.

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM – optional

  1. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer and chill for 15 minutes.
  2. Pour the whipping cream and sugar into the chilled mixing bowl. Whisk, slowing pouring in the bourbon, just until the cream reaches stiff peaks, around 3-5 minutes. When you take the whisk out of the cream, the peaks should hold firmly but have soft tips. Stop whisking before the cream turns grainy.
  3. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve atop the pie. 
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: pie

Keywords: Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust

Questions? Hot tip?

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Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust

Maple Pumpkin Pie with a Chocolate Crust.

Filed Under: All Recipes, Pies Tagged With: best pumpkin pie recipe, chocolate pie crust, easy pumpkin pie recipe, maple pumpkin pie, Maple Pumpkin Pie With A Chocolate Crust, pie, pie from scratch, pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving pie

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren says

    December 6, 2018 at 1:41 PM

    This is a question about printing recipes from your site. Lately recipes from your site print so faintly that the writing is crazy hard to see. Like it’s printing a shadow. I don’t have this problem with other sites, so I am wondering if you have any idea why this would be happening? Thank you!

    • dayn says

      December 8, 2018 at 2:26 PM

      Hmm, that’s interesting – I am sorry to hear you’re having trouble. I’m not having any issues on my end. May I ask if you are using the print button on the recipe? Are you using a Mac or PC? Which browser are you using – Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc? I wonder if in the printer settings, you may not have the Background Graphics box selected? Could it be that? Thanks so much for letting me know!

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