This spiced pumpkin tart is just what to serve for your Thanksgiving feast finale. Whip it up in a food processor and pour into the pre-baked, gluten-free almond tart crust. Make it a day ahead to save time on the big day when your schedule is crazy and the kitchen is jumpin’. Making this pumpkin tart is easier than pumpkin pie and dealing with a pastry crust.
Pumpkin Tart or Pumpkin Pie?
It might sound crazy, but I like tarts more than pies. Just a slim little piece to finish a feast like Thanksgiving. Just enough. The filling for this tart is a combination of cream cheese and pumpkin puree, eggs, plus warm spices and vanilla. Pretty simple, and oh yes, wonderful.
For spices, I use cinnamon, clove and allspice. You can add ginger, nutmeg, mace or try a blend or Chinese Five Spice. Tailor the spices to your own taste.
Adding Sweetness
The tart needs just a little sweetness, so I started with maple syrup, then tasted the puree. It was good, but needed a little more sweetness. Not wanting to add more sugar, I turned to liquid stevia for that added boost. Use either the vanilla creme by Sweet Leaf, or the pumpkin spice flavor. They are available online and at many grocers.
This is where you must taste and adjust for your own preference. We don’t like things super sweet, so this pumpkin tart is not, like many traditional pumpkin pies, sickeningly sweet.
Pumpkin Filing – Puree and Pour
Start by making an almond-coconut crust. Once the crust is ready to go (you can do this a day or two ahead), make the filling. To create the filling, simply puree all of the ingredients together in a food processor. Pour into the pre-baked almond-coconut crust and bake again, Cool, chill and serve. note that the filing will be fairly fluid, but it will set up with baking, cooling and refrigerating.
Cream Cheese & Baking Notes
I’ve discovered that using block versus tub cream cheese requires a little difference in baking time. If using tub cream cheese, use an extra egg yolk. Check the tart at 30 minutes. If it’s still pretty jiggly, bake approximately an extra 10-12 minutes until not jiggly in the middle, then pull from the oven and cool. Timing will depend on your oven and whether you use convection or not. I prefer baking this tart without convection if possible. If you use convection and it puffs a little, it will settle as it cools. You can bake the tart a day ahead.
For Garnish For garnish, you can softly whip heavy cream with a little vanilla and stevia, honey or agave. For a tangier topping, try Green Valley Organics sour cream with the vanilla and a little sweetener. It’s more like a French creme fraiche. Really nice and a bit different because of the tang. You can even whisk this together by hand.
Spiced Pumpkin Tart
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked almond-coconut tart crust recipe on this site
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
- 8 ounces package block cream cheese
- 2 large or extra large eggs
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 pinches ground clove
- 2 pinches ground allspice
- 25-30 drops flavored liquid stevia vanilla creme or pumpkin spice
Garnish
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- sweetener of choice maple, honey, raw sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° (177° C). Ready the pre-baked almond-coconut tart crust, placing it on a rimmed baking sheet with a silpat non-slip liner (optional).
- Puree all ingredients from pumpkin through stevia together in a food processor until smooth. Filling will be fairly fluid. Taste and add more spices or stevia if desired. Pour the pureed pumpkin filling into tart crust. Fill almost to the top but leave an edge of crust showing. You may have extra filling.
- Bake tart for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours to completely set. Slice and serve.
- For garnish, whip cream with vanilla and sweetener to soft peaks. Serve on the side.
the crust sounds amazing!
Looks so delicious and amazing.. awesome pictures too!!
Is there a substitute for the 25-30 drops of liquid stevia.
Try doubling the maple syrup. Taste it and see how that tastes for you in terms of sweetness. And let me know so I ca make a note.
Thank you I will try that this afternoon.
HI – it appears the link for the crust isn’t working. Please update – I want to make this, it sounds amazing!!!
Hi Kris. Here it is, and thanks for letting me know about the broken link. This is a great recipe! https://afoodcentriclife.com/almond-coconut-tart-crust/
Hi Sally,
What do you think of using a spring form pan instead of a tart pan with removable bottom?? I have the spring form pan but not the tart pan. I realize that the sides would be straight instead of fluted.
Thanks!!!
Hi Sally,
What do you think of using a spring form pan instead of a tart pan with removable bottom?? I have the spring form pan but not the tart pan. I realize that the sides would be straight instead of fluted.
Thanks!!!
I finally made this tart today. It was good!! Question…how do you check to see if it is done? My filling was a little runny in the center.