Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

Introduction

This Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie is a rich and indulgent dessert featuring roasted pumpkin ganache layered over salted caramel in a buttery crust. It’s a perfect treat for autumn or any time you want a show-stopping pie that combines creamy pumpkin and caramel flavors with a crisp streusel topping.

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling or mix)
• 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/3 cup Corn Syrup (scant)
• 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 12 to 16 ounces White Chocolate (2 to 2 1/2 cups high-quality, see notes)
• 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Salt (up to 2 teaspoons to taste)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Fine Ground Cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon White Sugar (heaping)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Ice Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Rolled Oats
• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread both cans of pumpkin puree on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the color darkens by two shades and the puree reduces to about 2 cups (500g). Let cool.
2. Step 2: Place white chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl. In a small pot, heat 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, 1/3 cup corn syrup, and 5 tablespoons butter until boiling. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate, cover, and let sit for 1 minute.
3. Step 3: Add the roasted pumpkin, 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the chocolate mixture. Blend with an immersion blender or regular blender until completely smooth and silky. Refrigerate until ready to use; reheat gently before filling the pie.
4. Step 4: For the salted caramel, keep 1/3 cup heavy cream and 6 tablespoons butter cold. In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, 1 cup white sugar, and 2 tablespoons corn syrup. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once bubbling, swirl the pan without stirring and brush sides with water to prevent crystallization.
5. Step 5: When the caramel turns golden, swirl gently often to cook evenly. Remove from heat just before it burns. Whisk in cold butter one tablespoon at a time, then slowly add cream, whisking quickly. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 to 2 teaspoons salt. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
6. Step 6: For the pie crust, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut 12 tablespoons cold butter into the mixture, smashing lumps until coarse with some larger pieces remain. Chill if butter softens.
7. Step 7: Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 1/4 to 1/3 cup ice cold water. Add to the flour mixture tablespoon by tablespoon, tossing until dough holds together but remains slightly crumbly. Form a disc, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
8. Step 8: Roll the dough into a rectangle, fold it like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat folding twice, dusting with flour as needed. Roll out to a circle two inches wider than your pie tin. Drape into the tin, fold excess under, and crimp edges. Chill before baking.
9. Step 9: Blind bake the crust at 350°F: line with foil or parchment, add weights, and bake for 30–35 minutes. Remove weights and prick the bottom to prevent ballooning. Bake an additional 15–20 minutes until golden. Cool at least 1 hour.
10. Step 10: Prepare streusel by mixing 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup rolled oats, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, and a pinch of salt until crumbly. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden.
11. Step 11: For fresh whipped cream, beat 2 cups heavy cream with 3 tablespoons powdered sugar until soft peaks form just before serving.
12. Step 12: To assemble, pour room-temperature salted caramel into the cooled pie crust and chill for 20–25 minutes. Pour pumpkin ganache over the caramel and spread evenly. Refrigerate covered overnight to set fully.
13. Step 13: Serve cold with whipped cream and streusel sprinkled on top.

Tips & Variations

• Use high-quality white chocolate for the smoothest ganache and best flavor.
• Roasting pumpkin puree intensifies flavor—don’t skip this step.
• If your pie crust becomes too hard to roll, let it rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before rolling.
• Adjust caramel saltiness to taste, adding up to 2 teaspoons of salt if you prefer a stronger salted caramel flavor.

Storage

Store the assembled pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat caramel and ganache gently if preparing ahead of time. Leftover whipped cream is best used fresh but can be stored refrigerated for a day. Pie crust and streusel can be made ahead and stored properly as described above.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of puree?

No, canned pumpkin pie filling contains added spices and sugar which will alter the flavor and texture. Use pure pumpkin puree for the best results.

How do I prevent the caramel from crystallizing?

Swirling the pan gently instead of stirring and brushing down the sides with water using a pastry brush helps prevent sugar crystals from forming during caramelization.

Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.4 from 79 reviews

Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie is an indulgent fall dessert combining a rich pumpkin white chocolate ganache, salted caramel layer, and a flaky, buttery pie crust topped with a cinnamon-cardamom oat streusel and fresh whipped cream. This pie features complex flavors and textures with roasted pumpkin puree, creamy white chocolate, house-made salted caramel, and a tender pâte brisée crust, perfect for a festive occasion or holiday treat.

• Author: Kai
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes plus chilling time overnight
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Pumpkin Ganache

• 2 (15-ounce) cans Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling or mix)
• 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/3 cup Corn Syrup (scant)
• 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 12 to 16 ounces White Chocolate (2 to 2 1/2 cups high-quality white chocolate)
• 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Salted Caramel

• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1/3 cup Heavy Cream (cold)
• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (cold, cut into tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Salt (up to 2 teaspoons to taste)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Pie Crust

• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (cold, cut into tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup Fine Ground Cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon White Sugar (heaping)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Ice Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Rolled Oats
• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
• Pinch of Salt

Fresh Whipped Cream

• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1. Roast Pumpkin Puree: Spread both cans of pumpkin puree on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 325°F for 20-30 minutes until the color darkens by two shades and the puree reduces to about 2 cups (500g). If not reduced enough, continue roasting. Let cool before use.
2. Make Pumpkin Ganache: Place white chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl. In a small pot, bring heavy cream, corn syrup, and butter to a boil. Pour hot cream mixture over the white chocolate, ensuring the chocolate is fully covered. Let sit for 1 minute. Add roasted pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth and silky. Ganache can be refrigerated 1-2 days and reheated gently before use.
3. Prepare Salted Caramel: Keep the cold heavy cream and butter nearby. In a medium saucepan, combine water, white sugar, and corn syrup, stirring until sugar dissolves. Heat over medium until bubbling and clear, then swirl gently, brushing sides to prevent crystallization. When caramel turns golden brown, remove from heat, whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time until incorporated (steam will occur), then slowly add cream while whisking. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Reheat gently before use.
4. Make Pie Crust Dough: Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter and toss until coated, then break down butter pieces until coarse meal texture with blueberry-sized chunks remains. If butter softens, chill 15 minutes. Mix apple cider vinegar with ice water; add gradually until dough holds together but is still crumbly and non-sticky. Form dough into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll and Fold Dough: Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll dough into a roughly rectangular shape, fold like a letter (top third down and bottom third over that), rotate 90 degrees, roll and fold again. Repeat until dough is cohesive. Roll into a circle at least 2 inches wider than the pie tin. Transfer dough to tin, draping gently, fold excess underneath to form lip, and crimp edges. Chill until firm.
6. Blind Bake Pie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie tin on a baking sheet, line crust with foil or parchment, fill with pie weights. Tent edges with foil to prevent burning. Bake 30-35 minutes until edges lightly browned. Remove weights and lining, prick bottom crust with fork to prevent ballooning, bake 15-20 more minutes until golden. Cool at least 1 hour before filling. Pie crust can be made ahead and stored refrigerated or freeze unbaked up to 1 month.
7. Prepare Streusel Topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, oats, butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt by hand until loose crumbs form uniformly with no dry spots. Spread on parchment-lined sheet. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden. Can be made up to a week ahead and stored airtight at room temperature.
8. Make Fresh Whipped Cream: When ready to serve, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
9. Assemble Pie: Pour room temperature caramel into pre-baked pie crust, cover base evenly. Chill in fridge 20-25 minutes to firm. Pour pumpkin ganache over caramel, spreading quickly to cover all caramel. Refrigerate covered overnight (minimum 8 hours) until ganache is firm and not sticky.
10. Serve: Serve pie chilled topped with fresh whipped cream and streusel. Store leftovers refrigerated.

Notes

• Use pumpkin puree, NOT canned pumpkin pie filling or mix.
• White chocolate should be high quality for best flavor and texture.
• Roasting the pumpkin puree intensifies flavor and reduces moisture.
• Careful not to burn the caramel; remove from heat as soon as it reaches a rich golden brown.
• Pie dough may be crumbly; handling and folding helps develop structure without overworking gluten.
• Blind baking ensures a crisp crust that won’t become soggy when filled.
• Ganache and caramel can be made 1-2 days ahead for convenience.
• Store pie covered in refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days.
• Reheat ganache and caramel gently in microwave in 20-second increments to achieve pourable consistency.
• Use an immersion blender for smooth ganache or pulse in a blender.

Keywords: Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Caramel Pie, Milk Bar, Holiday Pie, White Chocolate Ganache, Salted Caramel, Streusel Topping, Fall Dessert, Pumpkin Spice