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Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

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★★★★★

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.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Find it online: https://kitchenwithkai.com/milk-bar-hillys-pumpkin-caramel-pie-recipe/