This Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart is the perfect alternative to your classic Pumpkin Pie! Great for a Thanksgiving dessert, or really any occasion. This Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart features an easy to make shortbread crust that is simply pressed into the tart pan and baked. The pumpkin custard filling is ultra-creamy and velvety in texture and full of all those classic warm fall spices! To finish the tart off, a no-torch method is used to create that beautiful glassy hard sugar topping!

Velvety pumpkin tart is topped with a creme brulee topping and baked in a buttery shortbread crust

How to make the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart

1. Combine butter, sugar, and vanilla: In a large mixing bowl of stand mixer, mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and well-combined.

2. Combine almond flour, flour, and salt: In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt until it is well-combined.

3. Add dry mixture to butter mixture: Add the dry flour mixture into the large mixing bowl, then beat until a dry, crumbly dough forms.

4. Press dough into tart pan: Grab all the dough pieces and press them into the tart pan, ensuring that you evenly cover the entire bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Pressing the dough into the pan is best done by slowly pressing and coercing to dough evenly across the pan.

5. Bake the crust: Place the crust in the pan onto a baking sheet and then into the oven to bake for 13 minutes. After 13 minutes, remove the crust from the oven, and press down any puffed up parts with a flat-bottom glass or measuring cup. Allow to cool to room temperature.

6. Make filling: Add the egg yolks, sugar, cream, pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt to a mixing bowl and beat until very smooth and uniform.

7. Add filling on top of crust: Pour the filling over a mesh sieve into the cooled tart crust. The sieve just ensures that the filling with be smooth and also helps remove air bubbles from the batter.

8. Bake: Place the tart back into the oven to bake. When done, the tart should still look jiggly in the centre. Allow to come to room temperature on the counter, then place into the fridge to set up for at least 6 hours.

Velvety pumpkin tart is topped with a creme brulee topping and baked in a buttery shortbread crust

When is the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart done baking?

As I mentioned above, the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart is actually done baking when the filling still looks a little jiggly in the centre. It is important to remove the tart from the oven when the centres is still a little loose because the filling will continue to cook and firm up quite a bit once out of the oven due to the residual heat.

To check if the filling is done, give the pan a light tap with your hand (using an oven mitt). If the entire filling jiggles it isn’t ready. If it seems solid it is overbaked. And if it seems set around the perimeter but still a little jiggly in the centre then that is perfect! Start checking around 40 minutes – mine usually is perfect between 40 and 45 minutes.

Velvety pumpkin tart is topped with a creme brulee topping and baked in a buttery shortbread crust

How to make the Burnt Sugar Topping

Now you may be thinking – this sounds incredible buuuuuut I don’t have a kitchen torch to make the Brûléed sugar topping! You don’t need one with this easy caramelized sugar topping! This easy no-torch caramelized sugar topping method involves caramelizing sugar on the stove! Then simply pour the hot sugar onto the fresh from the fridge cold tart, lift the tart pan up and begin to angle and rotate the pan until the caramelized sugar has spread evenly over the entire tart filling.

Velvety pumpkin tart is topped with a creme brulee topping and baked in a buttery shortbread crust

Making the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart Ahead + Serving

As this Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart has to be baked and then placed into the fridge to completely cool and firm up for at least 6 hours (but preferably overnight), this tart is definitely best made the day before serving!

However, the caramelized sugar topping should be made immediately prior to serving. This ensures that the topping stays nice and hard, as it is supposed to! If you pour the sugar topping onto the tart too early, the sugar topping will begin to weep very quickly. This is because sugar is hygroscopic, meaning that is attracts water. As such, the sugar topping will begin to pull the moisture out of the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart filling, and therefore turn into a big watery-sugar mess. Yuck.

All that being said, the actual tart can be made 2 days prior to serving – just ensure that is is wrapped-well in plastic wrap and placed into a cold fridge!

Velvety pumpkin tart is topped with a creme brulee topping and baked in a buttery shortbread crust

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart

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This silky Pumpkin Creme Brulee Tart is the perfect pumpkin pie alternative for thanksgiving dessert! Made with a shortbread crust & pumpkin custard filling
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 58 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients
 

Shortbread Crust

  • 120 g (4oz) All Purpose Flour,, about 1 cup measured volumetrically
  • 2 tbsp Almond Flour, †⅕
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup White Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart Filling

  • 4 Large Egg Yolks
  • 1/4 cup White Sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups Heavy Cream
  • 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 3/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Allspice
  • Pinch of Salt

Caramelized Sugar Topping

  • 6 tbsp White Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • 1 tsp Corn Syrup

Equipment

  • 9" tart pan

Instructions
 

Shortbread Crust

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Add flour, almond flour, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, cream together sugar, butter, and vanilla, until just combined. Add dry ingredients and beat to combine until a crumbly dough forms.
  • Place dough into 9” tart pan and spread out evenly with your hands across the entire bottom and up the sides. Place the tart pan into a baking sheet and then place into the oven for 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and while the crust is still warm, press down any puffed-up parts using a flat bottom glass or measuring cup. Allow to cool completely before adding tart filling.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart Filling

  • Turnoven down to 275°F (140°C). Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk together until very smooth and uniform.
  • Pour the filling over a fine-mesh sieve into the cooled crust, then return the tart to the oven to bake for 40-45 more minutes. When done, the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart should still be slightly jiggly in the centre.
  • Remove the Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tart from the oven and allow to come to room temperature on the counter. When the tart has cooled, wrap the top with plastic wrap, then place into the fridge to cool for at least 6 hours, or preferable overnight.

Caramelized Sugar Topping

  • At the time of serving, place all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine, then allow the mixture to come to a boil. Without stirring, allow the sugar syrup to caramelize into a deep amber color.
  • Remove the tart from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Immediately pour the hot caramelized sugar over the tart and begin to angle and rotate the pan until the sugar topping is evenly spread onto the entire filling. Allow the sugar topping to harden completely, about 1 minute, then serve immediately.

Notes

† if you do not have almond flour, replace with an additional 1 tbsp of AP Flour
Cuisine: American
Course: Baking
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