Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

Introduction

This Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie is a luscious blend of silky pumpkin ganache layered over chewy salted caramel, all nestled in a tender cornmeal pie crust. Topped with a crunchy streusel and fresh whipped cream, it’s the perfect indulgence for fall or any time you crave a festive dessert.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin Ganache:
• 2 (15-ounce) cans Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 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
• Chewy Salted Caramel:
• 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
• Pie Crust:
• 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
• 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. Pumpkin Ganache: Spread pumpkin puree on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 325°F for 20–30 minutes until darkened and reduced to about 2 cups. Let cool. Place white chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl. Heat cream, corn syrup, and butter in a small pot until boiling, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit 1 minute. Add roasted pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, then blend until smooth and silky. Refrigerate 1–2 days if needed; reheat gently before use.
2. Salted Caramel: Chill cream and butter beforehand. In a medium saucepan, mix water, sugar, and corn syrup and heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let bubble until golden, swirling pan occasionally and brushing sides to prevent crystallization. Remove from heat when deep golden. Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, then cream, vanilla, and salt. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Reheat gently before filling pie.
3. Pie Crust: Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add cold butter chunks and coat with flour mixture. Break butter down until coarse with some pea-sized pieces remain. Mix vinegar and cold water, add gradually until dough holds together but is still slightly crumbly. Form into disc, wrap, and chill 30+ minutes. Roll out dough with folding technique to develop texture, then fit into pie tin without stretching. Chill again. Blind bake at 350°F with weights for 30-35 minutes, tent edges if browning too fast. Remove weights, prick base, bake 15–20 more minutes until golden. Cool before filling. Crust can be prepped ahead.
4. Streusel: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mash until crumbly with no dry spots. Spread on parchment and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden. Store up to a week at room temperature.
5. Fresh Whipped Cream: Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form just before serving.
6. Assembling: Pour room temperature caramel evenly into pre-baked crust. Chill 20–25 minutes to set. Pour pumpkin ganache over caramel and spread quickly. Refrigerate covered overnight (at least 8 hours) until set. Serve cold topped with whipped cream and streusel.

Tips & Variations

• Use high-quality white chocolate for a smoother, richer ganache.
• Chilling the caramel and butter before cooking the caramel helps control texture.
• The pie crust’s letter-folding technique improves flakiness and structure.
• Adjust salt in the caramel to your preference; more salt adds a pleasant contrast to the sweetness.
• Make the ganache and caramel up to two days ahead to save time on the day of serving.
• For added flavor, try sprinkling a little sea salt over the streusel before baking.

Storage

Store the assembled pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The ganache and caramel layers keep well chilled, and the crust stays tender. Reheat slices briefly at room temperature or enjoy straight from the fridge. Leftover whipped cream is best used fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for one day.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No, use pure pumpkin puree for this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugars and spices which will alter the texture and flavor of the ganache.

How do I prevent the pie crust edges from burning while baking?

To protect the edges, tent them with foil partway through baking. This shields them from direct heat while allowing the rest of the crust to brown nicely.

Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 71 reviews

Milk Bar Hilly’s Pumpkin Caramel Pie is a decadent layered dessert featuring a rich pumpkin ganache, chewy salted caramel, and a buttery pie crust topped with spiced streusel and fresh whipped cream. This pie combines smooth roasted pumpkin puree with white chocolate and warming pumpkin spices, balanced by a luscious homemade salted caramel. The pie crust is tender, flaky, and made with cornmeal for texture, while the streusel adds a crisp, cinnamon-cardamom crunch. Perfect for fall gatherings, this pie is baked, chilled overnight for set layers, and served cold with whipped cream.

• Author: Clara
• Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 10 hours 50 minutes
• Yield: 1 9-inch pie (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

Chewy Salted Caramel:

• 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

Pie Crust:

• 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

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 in a 325°F oven for 20–30 minutes until the color darkens by two shades and the puree reduces to about 2 cups or 500 grams. Allow to cool before using.
2. Make Pumpkin Ganache: Add white chocolate to a large heat-safe bowl. In a small pot, bring heavy cream, corn syrup, and butter to a boil. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate, ensuring all the chocolate is covered; let sit for 1 minute. Add roasted pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, then blend with an immersion blender or in a blender until smooth and silky. Refrigerate until ready to use, reheating gently to a pourable consistency.
3. Prepare Salted Caramel: Keep heavy cream and butter cold. In a medium saucepan, combine water, white sugar, and corn syrup and dissolve sugar over medium heat. Without stirring once clear and bubbling, swirl pan gently and brush down sides to avoid crystallization. When golden, remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, then whisk in cream, vanilla, and salt quickly. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until firm. Reheat gently before use.
4. Make Pie Crust Dough: Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter chunks. Mix apple cider vinegar with ice cold water and add gradually until dough holds together but stays crumbly. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll and Fold Dough: On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle, fold it like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat the rolling and folding. Then roll out into a circle at least two inches wider than your pie tin. Transfer dough to pie tin, drape without stretching, fold excess dough under to create a lip, and crimp edges. Chill before baking.
6. Blind Bake Pie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pie shell with foil or parchment and fill with weights. Tent edges with foil if browning too fast. Bake 30–35 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove weights and prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake another 15–20 minutes until golden brown. Cool at least 1 hour.
7. Prepare Streusel Topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, oats, butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt by hand until loose crumbs form. Spread on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes until golden brown. Store at room temperature.
8. Make Fresh Whipped Cream: When ready to serve, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
9. Assemble the Pie: Pour room temperature salted caramel into pre-baked pie crust, spreading evenly. Chill in fridge 20–25 minutes to set caramel. Pour pumpkin ganache over caramel layer, spreading quickly to fully cover. Refrigerate covered overnight (at least 8 hours) until ganache is firm. Serve cold topped with fresh whipped cream and streusel.

Notes

• Use high-quality white chocolate for best ganache texture and flavor.
• Roast pumpkin puree thoroughly to concentrate flavor and reduce moisture content.
• Be careful not to burn caramel; pull off heat as soon as deep golden brown color is reached.
• Pie crust dough should remain cold for flakiness; chill whenever dough becomes too warm.
• Streusel can be made up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Ganache and caramel can be made 1-2 days ahead; reheat gently before assembling the pie.
• Store finished pie in the refrigerator and serve chilled for best texture.
• For a sturdier pie crust, tent edges with foil early during baking to avoid burning.
• Refer to the blog’s FAQ section for additional tips and troubleshooting.

Keywords: pumpkin pie, caramel pie, milk bar recipe, pumpkin caramel pie, fall dessert, white chocolate ganache, salted caramel, streusel topping, homemade pie crust