Pumpkin pie with harvest-spiced cream & caramelized almonds

I have always been a pumpkin pie purist: I like to eat a simple pie, old-fashioned pie all by itself. Well, after trying this recipe, I have changed my mind. Now I want pumpkin pie like this.

Pumpkin pie with harvest-spiced cream & caramelized almonds

To start, this crust was perfect: buttery and flaky, and provided a perfect counterpoint to the sweet stuff inside.

The pie filling had a wonderful blend of spices (pumpkin spice plus a little extra nutmeg) and sugar (brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk) — enough to give it lots of wonderful flavor, but not so much that I couldn’t appreciate the other elements of the pie.

And then the toppings were a real wow. I’m not a big fan of whipped cream, but to make this “harvest spiced cream,” our chef mixed together sour cream, brown sugar, spices and whipping cream, creating a heavenly blend that was perfectly at home on top of the pie.

On top of that, she sprinkled on a few caramelized almonds, which added an amazing nutty crunch.

MORE: See how to make a healthier pumpkin spice latte at home

So, it’s fair to say that the fantastic pumpkin pie recipe below is why I won’t be sticking to simple, old-fashioned pumpkin pie this year!

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Pumpkin pie with harvest-spiced cream and caramelized almonds recipe

Yield 8

Ingredients

For the pie

  • 1 pre-made pie crust
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • One 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
  • One 15-oz. can pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the spiced whipped cream

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream

For the caramelized almonds

  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

To make the pumpkin pie

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Fit pie crust into a 9” pie plate. Fold edges under and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of pie crust with a knife.
  3. Bake pie crust for 8 minutes. Remove and allow pie shell to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, combine eggs, condensed milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, pie spice, nutmeg and vanilla together. Mix well.
  5. Pour mixture into the pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  6. Cool.
  7. Serve with a dollop of spiced whipped cream and a sprinkling of caramelized almonds (see recipes below).

Spiced whipped cream

  • Combine the sour cream, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Allow it to set at room temperature for 5 minutes.
  • Whisk in the whipped cream. Once combined well, cover and place in refrigerator.

Caramelized almonds

  1. Combine the almonds with the sugar in a large skillet.
  2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted and the almonds are light brown in color.
  3. Remove from pan, spreading on a large baking sheet.
  4. Allow to cool, then break into small pieces. Set aside until ready to use.

Notes

Makes one 9-1/2" pie

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