Comforting Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
If you are a big fan of pumpkin pie and all things chocolate, you are definitely going to appreciate this pumpkin pie with chocolate ganache recipe. It’s such a wonderful pumpkin dessert that’s perfect for fall!
Well, you can make it all year but it’s just extra special for pumpkin season.
And if you enjoy easy sweet treats, be sure to check out my recipes for pumpkin blondies and apple pie bars. They’re so good too!
This post contains affiliate links.
Ingredients for this pumpkin pie recipe
Here’s what was used for the pie crust:
Here’s the ingredients I used for the chocolate ganache layer.
As for the pumpkin filling, these ingredients were used:
Equipment
You will need a couple things for making this recipe. A food processor is ideal for making the pie crust – it works fast so the dough stays colder.
A 9-inch pie dish is also preferred here along with pie weights which keep the crust from puffing up while baking. Of course you can use dry beans in place of the weights.
How to make pumpkin pie with chocolate ganache
Make the pie crust dough
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt for the pie crust. Cut the butter into cubes. Add the flour mixture and the cubed butter to a food processor and pulse until the butter fully incorporates and everything looks like crumbs.
Add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Pulse again until well combined.
Turn the crumbly mixture onto the countertop and add ice water one tablespoon at a time.
Knead until the dough just comes together. Flatten slightly, cover in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for at least an hour.
Roll out the pie crust
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap the plastic and place on a floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch in thickness.
Place the rolled out dough into a buttered 9-inch pie dish. Trim off the edges and crimp. Pop the dough back into the fridge for another 15 minutes.
Once chilled, use a fork to stick the dough in a few spots. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and add the pie weights (or use dried beans).
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Prebaking the pie crust with pie weights is called blind baking and following this method ensures the crust stays crisp even after adding the chocolate and pumpkin filling.
Remove the dish from the oven and remove the parchment with weights. Add the dish back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the crust develops a golden color.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Make the chocolate ganache layer
Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and place on low heat. Warm the cream until it begins to steam but does not start boiling. Remove from the heat.
Add the chocolate chips and butter to a mixing bowl. Pour the warmed cream into the bowl and allow the warmth to melt the chocolate and butter. Stir after a minute or two until the mixture is smooth chocolatey goodness. You can sprinkle in the salt here.
Reserve a spoonful or two of the chocolate in a separate bowl and set aside for later. Pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the cooled pie crust. Make sure it spreads evenly on the crust and pop the pie dish in the fridge for about 10 to 15 minutes for the chocolate layer to firm up a bit.
Make the pumpkin layer
To another mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and ginger powder and salt. Mix well.
Whisk in the half and half until the pumpkin mixture becomes smooth.
Bring everything together and bake
Turn the oven back on and preheat it to 375°F.
Remove the pie dish from the fridge. Spoon the pumpkin filling gently over the chilled chocolate ganache. Smooth out the pumpkin layer.
Spoon and swirl in the chocolate that you set aside (the 2 to 3 tsps of ganache). Use a toothpick to create some wonderful swirls. Get artsy!
Pop the pumpkin pie into the preheated oven and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the filling is mostly set with a slight soft jiggle in the center.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (or even overnight).
Decorate with whipped cream, powdered sugar, powdered cinnamon, grated chocolate and even toasted nuts like pecans. Slice into 8 and serve chilled. It can last for about 3 days in the fridge.
More recipes
Chocolate pumpkin pie recipe
Pumpkin pie with chocolate ganache
Ingredients
Pie crust
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour (approx. 150 g)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar (optional but recommended)
- ½ cup butter, cold (1 stick or 113 g)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 – 3 tbsp ice water
Chocolate ganache
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 4 oz chocolate chips (dark or semisweet)
- ½ tbsp butter
- pinch of salt (optional)
Pumpkin filling
- 1¼ cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup half and half (or ½ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup milk)
Equipment
- food processor
- 9-inch pie dish
Instructions
Pie crust
- Mix the flour (1¼ cup), salt (½ tsp) and sugar (½ tsp) together.
- Cut the cold butter (1 stick) into cubes.
- Add the flour mixture and butter cubes to a food processor.
- Pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs and the butter is well incorporated.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Pulse to incorporate.
- Turn over the mixture into a bowl or onto the counter top.
- Spoon 1 tbsp of ice water onto the mixture.
- Knead to combine.
- Continue adding water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough comes together.
- Flatten the dough into a disc.
- Wrap with plastic.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.
- After 1 hour, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Butter the 9-inch pie dish.
- Remove the chilled dough from fridge. Unwrap.
- Place the dough on a floured surface.
- Roll out to ⅛-inch to ¼-inch in thickness.
- Place the rolled out dough into pie dish. Press in.
- Trim and crimp the edges.
- Place the pie dish in the fridge again.
- Chill for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge.
- Poke the dough several times with a fork.
- Place parchment paper over the dough.
- Add pie weights or dry beans.
- Blind bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Lift off the parchment paper with the weights.
- Return to oven.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown.
- Remove from oven. Turn off the oven.
- Set aside to cool.
Chocolate ganache layer
- Add heavy cream to small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on low heat for 5 minutes or until the cream starts steaming (do not boil).
- Remove from the heat.
- Place chocolate chips and butter (½ tbsp) into a bowl.
- Add the heated cream.
- After 1 – 2 minutes, stir the chocolate and heavy cream until smooth.
- Sprinkle in the salt.
- Reserve 2 to 3 teaspoons of ganache for swirling later.
- Pour the rest of the chocolate ganache over the cooled pie crust.
- Smoothen the chocolate layer.
- Chill in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.
Pumpkin layer
- Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar (⅓ cup), maple syrup, cinnamon powder, ginger powder and salt to a mixing bowl.
- Mix well.
- Pour in the half and half.
- Whisk until smooth.
Pumpkin pie
- Start the oven again and preheat to 375°F.
- Remove the chilled pie from the fridge.
- Spoon the pumpkin filling onto the pie. Be gentle.
- Smoothen the filling.
- Add small spoonfuls of the reserved chocolate ganache (2 – 3 tsp) to the pumpkin filling.
- Use a toothpick to make fun swirls.
- Place the pie in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes (or until the filling is set and there is a slight jiggle in the center).
- Remove from the oven.
- Cool completely.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (to overnight).
- Decorate with whipped cream, powdered cinnamon, grated chocolate etc.
- Slice and serve cold.
