Pumpkin Baklava Pie

I’ve finally made you a pumpkin pie. But of course I had to put a sam spin on it. Instead of a traditional pie crust I’m going to guide you to make a pecan baklava that will become the house of the creamy, silky spiced pumpkin filling. Because the baklava and pie filling bake together and cool together this is a great make ahead dessert. Also, a stunner! 

Recipe Origins 

The inspiration for this recipe comes from a very beloved pie on this site: baklava cheesecake. Years ago I had made that cheesecake with a pumpkin cheesecake filling (instead of the vanilla) and it occurred to me that one day I could try making a pumpkin pie with a baklava crust. Here we are! 

The pie filling is based on a recipe I did last year for the washington post, though it has quite a few differences as it has morphed over the past few months: I skipped the brown butter (this pie is enough work without the extra step!) and instead of sour cream I use cream cheese. This change came from some recipe tests I had done with these pumpkin pie bars. I was out of sour cream and swapped in the cream cheese and found it gave me a thicker texture which I really loved.

Recipe Ingredients

Cream cheese: full fat and we’ll need it at room temperature. If it’s cold you’ll have lumps in your filling. 

Brown sugar: we’ll use this in the filling and in the crust (the nutty baklava layers). Dark or light works. 

Pumpkin spice: a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sometimes cloves and other spices. 

Salt: fine sea salt. 

Vanilla: pure extract. I use some in the filling and, this is optional though I do love it, in the syrup as well. 

Pumpkin puree: pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Just one 15 oz can. 

Eggs: large and preferably at room temperature. You can place them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to warm up. 

Powdered sugar: very finely ground sugar that’s been mixed with a starch (corn starch or tapioca starch). The starch helps the pie set. 

Phyllo sheets: I like the Apollo brand, their boxes come with 18-22 sheets of phyllo. Just use the whole box. 

Ghee: clarified butter. 

Pecans: I buy raw nuts and toast them at 350 F for about 10 minutes. Once they are completely cool, grind them in a food processor so they are finely chopped. You can use a different nut if you prefer, walnuts or pistachios would be great here too. 

Cinnamon: I use this to flavor the nutty parts of the baklava. 

Honey: for the syrup. You can skip it if needed.

How to make Pumpkin Baklava Pie 

Start by preparing the nuts for the crust

Bake the raw pecans for about ten minutes on a sheet pan, until fragrant then let cool. 

Grind in a food processor along with the sugar, salt and cinnamon until it’s finely chopped. 

Make the filling

The cream cheese should be at room temperature so it’s softened. Beat it with the sugar, spices, vanilla and salt until smooth. 

Then add the pumpkin puree and beat to combine. 

Then beat in the eggs and powdered sugar until everything is evenly mixed. Set this aside while you make the crust. 

Make the crust 

Have your nut mixture and filling ready and nearby and lay out the phyllo sheets. Cover with a damp cloth while you’re working. The ghee should be at a spreadable consistency. 

You can start directly on the springform pan (buckled) or you can lay a sheet of parchment on the bottom (this can help catch any liquid but I don’t always do it). Brush it with ghee then start layering: 

Layer ten sheets of phyllo, each one brushed with ghee and placed slightly askew from the first so you’re covering all sides of the pan. The sheets are bigger than the pan so some of the phyllo will overhang, we’ll deal with that later. 

Once you have ten sheets, brush the sheet with ghee and spread half of the pecan mixture over it. 

Layer again, another five sheets, each brushed with ghee and layered askew. 

Then add the remaining half of the pecan mixture. 

Last five phyllo sheets: also brushed with ghee (each one, get up on those sides too!) and layered askew and folded over. 

Assemble and bake

Pour the pumpkin filling into the center of the pie and smooth into an even layer. 

Now we’re going to scrunch the phyllo that was folded over so that it covers the outer rim of the pie: but we don’t want it to be too thick or it will struggle to bake so tear or trim some of it down. 

Place the pie on a cookie sheet to bake, this will catch any leaks, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour but don’t go by time: look for your doneness signals. Is the phyllo golden? Does the filling slosh like a liquid when the pan is gently shaken or does it wobble like a jello? It should wobble, not slosh and if you really want to ensure doneness, use a thermometer to check (though it will make a hole in the pie). 

Syrup Pour 

When the pie is close to done, add the water, sugar and honey to a small pot and set it over medium heat. Let it cook while the sugar dissolves then a bit more so it can thicken, just slightly. 

When the pie comes out of the oven, keep it on the cookie sheet and buckled, and pour the syrup over the outer rim of the crust. We want it to hit only where the phyllo/baklava layers are (not the pumpkin filling). Let it cool completely, then unbuckle it and transfer to a plate. Set it to chill for a few hours in the fridge, or overnight. 

FAQ 

Can I make this ahead of time? How early? 

I advise you to make it at least a day before serving as the pumpkin filling does best when fully set. You can make it up to 2 days early and while it stores for longer than that, I think right at that perfect point between fresh and set is when you want to ideally consume it. 

Can I use toasted pecans? Or another nut? 

Yes but I’d still toast them for a bit in the oven to freshen them up; reduce the bake time to 5-7 minutes. Same with any other nut. 

Pumpkin Baklava Pie Recipe 

no comments