With Thanksgiving arriving in less than 2 weeks I’ve been dreaming up a dessert that feels like a good balance of both fun and tradition. This giant pumpkin pop tart brings the drama but fulfills that classic pumpkin pie craving all the same. The brown sugar icing makes it feel like an even more decandent dessert than your classic pumpkin pie, but the fact that it’s honoring your childhood pop tart dreams makes it casual and playful — the perfect treat to round out your dessert spread.
A Giant Pumpkin Pop Tart with a Brown Sugar Glaze
Recipe for the crust is slightly adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
The Crust:
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water, plus more if necessary
The Filling
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
1 large egg
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 and ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
Egg Wash:
1 egg
2 Tablespoons water
Brown Sugar Icing
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk + 2 Tablespoons to thin out at the end if necessary
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Making the crust:
Before you make the crust, cut the butter for the crust into small cubes and set on a plate. Place in the freezer for 15-30 minutes so it gets VERY COLD. While you do this, you can get all of your other ingredients out and ready to go.
To make the crust: Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the VERY COLD butter cubes and pulse again for 20-30 seconds until pie dough starts to resemble tiny peas.
Next, add in 2-3 tablespoons ICE COLD water to the dough. Pulse until dough comes together just a bit, resembling small beads. The dough should still be somewhat crumbly; I recommend squeezing a small amount of dough between your fingers; it should stick together well, but if it doesn’t and is very crumbly, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until it just comes together. If your dough is too wet, add 1/2 tablespoon flour until it comes together. Do not overwork the dough.
Place dough onto a well-floured surface and divide in half to form into TWO disk shapes, then wrap with plastic wrap or in a reusable bag. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes-1 hour or up to 2 days. Dough can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months if well wrapped in both plastic and then foil.
Once dough has been chilled for at least 30 minutes, place dough on a VERY well-floured clean surface and use a well floured-rolling pin to roll the dough into two roughly 12”x8” rectangles. Trim the extra crust around the edges of the pie plate and discard excess dough. . Cover the pie crust tightly with plastic wrap and place pie pan in the refrigerator while you prepare your pie filling.
Making the filling:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while you’re making the filling.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée and egg until smooth.
Add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, and whisk again until everything is combined. Set aside.
You’re only going to use 3/4 of the pumpkin pie filling and then feel free to freeze the rest.
Putting it together:
Remove one of the pie crusts from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper.
Whisk a large egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the outside inch of dough on the baking sheet with the egg wash. Spread 3/4 of the pumpkin pie filling in the center of the bottom crust, leaving about a 1 inch border on all sides.
Remove the second pie crust from the fridge and place it on top of the filling. using your fingers to slightly push dough together around the edges. Use a large fork to make indents along the border of the pop tart, then poke fork lightly in the center of the pop tart to allow air to escape.
Brush the whole top of the pop tart with the remaining egg wash if using. This will give your pop tart a pretty shine.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the dough is light golden brown. Allow to cool while you make the glaze.
Making the icing:
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, warm the butter, brown sugar and milk together. Whisk together until combined and bring to a slow simmer. Let simmer for about 1 minute then remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar, whisk together until smooth. If this feels too thick for your liking go ahead and add in 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin out the icing.
Once the Pop Tart is completely cooled cover it with icing. Use as much icing as your heart desires. I used about 3/4 of the icing, but you do what feels right to you. Allow the icing to set and then serve.
