Pumpkin Tahini Pie

This Thanksgiving I wanted to give my pumpkin pie a twist. I was inspired by a similar recipe that I found on Food52, but I doctored it up and made changes that I thought would make for a more delicious pie.

Instead of a cocoa crust, I opted for chocolate graham crackers, added a touch of cocoa to the filling, scaled back the tahini and deepened the flavor with maple syrup. I hope you enjoy!

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Ingredients

Crust

1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw, but regular can also work)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp melted butter

Filling

1 15oz can pumpkin
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp tahini
2 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°. To make the crust, break up your graham crackers and add to a food processor with the sugar and salt. Crush until a sandy texture, then add in your melted butter and blend until the mixture looks like wet sand. Pour mixture into your pie pan and begin to compress it with your fingers. You’ll want a smooth, packed crust. To get the sides, I advise using a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to press the sides in. Once it’s nice and packed, bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes— it should be about done once you can smell the chocolate. Once the crust is done, set on a rack to cool while you make the filling.

While the filling has a number of ingredients, it’s extremely simple to prepare. Combine your pumpkin, tahini, eggs, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl with a whisk or spatula. Then add in your milk once blended. Pour into cooled prepared crust, and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate.

Serve topped with whipped cream! Homemade is best, I just use a handheld mixer to beat heavy whipping cream with a bit of vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Enjoy!