Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Walnuts
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Dress up that pie and try this Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Walnuts; you’ll never be satisfied with plain pumpkin pie again!
I’ve always liked pumpkin pie OK but for many years never really loved them; certainly never craved them at Thanksgiving like some folks do; pecan pie was my favorite. Maybe it’s too many store bought, cardboard crust, metal tin, cafeteria style boring pies that turned me off, so I’m always experimenting and looking for one that suits me because I really think there is potential.
This Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Walnuts, for me, seems to be the best of everything; classic Pâte Brisée pie crust, creamy pumpkin filling (with bourbon) and a crunchy walnut (or pecan) topping with more bourbon. What’s not to love?
I used brown sugar in this recipe too; it just seems better suited for a pumpkin pie with bourbon or maybe it’s just because I love brown sugar that I decided to use it. And it certainly also doesn’t hurt to have all of that creamy goodness topped with a crunchy topping.
When I first made this pie in 2010; I posted it but I had used pecans with the bourbon topping and I’ve since become such a fan of toasted walnuts I tried something new. Either one is great; use what you prefer but toasting them prior to mixing them up with the other topping ingredients is key.
I made this for dessert this past Saturday when I had friends over for dinner. I loved that one neighbor, who is a bit of a picky eater, had a bite of his wife’s pie and declared that he didn’t normally like pumpkin pie but he liked this and could he change his mind and have his own slice? When I can get a response like that from Casey I am in home cooking Heaven!
Music to this food blogger’s ears I tell ya; nothing makes me happier than making someone else happy with food I’ve made in my kitchen especially if it can turn them on to something they heretofore thought they didn’t care for.
You might not have noticed but the bourbon that is poured on top is flambéd. I really tried to capture that in a photo but it was not my day; maybe my concern with not wanting to also burn up the house entered into the equation so while you are missing a photo with a blue cast on the top of the pie, you are actually getting a photo at all and not a shot of my burned out studio.
I know you’ll understand and I certainly thought that a good trade.
If you like the idea of these ingredients together, you might also enjoy this Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon and Toasted Walnuts; it’s a bit more trouble but has the same great flavors. I made it for Thanksgiving last year for the first time and everyone just loved it.
I enjoy the occasional cocktail with bourbon in it but I honestly think I love it more in cooking. This combination of pumpkin, brown sugar and bourbon were meant to be joined in holy matrimony; they are so perfect together!
My thanks to the nice people at George Dickel Bourbon for gifting me with a nice bourbon that I’m using to cook with over the holidays. I have a simple rule; a bit for the pie, a sip for the cook. Makes everyone happy. 🙂
PIN IT! ‘Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Walnuts’
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust - homemade or store bought
For the Filling:
- 16 ounces pumpkin - canned or fresh cooked
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
For the Topping:
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans rough chopped and toasted
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
To Flame the Pie (optional):
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Combine all ingredients for filling, mix well and pour mixture into unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and bake additional 45 minutes or until set. Cool.
- To Make the Topping
- Combine the butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the nuts and 3 tablespoons of bourbon, stirring to coat the nuts. Spoon the mixture over the pie.
- To Flame the Pie
- Heat the 2 Tbsp of bourbon in a small saucepan, just long enough to produce fumes (do not boil); remove from the heat, ignite with a match and pour over pie. Serve pie when flames die down. (Or just heat the bourbon and let it simmer for a minute or two to burn off some of the alcohol before pouring on top of the walnuts)
I love pumpkin pie!!! I’ve tried a plethora of recipes over the years including tofu (which is yummy). However your pumpkin pie recipe is over the top delicious with the family begging for more. We served it Thanksgiving and the only request for Christmas is the Bourbon Pumpkin pie with toasted walnuts. Flaming the pie was also a hit! One of the best things about this pie other than the flavor is that it’s not sickening sweet (that’s coming from someone that loves sugar). Thank you for an excellent recipe.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know Kim; it makes my day when I hear from someone who has tried a recipe of mine and loves it as much as I do…have a wonderful holiday!
We often serve both pumpkin and pecan pie. Great idea to save trouble and combine the two! And bourbon goes with anything. 🙂
I’ve said it before and it’s really true; I bake more with bourbon than cook with it especially in sweet dishes. Like coffee and chocolate, bourbon and sugar are meant to be married!
Mmmm booze… I mean bourbon certainly does make everything better! I would definitely ask for a slice of this if confronted with a Thanksgiving dessert buffet. I love pumpkin pie but this puts it over the top…. and makes it festive!
It was truly fantastic and I’m serious about the neighbor; he’s sort of picky so when he said he liked something he didn’t normally like? I felt like I had won the lottery!