Sesame Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate-Tahini Swirl

January 22, 2025

For those who can’t enjoy Nutella, there is a cheat code in the form of tahini and chocolate.

Ingredients

1 small sugar pumpkin, or 1½ cups / 376 ml pumpkin puree

½ cup / 101 g light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cardamom

2 tbsp / 29 ml honey

2 tbsp / 29 ml maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup / 177 ml heavy cream

2 large eggs

1 tbsp / 14 ml tahini

2 tsp / 7 g sesame seeds

Whipped cream, for serving, optional

2 oz / 56 g dark chocolate (68%)

1 tbsp / 14 ml tahini

1/8 tsp salt

Preparation

“For those who can’t enjoy Nutella (which includes myself), there is a cheat code in the form of tahini and chocolate. The roasted sesame paste mixed into the chocolate gives that thick and goopy goodness you can spread on everything or eat straight from the bowl. The sesame flavors swirled into the squash add a toasted nuttiness that satisfies in so many ways for more than just the allergen-abled people.” — Brittany Bennett

Recipe and image used with permission from The Taartwork Pies Cookbook by Brittany Bennett, photos by Morgan Ione Yeager. Published by Page Street Publishing Co.

Makes 1 10-inch pie.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Prepare Oma’s traditional pie dough and your tin. (Recipe below.)

Cut a sugar pumpkin (preferably from your farmers market or local pumpkin patch) in half and remove the seeds as well as the fibers. Place the cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let the baked pumpkin cool, peel off the skin and then transfer the meat to a food processer or powerful blender. Blend until pureed.

Combine the pumpkin puree with the brown sugar, spices, honey, maple syrup, vanilla, heavy cream, eggs, tahini and sesame seeds.

To make the sauce, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of boiling water. Fold in the tahini and salt with a rubber spatula until everything is combined in nutty-chocolatey glory.

Pour the pumpkin filling into a prepared pie shell. Dollop the chocolate over it and swirl it into the custard with a toothpick.

Bake for 70 to 75 minutes. Check to see if the crust is browning after 15 minutes. If it looks nearly perfect or begins to burn before the custard is set, cover with a pie shield or tin foil.

Allow the pie to cool for up to 2 hours before slicing in and enjoying with a dollop of freshly whipped cream!