This Cranberry Pumpkin Tart features a silky pumpkin custard and a cranberry-pecan crumble topping. It’s an elegant alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and can be baked ahead of time.
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Skip the Pumpkin Pie and Make This Pumpkin Tart Instead
This spiced pumpkin tart with a cranberry-pecan crumble is one of my favorite desserts of the season, especially for Thanksgiving. It reads like a cross between a velvety pumpkin custard and a pecan-topped pumpkin pie, offering more contrast and depth than a standard pumpkin pie.
The balance of smooth custard, tart cranberries, and toasted pecans gives this tart a vivid fall flavor and satisfying texture.
Why this cranberry pumpkin tart deserves a place on your table:
✔ Vibrant fall flavors: Pumpkin, warm spices, bright cranberries, and toasted pecans combine for a layered, seasonal taste.
✔ More interesting than pie: The tart blends sour, sweet, spiced, and nutty notes, creating a dessert with more personality than plain pumpkin pie.
✔ Make-ahead friendly: The tart needs at least three hours of chilling after baking, so it’s ideal for preparing ahead of time.
I originally published this recipe in 2010 and have refined it since: I now use a simple pâte sucrée for the crust, adjusted the filling for a creamier custard texture, and turned the topping into a denser, buttery crumble.
Enjoy!
-Katie
Tools You’ll Need
These tools make the tart easier to prepare:
- Pastry cutter — for cutting cold butter into the flour; a fork works if needed.
- Silicone pastry mat or a lightly floured countertop — for rolling the dough.
- Rolling pin — to roll the dough evenly.
- 12-inch tart pan with removable bottom — makes releasing the tart simple.
- Wire rack — for cooling the tart after baking.
Smaller tart pan? If your pan is under 12 inches, don’t overfill. Fill to about 1/4 inch below the rim to avoid overflow and a softened crust edge.
The Main Ingredients
Below are the key components—see the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and details.
- All-purpose flour — used for a simple, tender pâte sucrée crust made with flour, sugar, butter, and egg yolks.
- Cold butter — keeps the crust flaky and tender when cut into the flour while still cold.
- Eggs — you’ll separate a few; if you need tips, seek basic guidance on egg separation.
- Sugar — a mix of granulated and brown sugar adds sweetness and caramel notes to the filling and topping.
- Heavy cream — essential for a silky, custardy pumpkin filling. Don’t substitute with milk or half-and-half.
- Pumpkin purée — canned puree works well for convenience; homemade purée is fine too.
- Pecans — toasting them first enhances their flavor and texture.
- Warm spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cardamom enrich the custard.
How to Make This Pumpkin Tart in 5 Basic Steps
- Make the pâte sucrée and blind bake it. Let the dough rest briefly after rolling to relax the gluten and reduce shrinkage.
- Make the pumpkin filling. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Partially bake the filled crust. Bake just until the edges start to set and the center still wobbles slightly.
- Prepare the cranberry-pecan crumble. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized crumbs form, then fold in cranberries and toasted pecans.
- Add the topping and finish baking. Leave a border around the edge for a neat appearance, then bake until the topping is golden and the custard set.
This is a summary; see the recipe card below for full measurements and step-by-step instructions.
Katie’s Tips for Making This Recipe
- Chill the dough: Chill the pâte sucrée at least one hour to prevent shrinkage and to produce a shortbread-like texture.
- Two-stage blind bake: Bake with pie weights first, then finish without weights for a crisp crust.
- Keep the crumble chunky: Aim for pea-sized pieces so the topping crisps while remaining tender inside.
- Leave a border: Leaving about an inch of exposed pumpkin around the topping looks polished and balances the flavors.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can assemble and bake the tart in advance, or prepare components ahead of time:
- Crust: Dough can be made, shaped into a disk, wrapped, and refrigerated up to 2 days.
- Topping: Make the crumble up to 2 days ahead and store airtight in the fridge. Hold off on folding in cranberries and pecans until ready to use.
- Finished tart: Chill the baked tart up to 3 days before serving.
More Thanksgiving Pumpkin Desserts
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Jars
Homemade Pumpkin Cobbler
Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
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Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Tart Recipe
10 to 12
1 hour 10 minutes
50 minutes
3 hours
5 hours
This cranberry pecan pumpkin tart pairs a silky pumpkin custard with a cranberry-pecan crumble for a festive twist on classic pumpkin desserts. It can be prepared ahead and chilled for clean slices.
Ingredients
Pâte Sucrée (Crust)*
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (150 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large egg yolks (about 36 g)
- 1–2 tablespoon ice water, as needed
- 1 egg white, whisked
Pumpkin Custard Filling
- 19 oz (540 g) canned pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
- 4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3–4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (135 g) packed brown sugar
- 5 ½ tablespoons (41 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
Cranberry Pecan Topping
- 6 oz (170 g) fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (27 g) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 cup (120 g) medium-chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
- 5½ tablespoons (75 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- ⅜ teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest of ½ orange
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 200 g (1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons) flour, 65 g (⅓ cup) sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add 150 g (⅔ cup) cold butter cubes and cut in until you see coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter bits.
- Mix in 2 egg yolks (36 g) until the dough looks shaggy.
- Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon ice water and mix gently; add up to 1 more tablespoon only if needed. The dough should be barely damp.
- Turn onto a floured surface, knead 2–3 times, shape into a disk, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
- Roll dough to about 1/8-inch thick and fit into a 12-inch tart pan. Trim edges, dock the bottom, and freeze 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line with parchment, fill with pie weights or beans, and bake 15 minutes.
- Remove weights and bake 5–7 minutes more until lightly golden.
- Brush the warm crust with beaten egg white and bake 2 minutes more. Cool slightly before filling.
- In a bowl, combine 3–4 tablespoons granulated sugar, ⅔ cup (135 g) brown sugar, 5 ½ tablespoons (41 g) flour, ½ teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves and cardamom.
- In another bowl, whisk 540 g pumpkin purée, 4 eggs + 1 yolk, ⅔ cup cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Pour the pumpkin custard into the blind-baked crust to about ¼ inch below the rim.
- Place the tart on a baking sheet to catch any spillovers.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a gentle wobble.
- Toss the chopped cranberries with 1 teaspoon flour to minimize bleeding.
- Combine 75 g brown sugar, 25 g granulated sugar, the remaining flour, ⅜ teaspoon salt, and orange zest in a bowl.
- Add cold butter cubes and rub with fingertips until coarse, pea-sized crumbs form.
- Fold in cranberries and toasted pecans gently, then chill the mixture for 10 minutes to firm the butter.
- Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle the topping over the custard, leaving a 1 ½-inch border around the edge.
- Scatter a few extra cranberries for color and lightly press a few clusters so they anchor without flattening.
- Return the tart to the oven at 375°F and bake 35–40 minutes, until the filling is set (center should barely jiggle) and the topping and crust are deep golden.
- Cool completely on a rack, let rest at least 2 hours, then chill at least 3 hours for clean slices.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature and garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Make the Pâte Sucrée
Roll & Blind Bake the Crust
Make the Pumpkin Custard Filling
First Bake (Filling Only)
Make the Cranberry Pecan Topping
Finish Baking (with Topping)
Chill and Serve
Notes
Tart pans vary in depth. If you have extra custard, pour it into a buttered ramekin and bake alongside the tart for a lovely pumpkin custard cup to enjoy warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 656Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 85gFiber: 4gSugar: 74gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy.
Try Making a Pumpkin Tart This Thanksgiving!
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