I love classic Pumpkin Pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice, pumpkin ANYTHING, but this is hands-down one of the BEST pumpkin pies I have ever had. I wish I was the genius who created this fantastic combo, but I’m not and that won’t stop me from making it a new holiday tradition. OH MY WORD, this is so good!
Speculaas – Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Notes
I’ve been a subscriber and super fan of Bake from Scratch Magazine and cookbooks for years, and this recipe was published in their September/October 2022 magazine and on their website.
I find a lot of inspiration and make a lot of the recipes in the magazines as well as their cookbooks. I won’t attempt my own version of this as this recipe is PERFECT. So delicious!
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (260 grams) finely ground speculaas cookies*
- ½ cup (57 grams) finely chopped roasted salted pistachios
- ⅔ cup (134 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 7 tablespoons (98 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (15-ounce) can (425 grams) pumpkin
- ¾ cup (180 grams) whole milk
- ¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) Chinese Five-Spice Mix (recipe follows)
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- 3 large eggs (150 grams), separated and room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
- ¼ cup (60 grams) cold water
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Sour Cream Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: finely chopped roasted salted pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a medium bowl, stir together cookies, pistachios, and 2 tablespoons (24 grams) sugar. Add melted butter, and stir until well combined. Using a measuring cup, press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
- Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together pumpkin, milk, sour cream, Chinese Five-Spice Mix, vanilla, and salt, and heat over medium heat until steaming. (Do not boil.)
- In another medium bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup (67 grams) sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Gradually add hot pumpkin mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and starting to boil. Cook until cornstarch flavor is cooked out, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, place ¼ cup (60 grams) cold water; sprinkle gelatin on top. Let stand for 1 minute. Immediately stir bloomed gelatin into pumpkin mixture until gelatin completely dissolves and is well combined.
- Fill a large bowl with ice water. Pour pumpkin mixture into a medium metal bowl. Place bowl in prepared ice water bath; let cool just until no longer warm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Do not let it chill completely.)
- In the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites, cream of tartar, and remaining ⅓ cup (67 grams) sugar by hand. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking frequently, until sugar completely dissolves and an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C).
- Carefully return bowl to stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.
- Using a balloon whisk, fold egg white mixture into pumpkin mixture in two additions. Pour into prepared crust. (Pie will be full.) Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Before serving, place Sour Cream Whipped Cream in a pastry bag fitted with a ⅝-inch open star piping tip (Ateco #829). Pipe on top of pie as desired. Garnish with more crushed speculaas cookies or chopped pistachios, if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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