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Pumpkin Crumb Pie with Bourbon and Brown Sugar Streusel

September 7, 2020 by Heather Smoke 3 Comments

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This pumpkin crumb pie is a delicious twist on a classic favorite! With bourbon in the filling, and a salty-sweet, buttery brown sugar streusel topping that’s spiced with a little nutmeg, this pumpkin pie is sure to become your new favorite pie for the holidays.

My recipe for the filling is a pretty classic one, using canned pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, vanilla and spices. It’s as easy as just whisking everything together in a bowl and pouring it into the crust. I also added a couple tablespoons of bourbon that really makes the flavor of the custard shine.  The alcohol cooks off, of course, leaving behind buttery notes of bourbon that complement the pumpkin and spices so well.  You can leave it out, but I wouldn’t.  It’s the holidays, after all.  Add the bourbon.

What really makes this pie special, though, is the crumb topping.  It’s not something you usually find on a pumpkin pie, but it makes this dessert simply spectacular.  It adds such depth of flavor with its crunchy, crumbly, salty-sweet buttery-ness that lingers on your tongue with each bite and makes you wonder why you haven’t been putting streusel topping on your pumpkin pies your whole life?  Seriously, I didn’t want to stop eating it. So, just in time for Thanksgiving, the pie for people who don’t like pumpkin pie.  And if you already like it, I think you’ll love it even more after trying this recipe for pumpkin crumb pie.

Looking for more pumpkin recipes? You’ll love this pumpkin crumb coffee cake, pumpkin pie spice shortbread cookies, and pumpkin pecan waffles.

A slice of pumpkin bourbon crumble pie on a white plate, topped with whipped cream, with a yellow linen napkin tucked under the plate.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

Why You’ll Love This Pie

Buttery Crumb Topping. I’ll admit, pumpkin pie has never really been my thing.  It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just that I’ve always thought it’s kind of boring. And when there is apple pie, or pecan pie, or chocolate cream pie to be had, pumpkin has always fallen into last place for me. And, I’d dare to say, for a lot of other people, too, who also don’t think that it’s worthy of all the attention that it gets this time of year. But since streusel makes everything better, I knew that it would be fantastic with streusel topping. And since developing this recipe, I’ve had so many people tell me that this streusel topped pie has completely changed their mind about this classic Thanksgiving dessert!

Bourbon. A little bourbon is always a good thing, and it adds wonderful flavor to the filling. You can even add it to whipped cream, like I did to top my flourless chocolate cake.

Fall Spices. When September arrives, I’m ready to bake with all the fall spices, and if you step into my kitchen, you’ll be greeted with the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cardamom.

Ingredients

Crust

  • ½ recipe for All Butter Pie Dough. Since you only need a single pie crust, you can either make half the pie dough recipe, or wrap and freeze the other half of the dough for another pie.

Filling

  • Canned Pumpkin. Be sure to use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk. Sweetens the pumpkin filling, and makes it rich and creamy.
  • Eggs. Thickens and emulsifies the filling, so it essentially bakes into a pumpkin custard.
  • Bourbon + Vanilla. The bourbon is optional, but it adds such a nice flavor, along with vanilla extract.
  • Spices. Ginger, cloves and nutmeg gives this pie all the fall flavors, while a pinch of salt balances the sweetness.

Streusel

  • Butter. I use unsalted butter, but if you use salted, just omit the extra salt.
  • Flour. Plain, all-purpose flour works well for crumble toppings.
  • Sugar. You can use either brown sugar or granulated sugar, and both work great.
  • Nutmeg. A little more spice right on top adds extra flavor.
  • Salt. Balances the sweetness.
An arrangement of a pumpkin streusel pie, with several slices cut on white plates, topped with whipped cream, and surrounded by crumbs and a yellow linen napkin.

Instructions

Pre-bake the pie crust.

  • Starting with the crust, I always make my All Butter Flaky Pie Dough that’s so light, flaky and tender.  The perfect pie crust for anything you want to fill it with. I highly recommend pre-baking your crust.  If you think that it will over-bake once you add the filling, don’t worry.  You might need to cover the edges with a pie shield to keep them from over-browning, but the crust will be perfectly cooked.
  • Prepare the pie dough and follow instructions to pre-bake the crust, according to my All Butter Pie Dough recipe and post. After the crust is pre-baked, it’s ready to be filled.

TIP: When the crust isn’t pre-baked, it tends to be rather pale and flabby, never really fully cooking in the short bake time that this pumpkin crumb pie requires. So baking the crust before filling it ensures the crust will be flaky and crisp.

Whisk up the filling.

  • While the crust is baking, you can mix up the filling and topping.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

Make the crumb topping.

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg until thoroughly combined, moist and crumbly.

Bake.

  • After you have pre-baked the crust, remove the pan from the oven, and set the oven temperature to 375 F.
  • Carefully pour the filling into the hot crust, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.  Place a pie shield on the edge of the crust to prevent it from over-browning.
  • Bake at 375 for about 35-40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is set.  Cool completely before slicing.
A slice of pumpkin crumb pie on a white plate, topped with whipped cream, with a yellow linen napkin tucked under the plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of pumpkin should I use?

You should use plain, canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You could also roast and puree your own pumpkin, but make sure you use a sweet sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin, not field pumpkins intended for carving rather than eating.

Can I leave the bourbon out of the filling?

Of course, it’s totally optional.

Is there a substitute for the sweetened condensed milk?

You may be able to substitute heavy cream or half and half, along with some sugar, for the sweetened condensed milk. I haven’t personally tried this substitution, so I can’t say for sure how much you would need to use.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice?

Absolutely. If you have pumpkin pie spice, just use it instead of the blend of spices I use.

Will this recipe work with a store bought pie crust?

Yes, you can use a pre-made frozen or refrigerated crust, and follow the instructions for pre-baking.

A slice of pumpkin bourbon crumble pie on a white plate, topped with whipped cream, with a yellow linen napkin tucked under the plate.

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Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

A slice of pumpkin bourbon crumble pie on a white plate, topped with whipped cream, with a yellow linen napkin tucked under the plate.

Pumpkin Bourbon Crumble Pie

Heather Smoke
A delicious twist on a classic recipe for pumpkin pie, spiked with a little bourbon, and topped with buttery brown sugar streusel.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 20 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings8

Ingredients
 

Crust

  • ½ recipe for All Butter Pie Dough (see note)

Filling

  • 1 can (15 oz/425g) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 can (14 oz/397g) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 (110g) large eggs
  • 2 tbsp (28ml) good-quality bourbon or whiskey (optional)
  • 1 tsp (4g) vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

Streusel

  • 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ½ cup (80g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

Instructions
 

Crust

  • Prepare the pie dough and follow instructions to pre-bake the crust, according to my All Butter Pie Dough recipe and post.
  • After the crust is pre-baked, it's ready to be filled.

Filling

  • While the crust is baking, you can mix up the filling and topping.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

Topping

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg until thoroughly combined, moist and crumbly.

Bake

  • After you have pre-baked the crust, remove the pan from the oven, and set the oven temperature to 375 F.
  • Carefully pour the filling into the hot crust, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.  Place a pie shield on the edge of the crust to prevent it from over-browning.
  • Bake at 375 for about 35-40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is set.  Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

This pie is still great leftover, and is best eaten within 2-3 days.  It should be kept in the refrigerator, loosely covered.
Keyword bourbon, Pie, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Filed Under: Christmas and Thanksgiving, Pies and Tarts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michele Cuneo

    November 29, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving and it was awesomely delicious. My go-to pumpkin pie recipe for now on!

    Reply
    • Heather Smoke

      November 29, 2019 at 10:13 pm

      I'm thrilled you loved it! Thank you so much for giving it a try with all the pumpkin recipes that are out there. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Unknown

    June 28, 2020 at 3:41 am

    5 stars
    Excelentes recetas, son deliciosas

    Reply

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