Masala Chai Pumpkin Pie

Wait… is this a pie or a tart?

It’s a “pie,” I just used a tart tin to make it. I used a 9-inch wide, 1-inch deep tart tin with a removable bottom to make this pie because I wanted to easily remove the whole thing from the tin. But I can’t call it a tart because it’s very much a pie recipe.

Unfortunately, a traditional pie pyrex with sloped sides won’t work well with the crust. The crumbs will be tricky to prevent from sliding around and spilling over the sides as you press them flat.

However, if you have a pie dish that has flat sides, you can use that instead of a tart tin. You may just have to double the recipe if you want to fill the whole thing, as it’s difficult to find a pie dish that is only 1 inch deep.

Ingredient Notes

pumpkin purée – Make sure you don’t get “sweetened pumpkin pie filling.” The cans look very similar to unsweetened pumpkin purée.

masala chai spice – I don’t use chai tea in this recipe, I use the spice that flavors chai tea. The specific brand I used was Spicewalla Masala Chai Spice, and it smells and tastes amazing!

sweetened condensed milk – Make sure not to get “evaporated milk.” The cans look pretty similar. Also, most condensed milk comes in a 14-ounce can, but I find a full can is a little too sweet for the recipe. I use about ⅘ of a can, and it’s perfect!

eggs – Medium or large eggs are best.

ginger snaps – Be sure to use crunchy gingersnaps, not soft ones. I used Mi-Del’s Swedish-style ginger snaps.

graham crackers – I used Honey Maid’s cinnamon graham crackers. If you can’t find cinnamon graham crackers, though, no worries. It doesn’t affect the flavor of the pie too much.

butter – Use salted butter. You want a little bit of that salty-sweetness in the crust!

How to Make This Pie – Step by step

Make the Gingersnap Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.) Place 1 cup gingersnaps and ½ cup cinnamon graham crackers in a food processor. On a purée setting, process cookies until you have 1½ cups of crumbs.

2. In a mixing bowl, add cookie crumbs, 6 oz. melted, salted butter, and 2 tbsp. white sugar. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

3. Pour buttery crumbs into a tart tin.

4. Spread crumbs as evenly as you can on the bottom. 

5. Lay a piece of cellophane over the crumbs and gently work the crumbs up the sides of the pan, evenly around. Use a 4 or 6-ounce glass ramekin to press hard into the crumbs to flatten them. Start at the center, and work your way out in a circle. 

6. Use the sides of the ramekin to press crumbs into the side of the pan. Wrap the cellophane around the edges to keep crumbs from spilling over. Bake for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the Masala Chai Pie Filling

1. Rinse your mixing bowl and combine 15 oz. pumpkin purée, 2 eggs, 2 tsp. masala chai spice and 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (I like my pie a little less sweet, so I use only ⅘ths of the can). Stir thoroughly with a mixing spoon.

2. Once crust has baked for 10 minutes, pour pie filling into the crust. You may have to use the ramekin again, before pouring your filling, to gently press crust down if it expands a little while baking. Use spoon to gently guide the filling to the sides. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and cool for 1 hour before removing from the pan and slicing.

Common Questions

A Few Notes

1. I used a 9-inch wide, 1-inch deep tart tin with removable bottom for this recipe. If you have a 9.5 or even 10-inch wide tart tin, the recipe will work just as well, as the recipe liberally fills the crust all the way to the top of a 9-inch wide tin. You can also use a pie dish, as long as it has flat sides that you can easily press the crust into.

2. Very important! Don’t forget to put a pan with either tin foil or parchment paper below your tart tin in the oven, if it has a removable bottom. The butter melts in the crust and tends to drip down. You want something to catch that butter so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of your oven.

3. I HIGHLY suggest serving this pie with whipped cream, especially if it’s freshly whipped! I pour heavy whipping cream into a food processor with a tiny bit of sugar and process on a purée setting until I see the cream has stopped splashing. That’s how you know it’s perfectly done. So much better than store-bought cream and amazing on this pie!