• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Search
  • The Casual Zine
  • Instagram
  • Component Cooking
  • Explore an Ingredient
  • Stock a Pantry

Naturally Ella logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Search
  • The Casual Zine
  • Instagram
  • Component Cooking
  • Explore an Ingredient
  • Stock a Pantry
×

Home > Blog

11.21.11 Desserts

Mini Pumpkin Tarts (with homemade pumpkin puree)

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Pumpkin tarts.

I'm really moving and shaking on my creative November list but there was still one thing I wanted to do that I knew would take time: step-by-step photos.  I also needed to come up with and idea that would be perfect for this project.  Enter in these pumpkin tarts made form homemade pumpkin puree, whole wheat flour, AND no processed sugar.  Seriously, these are "the bomb."  (yes, I just said that... bear with me, I'm not on Thanksgiving break yet and my brain isn't all here.)

Recently I've really been thinking about what I'm eating and from where it is coming.  I'm thinking about what it took to process what I am eating and then thinking of ways to eliminate even more processed foods.  While this pie is a step in the right direction, I'm really thinking my Christmas gift to myself my be a flour mill.

As for the pumpkin puree, there's no reason to buy it in a can.  Sure it's easy and and convenient but you loose flavor.  And just think, somewhere there's a factory with machines that are doing a similar process to bring you your puree.  I think that's why I also take the time and roast the pumpkins- the flavor is so much better!

Plus by making your own, you get to make pumpkin seeds afterwards (which are delicious!)

Pumpkin pie filling make just be one of the easiest things to make with minimal ingredients.  Usually, pumpkin pie is the healthiest dessert during the holidays and with my tweaks, I really won't feel guilty eating dessert!

Plus, by making these cute little tarts, it's portion control at it's best!

Print

Mini Pumpkin Tarts

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Erin Alderson
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • Pie Crust:
  • ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 oz cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons water, cold
  • Filling:
  • 1 "Pie Pumpkin"
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. For pumpkin puree, preheat oven to 400˚. Take pumpkin and carefully slice off the top and then split in half. Using a scoop (I use a grapefruit spoon) scoop out the seeds and string-like insides. Set aside if you would like to make pumpkin seeds. Place the pumpkin cut side down in ½" of water in a baking dish. Bake until soft, 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Reduce oven to 375˚.
  2. While pumpkin is baking, make the crust. Combine the flour and salt into a bowl. Next, with either your hands or a pastry blender,cut in butter and cream cheese. Once butter and cream cheese are broken down to the size of peas, add water to the mix and stir/knead until the dough comes together. It's best to start with less water and gradually add more as you need. Adding too much water can ruin your pie crust. Turn crust out and gently need it into a disc. Wrap and plastic and place in refrigerator to chill until pumpkin puree is finished.
  3. Once pumpkins are done, scoop out the insides and place in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Next, place in either a cheese cloth or strainer and press out all of the liquid. Set aside.
  4. To make tarts, roll out dough to about a ¼" thickness and using an object that is slightly larger than your tart pans, cut out circles (I used a small pyrex container.) Press into tart pans and continue with remaining dough (I had enough for 6 mini tarts.) Place on a covered baking tray and set aside.
  5. For the filling, take 1 cup of the homemade pumpkin puree and whisk together with the maple syrup. Once blended well, whisk in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Next, whisk in the egg until combined and finally, whisk in heavy cream until pie filling is smooth.
  6. Pour into prepared tart pans and place in oven. Bake at 375˚ for 30-35 minutes or until the mixture domes and the crust is beginning to brown. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @naturallyella on Instagram and hashtag it #naturallyella

More recipes you may enjoy

  • Maple Custard Pie with Spelt Crust
  • Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls with Popped Quinoa
  • Pear Crisp
  • Ricotta Cake with Mixed Berries

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. dana @ my little celebration says

    November 21, 2011 at 9:04 am

    so cute! And I love the new blog design!

    Reply
  2. Fresh and Foodie says

    November 21, 2011 at 9:55 am

    Very nice! The site looks great, as do the tarts. I like that you used whole wheat flour in the crusts -- any little bit of whole grain helps.

    Reply
    • erin says

      November 21, 2011 at 3:53 pm

      I agree! I like to sneak in whole grains whenever I can!

      Reply
  3. The Italian Dish says

    November 21, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Love the tarts and I love the look of your new site - very nice!

    Reply
  4. Erica says

    November 21, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    I needed a small Thanksgiving dessert idea! Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • erin says

      November 21, 2011 at 3:54 pm

      Glad I could help!

      Reply
  5. Sue/the view from great island says

    November 21, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    These look wonderful, I want one right now!

    Reply
  6. Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says

    November 21, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    The blog is lookin' snazzy!

    Reply
    • erin says

      November 21, 2011 at 9:05 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    November 21, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    These look so delicious! I love pumpkin pie so I think I'm going to really love these! I have a recipe for apple spiced muffins that I think you'll really enjoy... http://bit.ly/rWYbP4

    Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Cara says

    November 21, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    love the new blog design - and these tarts!

    Reply
  9. The Cilantropist says

    November 22, 2011 at 2:18 am

    I love making my own pumpkin puree too! The bright orange color is gorgeous, so different from the muted and earthy color of the pumpkin pie. And mini tarts - what could be cuter? 🙂

    Reply
  10. ellen says

    November 22, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    From yor experience can you substitute non-dairy milks for the half and half??

    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • erin says

      November 22, 2011 at 2:17 pm

      My guess is most likely. I used skim milk and they turned out fine!

      Reply
  11. Charissa says

    November 22, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    These are just daaaahling! I love small, little desserts...beautiful, fun, and look delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Courtney says

    August 31, 2012 at 6:50 pm

    Fall's right around the corner (again), and I can't stop drooling... Now if I were to use canned pumpkin instead (blame it on my poor college student status...and laziness), what ingredients would I be able to eliminate altogether and how much puree would you estimate I should use?

    Reply
    • naturallyella says

      October 02, 2012 at 8:44 am

      Sorry- I must have missed your comment. 1 cup!

      Reply
  13. kris says

    October 02, 2012 at 10:11 am

    Do you have a recommendation for making the crust gluten free?

    Reply
    • naturallyella says

      October 02, 2012 at 11:33 am

      I'm no good at gluten-free baking but here's one that I think would work really well:
      http://glutenfreegirl.com/were-having-a-pie-party/

      Reply
  14. Alice Choi says

    October 04, 2012 at 9:02 am

    I am so happy I discovered your blog today!!! Your desserts are beautiful, a work of art! 🙂

    Reply
  15. Kendall says

    October 04, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    I've made your pumpkin cream cheese muffins a few times before and those were to DIE for, so I'll be trying this very soon! I'm sure they will be delicious. I love your blog 🙂

    Reply
  16. Kay Stedman Blanchard says

    October 10, 2012 at 6:02 pm

    where do you get the mini tart tins?

    Reply
    • erin says

      October 11, 2012 at 7:41 am

      I think these are close to the ones I have:
      http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/gobel-nonstick-mini-round-tart-pan/?pkey=e%7Cfluted%2Bmini%2Btart%2Btins%7C8%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C2&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

      Reply
  17. Carrie Pacini says

    August 12, 2014 at 5:19 am

    The pumpkin tarts are adorable!

    Reply
  18. Melinda says

    November 16, 2014 at 9:21 am

    Is a "pie pumpkin" a real thing or can I just use the pumpkin I bought for Halloween?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • erin says

      December 22, 2014 at 8:03 am

      Way late on this one (got lost in the spam comments!) but yes, pie pumpkins are a real thing- they have a better texture and make for better baking then the pumpkins you could use to carve.

      Reply
  19. Syam Adam says

    May 09, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    Hello...greetings from Indonesia!Wooow! That's amazing! And maple syrup in pumpkin pie? That must make it taste even more delicious ♡♡

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. Carla @ Foodie Digital says

    November 19, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    I only made the filling (cheated with store bought shells!) and it was sooo good. The only substitution was coconut milk in place of whole milk. Definitely recommend!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Recipes I hope to see | Marie, Oh Marie says:
    11.24.11 at 10:17 am

    [...] Mini Pumpkin Tarts via Naturally Ella [...]

    Reply
  2. Pumpkin Pie Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes (+ salted caramel cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache) | The Pancake Princess and the Protein Prince says:
    10.24.12 at 10:10 am

    [...] and still had a ton of pumpkin pie filling and chocolate ganache leftover. Whatever will you do with those leftovers? Fair [...]

    Reply
  3. 25 Creative Ideas For Holiday Eats says:
    11.4.13 at 10:52 am

    […] 9. Mini Pumpkin Tarts from Naturally Ella […]

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

I'm Erin and this is my space for all things vegetarian food inspired by California and my love of cooking.


Get the latest issue of Casual.

Winter recipes

  • Roasted Chipotle Sweet Potato and Sorghum Salad
  • Adobo Acorn Squash, Crispy Quinoa, and Chimichurri
  • Roasted Sweet Potato Rice Paper Rolls with Spinach
  • Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Einkorn and Soy-Mustard Dressing

Subscribe for biweekly newsletters, new recipe emails, or a weekly recap of all new content.

subscribe

Popular recipes

  • Baked Cabbage and White Beans
  • Pasta and Chickpeas (Pasta e Ceci)
  • Spicy White Bean Stew with Arugula
  • Kabocha Ricotta Pancakes

Footer

↑ back to top

Resources

  • All Recipes
  • Component Cooking
  • Stock a Pantry
  • Produce Guides

Contact

  • Contact
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy