10 Secret Ingredients For Next-Level Pumpkin Pie, According To A Chef

Why is it that pumpkin pie makes a resurgence only once a year when 99% of us are using canned pumpkin to begin with? Perhaps it's the novelty of the signature ingredient, like pumpkin spice lattes, holiday decorations, or running into Santa at the mall. We can certainly keep the annual tradition of our favorite squash pie, but that doesn't mean it has to look the same each year. Tradition is important, but so is adding your own culinary flair. As a recipe designer and chef, I love to take classic recipes and add unique ingredients, experiment with flavor and texture, and start new traditions. One of these secret ingredients for next-level pumpkin pie might just sneak its way into your Thanksgiving menu and become a family favorite, passed down through generations.

When experimenting with next-level pumpkin pie ingredients, it's important to understand balance. If you choose to add a powerful, out-of-the-ordinary ingredient like a dried herb or a potent cheese, it must be done so in moderation, so the essence of its flavor can enhance the pie without overpowering it. Pumpkin has a rather mild flavor, so the focus here is on adding supporting actors to elevate its flavor and texture. In addition, it's important not to overwhelm the palate by adding too many statement flavors — consider the dish's cohesion before going hog wild. Lastly, use these ingredients as inspiration to experiment with your own secret ingredients for next-level pumpkin pie. We all have a recipe designer inside of us, and adding your own sparkle to beloved classics is a great place to start.

When whipping up desserts, white granulated sugar seems to be the standard go-to sweetener, and I think that's a shame. There's a time and a place for this delicate beet or sugarcane-based ingredient, but it tends to dominate the dessert world, creating a missed opportunity for other, more flavorful sweeteners. Elevate your pumpkin pie with one sweet ingredient you already have in your pantry: honey. Instead of acting as a neutral sweetener, it will add to the flavor and mouthfeel of the pie nicely. Honey is ultra sweet, but also carries undertones of floral, earthy, and botanical flavors, often with a rich and rounded essence. Honey flavors can vary depending on the flower the bees are working with, but the result is consistently good with pumpkin pie.

Keep in mind that when replacing a liquid, even a thick one, with a dry ingredient, it can change the texture of the finished product. Luckily, sugar tends to melt when combined with liquid, creating a sticky syrup-like texture similar to honey. It's still important to make a few adjustments. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so unless you're trying to boost the sweetness of the dish, you should use a lower volume of honey. I recommend a ratio of about ⅔:1 honey to sugar, and reducing the amount of condensed milk or other liquid by a few tablespoons. You'll find the outcome to have a rounded botanical sweetness, with stronger caramelization. Opt for a darker honey for a more intense honey flavor.

One of my absolute favorite secret ingredients for next-level pumpkin pie is cheese. As a Vermonter, you can often find me adding cheddar cheese to my desserts, but in this case, goat cheese takes the cake. There are two main reasons why: flavor and texture. Spreadable, mild goat cheese is ultra creamy, dense, and rich. The flavor dances between mild and bold, having a mellow feel while also finishing with a fresh, tangy bite. A pumpkin pie featuring goat cheese will read somewhere between the classic version of pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake, and it's just the boost your standard recipe needs. Pumpkin and goat cheese are a natural pairing, and they really do belong together.

But the fun doesn't end there. Goat cheese can accompany a few other secret ingredients for next-level pumpkin pie. For a Mediterranean feel, consider sweetening your goat cheese pumpkin pie with honey instead of sugar. Honey and goat cheese belong together, as the smooth, rounded honey and the nip of the cheese provide a beautiful contrast. Herbs like thyme or rosemary can also be included in moderation. Lastly, you can garnish with cracked black pepper or even a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, playing up the savory aspect of the cheese. Although this addition was designed with a more sophisticated palate in mind, kids go wild for it, so it's a win-win for the whole family.

Now, we all know the importance of spices in the pumpkin pie department. Isn't that where the pumpkin spice craze began anyway? Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, cardamom — these warming spices give the pumpkin that fall-time, cozy, comforting flavor that we wait all year long for. Beyond spices, consider adding a few herbs to the mix. These herbs can be added to the pie crust or right into the fillings. I would recommend choosing one herb to include in moderation, to give your pie an herbal hint without overpowering the warming spices and pumpkin flavor.

Choose from thyme, sage, or rosemary. Personally, thyme is my favorite for pumpkin pie because of its citrus, botanical, and almost minty flavor that's so complex but also versatile. It also doesn't disrupt the texture of the pie like rosemary might, and doesn't read quite as savory as sage. Add a dash more sweetener to your pie to balance the savory connotation of the herb. You can also top your pumpkin pie with butter or olive oil-fried sage leaves, if you're not quite ready to leap into including the herbs right in the filling. Herbs provide an earthy, botanical balance to the ultra-sweet and rich pie filling. The result reads gourmet and creative, creating a lasting impression and perhaps a new tradition.

As a Vermonter, I'm not even 100% sure we allow white sugar in the state. Almost all cooking, baking, and cocktail making is done with pure maple syrup. And why use white sugar when you could include a richer, smokier, more flavorful alternative that comes from trees? Although maple syrup is mostly harvested in the spring, it has classic fall, Gilmore Girls, New England, and pumpkin patch vibes. This is perhaps because it goes so wonderfully with fall classics like squash, pumpkin spice, fruit crisps, root vegetables, and toasted nuts. So, it's no wonder that maple syrup is the perfect sweetener for your homemade pumpkin pie recipe.

My favorite thing about maple syrup is its unique flavor. If you've never tried it, you can expect an ultra-sweet, deep, smoky, almost nutty flavor reminiscent of caramel. It's made by reducing maple tree sap over an open fire, which gives it that smoky character. When used in place of sugar in your pumpkin pie, you will be adding a layer of flavor. It mimics the earthy notes of pumpkin, enhances their natural rustic sweetness, and pairs magically with pumpkin spices. Maple syrup is less sweet than sugar, so use it liberally. Just be sure to manage those dry-to-wet ingredient ratios so you don't end up with a soupy mess. Enjoy your ultra caramelized, maple-toasted pumpkin pie this holiday season.

Okay, let's talk cheese. If you're looking for a mild, smooth, creamy, slightly tangy cheese to make your pumpkin pie even creamier, then look no further than mascarpone. Mascarpone is one of the easiest cheeses to make at home, and is essentially thickened heavy cream with a slightly acidic component. This is why it works so beautifully in pumpkin pie, which typically uses some form of rich cream or milk, like heavy cream, condensed milk, or half and half. This next-level ingredient will make your pumpkin pie even richer.

To make your own homemade mascarpone, you'll just need two ingredients: heavy cream and lemon. You'll use a stovetop pan and some patience, or you can simply purchase pre-made mascarpone at the store. If you plan to use additional liquid ingredients in your recipe, like maple syrup instead of sugar, then you can use mascarpone in place of some of the cream to thicken it back up. You can also add mascarpone as an ingredient alongside the cream to boost the overall creaminess of the pie. Be sure to use an electric mixer to blend the mascarpone and pumpkin puree, ensuring no lumps are left behind. The more mascarpone you add, the more the flavor of the pie mellows and becomes milky, so consider boosting the amount of warming spices you include. You can treat this almost like a mascarpone pumpkin pie cheesecake. The result is dreamy and decadent.

Plenty of traditionally "savory" spices and spice mixes out there never end up realizing their full potential, as we tend to box them into the savory world. However, spices like cayenne, black pepper, and coriander, when used correctly, can certainly boost the flavor of certain desserts. Pumpkin pie is a good place to experiment, because the pie's signature squash can be spiced savory or sweet. Garam masala is the perfect blend of warming spices to include alongside your pumpkin spice mix, thus boosting the overall flavor of the dish and giving it a new spin.

Traditionally, garam masala spice mix contains some overpowering spices with a classic pumpkin spice mix, including allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. However, it goes one step beyond to include both cumin and coriander, traditionally deemed savory. Garam masala mix can be added directly to the recipe, or even sprinkled on top as a plating garnish. It's complex with both spicy and sweet notes, while tapping into some earthy and bitter undertones. Being a powerful spice mix, it's important to add it delicately, while reducing the amount of pumpkin spice mix you're using in the recipe. It's time you added more garam masala to your desserts, as it creates a pop of deep, complex, and warming flavor that dances tastefully with sugar and other sweeteners, especially maple syrup.

Although evaporated or condensed milk traditionally stands in as the designated dairy for the classic pumpkin pie recipe, that doesn't mean you can't boost the fat and creamy profiles even further. And, when considering the fattiest, richest, densest dairy product of them all, butter is our go-to gal. Hey, you're already adding a vegetable to your dessert, you might as well include some butter for balance. Don't just whip in standard butter — my trick for a better-flavored pumpkin pie is to brown it first for an elevated, next-level character.

When butter is browned, it becomes caramelized. It's nutty, rich, grassy, sweet, and toasty, which melds perfectly with the surrounding flavors and ingredients in pumpkin pie. Use an unsalted, rich European or high-quality butter if possible, and heat it in a light pan until it becomes a nice light brown. If added directly to a cold liquid like heavy cream, it may separate, so consider mixing it into the pumpkin first with a whisk to ensure even distribution. Your pumpkin pie will benefit from the added fat, caramel-like flavor, and richer mouthfeel. After all, this is dessert, and if you can boost the flavor and fat content, then you're doing it right. Even just a tablespoon or two will make a big difference.

There are generally two directions you can go when enhancing the flavor of pumpkin pie by adding unique ingredients. The first is to make it denser, richer, and creamier with brown butter, mascarpone, or goat cheese. The other is to lean in a fresher, tangier, fruitier direction. If this is your jam, consider adding some orange zest to your pumpkin pie mix. The reason that orange, a citrus fruit, seems to work with pumpkin is their overlapping and contrasting flavors. Pumpkin tends to be mellow, rich, and smooth, while orange zest is tangy and bright. Both are slightly bitter and, of course, share their bright coloring.

You can go about incorporating orange zest into your next-level pumpkin pie in a few ways. The first is by infusing your pumpkin pie crust with orange zest. This will help to separate the two flavors enough so that they can be appreciated separately upon first bite, and then combined once chewed. Consider adding the zest right into the filling to enjoy a more consistent orange flavor, or even top your pie with orange zest as a bold garnish. Other secret ingredients that can partner with orange zest are rosemary, honey, and garam masala. For a sweeter alternative, consider topping your pie with candied orange peel.

One way to add a new depth of flavor to pumpkin pie is by adding black pepper. This unlikely pairing is actually quite consistent with the other spices at foot. Pumpkin pie is known for its warming spices, and classically, pumpkin pie spices play very nicely with crushed black pepper. The peppery heat adds a nice contrast to the ultra-sweet filling, and is subtle enough to create warmth without reading directly as pepper. When adding pepper, it's important to do it right so your guests won't be left wondering if you got your spices mixed up.

I like to use freshly ground black pepper, set to the finest grind. You don't want to disrupt the creamy filling with bits of pepper getting stuck in your teeth, which could take away from the subtlety of the addition. If your pepper grinder won't provide such a grind, turn to your mortar and pestle. Once you have it finely ground, mix it into your spice mix to ensure even distribution. Use just a very subtle amount, enough to create a gesture of flavor without your guests being able to identify your secret ingredient. This light peppery addition will excite the taste buds and create balance with the sugars.

Although most of these secret ingredients for next-level pumpkin pie target a more sophisticated palate, here's one that everyone can enjoy. Whenever my mom baked a chocolate cake, she would add a packet of Jell-O chocolate pudding mix to the batter. It made the bake richer, sweeter, more flavorful, and denser. Well, along those lines, consider adding butterscotch pudding mix to your pumpkin pie. Jell-O carries a butterscotch pudding powder that will take your pumpkin pie to a whole new level.

Adding a butterscotch pudding mix will enhance the flavor of your pie by adding sweeter, toffee, and caramel-like notes that read as rich, silky, and dense. Because the packets contain sugar, you may consider using unsweetened milk or reducing the amount of sugar you add to your recipe. No need to make the pudding ahead of time — just mix the packet into your dry ingredients before blending everything. Kids love this version of pumpkin pie, and so will your parents, who were likely raised on Werther's. It's a comforting, simple enhancement to help your pumpkin pie stand out this holiday season. Shh! Remember, these are top-secret ingredients for next-level pumpkin pie that you can own, use, and pass down. Every tradition deserves some innovation, and it's time you made your own contribution.