Are you ready to take your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie from a simple, rustic classic to a truly extraordinary, gourmet showstopper? This incredible Linzer-Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie is a stunning and sophisticated dessert that combines the best of two worlds: the creamy, spiced filling of a classic American pumpkin pie with the nutty, buttery, and jammy goodness of a traditional European Linzer torte.
This isn’t just another pumpkin pie recipe; it’s a guide to creating a masterpiece of flavors and textures. We’ll show you how to create a crisp, buttery shortbread crust, a surprise layer of sweet-tart jam, a silky pumpkin custard, and an irresistibly crunchy hazelnut crumble topping. While it looks like a masterpiece from a high-end bakery, our simple make-ahead plan makes this impressive dessert completely stress-free and achievable.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: A Sophisticated Holiday Showstopper
What makes this Linzer-Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie so spectacular is its incredible, multi-layered construction that delivers a symphony of flavors and textures in every single bite. The recipe brilliantly uses a single, easy-to-make shortbread dough for both the crisp bottom crust and the crunchy hazelnut topping. A thin, hidden layer of red currant jelly provides a bright, fruity surprise that cuts through the richness of the creamy pumpkin custard. It’s the ultimate, elegant, make-ahead dessert for a truly special occasion.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 3 hours (plus cooling time) |
| Active Prep Time | 35 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 8-10 slices |
Your Holiday Baking Game Plan (Make-Ahead Schedule)
The secret to this seemingly complex dessert is to make it in easy, manageable stages.
- Up to 3 Days Ahead: Make the shortbread dough for the crust and topping. You can even blind-bake the crust completely. Store the raw topping mixture and the cooled, baked crust in separate airtight containers.
- Up to 2 Days Ahead: Prepare the pumpkin pie filling. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- 1 Day Before Serving: Assemble the pie by adding the filling to the crust and baking as directed. Let it cool completely, then cover and chill it overnight.
- On Serving Day: Simply let the pie come to room temperature slightly, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve!
The Essential Ingredients for This Gourmet Pie
This recipe is built from three delicious, from-scratch components.
- The Linzer-Style Crust & Topping: This is a brilliant, all-in-one dough.
- Melted Butter: Unlike a traditional flaky crust, this recipe uses melted butter. This is the secret to a very crisp, sandy, and tender shortbread-style crust that is incredibly easy to press into the pan.
- Hazelnuts: A portion of the crust mixture is combined with coarsely chopped, toasted hazelnuts to create the crunchy, nutty, and flavorful crumble topping, which is a classic feature of a Linzer torte.
- The Sweet-Tart Jam Layer: A thin layer of red currant jelly or seedless raspberry jam is spread over the bottom of the baked crust. This is a classic Linzer torte element that adds a wonderful, bright, and fruity flavor and also acts as a delicious moisture barrier, keeping the bottom crust extra crisp.
- The Creamy Pumpkin Custard Filling: A classic, rich, and perfectly spiced pumpkin pie filling made with pure pumpkin purée, half-and-half, and eggs.
Step-by-Step to a Show-Stopping Linzer Pumpkin Pie
Let’s break this incredible project down into simple, manageable parts.
Part 1: The Easy, All-in-One Crust and Topping
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, the 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix with a fork.
Step 2: Drizzle in the 10 tablespoons of melted butter and continue to mix with the fork until the mixture is well combined and crumbly.
Step 3: Remove 3/4 cup of this mixture and place it in a separate, small bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped hazelnuts and mix with your fingers until large, delicious clumps form. This will be your topping. Refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.
Step 4: Take the remaining larger portion of the crumb mixture and press it firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. This is your crust. Place the pie plate in the freezer to firm up for about 10 minutes.
Part 2: Blind-Baking the Crust
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 2: Prick the bottom and sides of the chilled crust in several places with a fork. Line the crust with a piece of aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
Step 3: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edge of the crust is a light golden brown.
Step 4: Carefully remove the foil and the pie weights. Continue to bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the bottom of the crust is dry and has also turned a light golden brown.
Step 5: Transfer the hot, baked crust to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then, use the back of a small spoon to gently press together any small cracks that may have formed while the crust is still warm.
Step 6: Spread the 1/2 cup of red currant jelly evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the warm crust. Let the crust cool completely.
Part 3: The Creamy Pumpkin Filling and Final Bake
Step 1: While the crust is cooling, make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée, the 3/4 cup of half-and-half, the 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, the 2 large eggs, and the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 2: Place your cooled, jelly-lined crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the prepared pumpkin filling into the crust.
Step 3: Bake for 20 minutes.
Step 4: After 20 minutes, carefully remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the reserved, chilled hazelnut topping evenly over the top.
Step 5: Continue to bake until the filling is set around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center, and the topping is golden brown. This will take another 30 to 40 more minutes.
Pro Tip: If the pie crust or the topping begins to get too brown, you can tent the pie loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
Step 6: Transfer the finished pie to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
Just before serving, you can give the pie a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
The Best Elegant Linzer-Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
A creative hybrid dessert, this Linzer-Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie combines the elements of a classic pumpkin pie with a nutty, crumbly Linzer-style crust and topping. A simple, press-in shortbread crust is made from flour and melted butter. The crust is blind-baked and then coated with a thin layer of red currant jelly or raspberry jam. A smooth, spiced pumpkin custard filling is poured in, and the pie is finished with a crunchy streusel topping made from a reserved portion of the crust mixture combined with coarsely chopped hazelnuts.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes chilling and cooling time)
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Fusion
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Crust and Topping:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup red currant jelly or seedless raspberry jam
- For the Filling:
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For Garnish:
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the Crust and Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Remove 3/4 cup of this mixture to a small bowl; add the chopped hazelnuts and mix with your fingers to form large clumps for the topping. Refrigerate this topping.
- Press the remaining mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes until firm.
- Blind-Bake the Crust: Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line it with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and weights. Continue baking for 5 to 8 more minutes, until the bottom is dry and lightly browned. Let the crust cool for 5 minutes, then spread the jelly over the bottom and up the sides. Let it cool completely.
- Make the Filling and Bake: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, half-and-half, granulated sugar, eggs, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Set the cooled crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the pumpkin filling into the crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle with the chilled hazelnut topping.
- Continue baking for 30 to 40 more minutes, until the filling is set. Tent with foil if the topping browns too quickly.
- Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Notes
- This recipe cleverly uses one mixture for both the press-in crust and the crumbly hazelnut topping.
- Blind-baking the crust is a key step to ensure it stays crisp under the wet custard filling.
- The layer of jelly between the crust and filling adds a bright, fruity note and helps to seal the crust.
- The hazelnut topping is added partway through the bake to prevent it from burning.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Linzer Pumpkin Pie is the absolute perfect make-ahead dessert for a stress-free holiday.
- Make-Ahead: As outlined in our “Game Plan” above, this is the perfect dessert to make in stages over a few days to make your holiday baking completely stress-free.
- Storage: The finished pie must be stored in the refrigerator because of the rich custard filling. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and it will keep for up to 4 days.
- Serving: This pie is delicious served chilled or at room temperature.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Nut: If you’re not a fan of hazelnuts, you can easily swap them in the crumble topping for an equal amount of coarsely chopped, toasted pecans or almonds.
- Use a Different Jam: For a different sweet-tart flavor, you can try using a different kind of jam for the bottom layer. A high-quality, seedless apricot preserve or a sour cherry jam would both be fantastic choices.
- Add a Boozy Kick: For a delicious, sophisticated, grown-up flavor, you can whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons of your favorite hazelnut liqueur (like Frangelico) or an orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier) into the pumpkin filling mixture.
Enjoy Your Elegant Holiday Masterpiece!
You’ve just created a truly special, show-stopping dessert that is the very definition of holiday elegance. This Linzer-Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie is a perfect symphony of creamy, spicy, nutty, and fruity flavors that is guaranteed to be the most memorable finale to any holiday feast. It’s a rewarding baking project that will make you feel like a true pastry chef.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, rich, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is ready to bake a true masterpiece!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is a “Linzer torte” or a “Linzer-style” pie?
A Linzer torte is a classic Austrian pastry that is one of the oldest known cakes in the world. It is traditionally made with a rich, buttery crust that contains ground nuts (usually almonds or hazelnuts), a filling of a tart fruit preserve (like red currant or raspberry), and a distinctive lattice top. This recipe cleverly incorporates the key elements—the nutty crust/topping and the jammy layer—into a classic American pumpkin pie.
Q2: Why do you add the crumble topping halfway through the baking time?
This is a brilliant professional technique! The pumpkin filling starts as a very liquidy custard. If you were to put the heavy crumble topping on at the very beginning, it would sink down into the wet filling. By baking the pie for the first 20 minutes, you are allowing the custard to partially set. This creates a surface that is firm enough to support the weight of the crumble topping, ensuring it stays beautifully on top where it can get golden brown and crispy.
Q3: Can I make this pie ahead of time for Thanksgiving?
Yes, this is an absolutely perfect make-ahead dessert! You can bake the entire pie completely, let it cool, cover it, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The flavors will actually have even more time to meld and will be even more delicious!
Q4: Do I have to blind-bake the crust first? Yes, for this style of pie, it is absolutely essential.
A wet custard filling, like this one, will turn an unbaked pie crust into a pale, gummy, and soggy mess. By fully pre-baking the crust until it is a golden brown and completely crisp, you are creating a sealed, sturdy vessel that will stay perfectly crisp even after it is filled and baked again.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of nut in the topping?
Of course! While the hazelnut flavor is a classic component of a Linzer torte, this pie would also be absolutely delicious with an equal amount of coarsely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.