This gluten free Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Tart is a show stopping dessert. You only need one recipe for tart pastry, to make many stunning tarts throughout the year. I make both pie pastry and tart pastry with my EGFG gluten free flour blend and that makes baking a whole lot easier.
“You had me at bourbon” was the first comment when I shared this beautiful Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Tart. I'd never tasted bourbon until I made this dessert and this caramel sauce has become a new favourite.
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Ingredients
For the final version of this Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Tart I garnished it with Candied Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds, and even served it with Pumpkin Ice Cream. I was going for a complete pumpkin experience but the tart alone is spectacular.
- gluten free tart pastry - click the link to see my recipe
- brown sugar
- butter
- whipping cream
- bourbon
- cream cheese
- egg
- canned pumpkin puree - not pumpkin pie filling
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- nutmeg
- cream or half and half
- Optional Garnish: candied sweet & salty pumpkin seeds, click the link for the recipe
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Gluten Free Tart Pastry vs Pie Pastry
Compared to flaky pie pastry, tart pastry is more like shortbread. It has a buttery flavour, fine texture and the crust should be crisp and crumbly like a cookie.
When I first started gluten free baking more than 10 years ago I came up with a tart crust recipe that was "good for gluten free". Back in the day there were many recipes like that.
Since then cooks around the world have been recipe testing and sharing. Now a days the compliment we all want to hear is "this doesn't taste gluten free." That's what you'll hear when you make this recipe for Tart Pastry.
I'll measure separate flours when I need to but it's always a bonus if I can make a recipe using my everyday EGFG flour blend. That's what I use in this tart crust recipe.
Is Bourbon Gluten Free?
My sister and her husband are bourbon drinkers so I knew they'd love a dessert with bourbon caramel sauce. I don’t drink bourbon (give me wine anytime) so I needed a refresher on the distillation process to confirm it was gluten free.
I went to the Celiac Canada website and reread Alcohol Labelling in Canada. I'm happy to save you the click, bourbon is gluten free.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
There are a few tricks for making caramel sauce, especially if you're starting with just sugar. This recipe is easier with butter and sugar melted together from the start. Whisk and follow the instructions.
What would you put in it instead of bourbon? Could you just skip the alcohol? The answer is always give it a try and see what happens.
Organize For Success
Fancy desserts require a few steps so choosing a few signature desserts is what smart cooks do. The dessert doesn’t have to be difficult, it just has steps. In my mind it’s more about the planning than the actual doing so here’s how I look at the steps.
- 1-2 days before serving: Make and pre bake tart crust, make pumpkin seed garnish.
- Day before or morning of serving: Make Bourbon Caramel Sauce then filling. Cook and finish the tart.
You can divide those steps over three days and you can also make the pumpkin seeds and the caramel sauce a week in advance. Figure out what works for you and do it.
Variations: Leftover Cheesecake Filling
In this recipe there's a little too much filling so here's what I do with it. Consider it an extra dessert for the cook.
Pour the pumpkin filling into ramekins and bake them in a water bath. You can find specific instructions for baking in a water bath in my post for Pumpkin Creme Brulee.
For anyone who wants to skip the pastry altogether this is a very acceptable dessert. It's more cheesecake than mousse so I'd call it Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake or Pumpkin Cheesecake Custard. With bourbon caramel sauce on top no one will be disappointed!
Get The Tools
If you want to make fancy desserts you’ve got to get the pans. Tart pans have a removable bottom and they come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few examples of my pans and how I use them.
- A 9-inch round tart tin for a typical size dessert tart that would fit on most normal serving platters.
- The big 12-inch tart tin for a large fruit tart to feed a crowd. I also use it to make my Fruit Pizza and Cookie Pizza.
- My long, narrow rectangular tart pan is nice for an unusual presentation but you might need to buy a special serving dish for that.
- 3-inch or 4-inch size individual tart tins are fancy to make a tray of small tarts or to use up the last bits of pastry when you’re making something else.
- A 9-inch square pan with removable bottom is ideal for squares. I used it to assemble my Raspberry Brownie Ice Cream Cake and sometimes to make a square Cookie Pizza.
Gluten Free Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Tart
Ingredients
TART CRUST
- 9-inch gluten free tart pastry pre-baked (see link in notes below)
BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ¼ cup bourbon
PUMPKIN FILLING
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature (113 grams)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 14 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree (1 cup less 2 Tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup half and half
GARNISH
- candied sweet & salty pumpkin seeds (see link in notes below)
Instructions
BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE
- In medium saucepan cook brown sugar, butter and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until the sauce begins to darken around the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in cream and simmer, whisking occasionally, until smooth and thick enough that you can see the bottom of the pan as you whisk, 8-10 minutes.
- Whisk in bourbon and cook 1-2 minutes until you can again see the bottom of the pan as you whisk.
- Transfer to 2-cup pyrex measuring cup. Set aside.
- Pour ⅓ cup caramel sauce over prebaked tart crust, spread evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate tart 15 minutes for caramel to set.
PUMPKIN FILLING
- In a stand mixer beat cream cheese and brown sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg and egg yolk beating until combined.
- Add pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt, beat until combined.
- Reduce speed to low and add half and half, beating until combined.
- Slowly pour into tart crust leaving room for the caramel topping. You will have more filling than you need.*
- Bake in 350°F oven until filling is set and slightly puffed, 35-40 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack until completely cooled and firm, about 1 hour.
FINISHING and SERVING
- Stir caramel sauce and carefully reheat in microwave until pourable. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, then stirring, until desired consistency. Gently pour over the tart and spread evenly to cover.
- Arrange pumpkin seeds around the edge of the tart. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove side of pan, carefully insert knife between bottom of pastry and metal pan to loosen. Slide onto serving platter. Cut and serve.
- Garnish with additional Candied Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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