We made it — Thanksgiving week is finally here. Maybe you’ve planned your dessert for weeks, or perhaps guests multiplied at the last minute and you need an extra sweet to serve. Either way, this pumpkin-spiced tart is the ideal last-minute solution: minimal baking, maximum flavor.
This dessert is essentially a barely-bake situation. If you can crush gingersnaps—using a food processor or a rolling pin and a sturdy zip-top bag—you’re halfway to pumpkin cheesecake glory.
This tart needs no hard sell: it’s a bourbon-kissed dream that benefits from being made ahead. Let the refrigerator do the work while your oven handles the main holiday cooking. The flavors meld overnight and the crust softens to the perfect texture.
Crush gingersnaps, press them into a tart pan, blend a quick creamy pumpkin filling, and let the tart rest overnight so gingersnaps, bourbon, and spices can harmonize. When it’s time to serve, whip some cream with a touch of maple and bourbon and crown the tart.
Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you flaky crusts and well-deserved sips of bourbon.
Creamy Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart with Maple Bourbon Whip
Makes one 9-inch tart
Recipe inspired by a Whole Foods refrigerator cheesecake.
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups (about 175 grams) finely crushed gingersnap cookies (about 30 cookies)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (56 grams) butter, melted and slightly cooled
For the filling:
8 ounces (225 grams or 1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons (56 grams) butter, room temperature
1 cup (100 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (425 grams or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin puree
For the whip:
8 ounces (1 cup) heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl combine crushed gingersnaps with brown sugar, salt, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing up the sides and using the bottom of a measuring cup to compact them. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar, then add vanilla, bourbon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and pumpkin puree. Beat several minutes until fully combined and silky. For an extra-smooth result, press the filling through a fine-mesh sieve with a spatula before filling the cooled crust. Spread evenly with an offset spatula, cover, and chill overnight to let the flavors meld.
Make the whip: Just before serving, beat the heavy cream with maple syrup and bourbon until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled tart, slice, and serve.