At first, it may seem as if pumpkin and chocolate wouldn’t pair well. But if pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin brownies couldn’t convince you, our chocolate pumpkin tart definitely will. The creamy fall-spiced pumpkin filling baked in a bitter chocolate crust with a ganache topping forms a powerhouse of complementary flavors. It’s kind of like a sophisticated version of pumpkin pie, with an elevated taste and matching look. I love crystallized ginger as the finishing touch, but you could also use candied pepitas.

Chocolate Pumpkin Tart Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour makes a tender, sturdy crust.
• Baking cocoa: I always like to splurge on the best cocoa powder for quality-tasting chocolate desserts.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Pumpkin pie spice is the perfect blend of fall spices. It’s so much easier to use than measuring cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger one by one.
• Butter: This recipe calls for only one stick of butter. Melt it and let it cool slightly before use.
• Pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Eggs: Eggs give classic pumpkin pie filling that custardy texture.
• Orange zest: Orange zest may seem unexpected, but it’s a wonderful pairing with chocolate and pumpkin. Be sure to zest only the orange’s outer skin, not the bitter white pith underneath.
• Heavy whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream thins the pumpkin filling without the filling losing richness. The cream also helps create the shiny chocolate ganache on top!
• Ganache: Our chocolate pumpkin tart is finished with a gorgeous chocolate ganache. You can even add candied ginger as a decoration so the tart looks truly worthy of a bakery case.

Taste of Home