Pumpkin Meringue Tarts with Whole Wheat Shortbread Crust
These mini pumpkin tarts are a delicious offering for your Thanksgiving dessert table! Made with no refined sugar, the creamy custard filling is nestled into a buttery whole wheat shortbread crust, and topped with an airy toasted maple meringue. It's next-level pumpkin pie!
Hi everyone! Did you all have a good weekend? I am finally home from my whirlwind travel week and so happy to be here. It's time to nestle in and plan our Thanksgiving menus! I'm talkin' pie, peeps!
I came up with this recipe alllll the way back in summer. I have to tell you, it felt really strange making pumpkin pie in July. But this is how things work in the magazine world, I guess!
Yes, magazine! These adorable little tarts are part of a 3-pie feature in Delicious Living's November issue.
That's my famous Apple Walnut Tart on the cover. It's gluten- and dairy-free, but you won't even notice what's missing because it's so bomb. You'll find the recipe for it, as well as an incredible gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free Mile-High Pear Cranberry Crumb Pie that made my husband weak in the knees. And of course these little cutie-pies too.
But before I give you the lowdown, I just want to introduce you to Delicious Living, just in case you aren't already familiar. Delicious Living is a print and digital publication. They also have a fabulous website. Their focus is on supporting natural, healthy, and organic living. You can pick up a copy of their magazine at thousands of retail stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts. They love to encourage people to cook recipes made with all-natural ingredients, and they promote do-it-yourself, from-scratch cooking, so if you like the kinds of recipes I post here on Baking a Moment, you'd probably really enjoy their magazine too! If you're down, you may even enjoy their newsletter. You can sign up for it here 😉
Now let's talk tarts! The pumpkin filling here is comfortingly familiar. It's got all the warm fall spice and creamy pumpkin goodness you and your guests crave, along with wholesome ingredients like eggs and cream. There is no canned milk in this recipe. There is no evaporated milk, no sweetened condensed milk. The sweetness comes from a new-to-me ingredient called "succanat," which is just a less-processed version of the natural cane sugar I already know and love. I adored the full-bodied, slightly smoky flavor it brought to this dessert, and I have a feeling I'll be using a lot more of this ingredient in the future! It's a cup-for-cup substitute for regular sugar as well as coconut sugar, so if you'd prefer to use either of those, you can.
The crust is where it's at though. It's super-buttery and tender, made with nutty whole wheat pastry flour, and only has 3 ingredients, + a pinch of salt. I kinda think it makes the whole dish. But that toasted maple meringue is pretty rockin' too!
The mini-tarts can be made a day or two ahead, but I'd recommend making and toasting the meringue just before serving. That way it's as tall and fluffy as can be. Plus it's really cool to pass that torch around and let everyone toast their own tart. So much fun!
If you don't already have a kitchen torch, I love this kind
Have a great week everyone! xo
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Pumpkin Meringue Tarts with Whole Wheat Shortbread Crust
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) whole wheat pastry flour
- ⅓ cup (53.33 g) sucanat or coconut sugar
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, (1 ½ sticks)
- ¾ teaspoons (0.75 teaspoons) kosher salt
For the Pumpkin Filling
- 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin puree, (approx. ½ a 7.5 ounce can0
- ½ cup (100 g) sucanat , (or coconut sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (178.5 ml) heavy cream
For the Maple Meringue
- 2 egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ¼ cup (0.02 ml) pure maple syrup
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the flour, sucanat or coconut sugar, and salt in a bowl, and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Press/knead the mixture with your hands until it forms a ball.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, and press each into the bottom and up the sides of 4 ½-inch mini tart pan.
- Place the mini tart shells on a baking sheet, and fill with Pumpkin Filling.
Make the Pumpkin Filling
- Place the pumpkin, sucanat or coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves in a bowl and stir in the eggs until incorporated.
- Whisk in the cream, and pour about 3 ½ ounces of filling into each of the 6 tart shells.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the tarts are golden and the filling is set.
- Cool completely, then top with Maple Meringue just before serving.
Make the Maple Meringue
- Place the egg whites and salt in a large mixing bowl and whip on medium-high speed until the mixture holds soft peaks.
- With the mixer still running, carefully pour in the maple syrup in a slow, thin stream.
- Continue to whip until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
- Divide evenly between the 6 baked and cooled tarts, then toast with a kitchen torch, or in a 400 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes.
Author
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Have a question about this recipe? Ask AI:
Congrats on the magazine! That tart is beautiful 🙂 and for the pumpkin tarts- I love that you topped them with maple meringue. YUM. Way better than whipped cream 🙂
Thank you heaps, Mel! The maple meringue was SO good. I may never use regular sugar again 😉 So nice of you to drop by; thanks for the sweet comment!
Allie these tarts are just beautiful!! I don't know what it is but anything mini always steals my heart!!
Oh gosh I am right there with you Ashley! Thank you so much hon 🙂
Holy moly! Both the apple tarte and these cute little tarts look beautiful! Congrats on being on the cover - so well deserved!
Hope you're well Allie! x
Thanks Consuelo! Hope you're well too! It's been too long, lol. Your IG is always a bright spot in my day; congrats on all your success, my dear! xo
Wow your on the cover?! That is INCREDIBLE! Well done Allie! I love these gorgeous mini tarts, especially that toasted meringue on time - divine!
I know, it's kinda crazy, right?? Thank you so much Jess!
Sometimes you need a little healthier dessert amongst all the pies and cakes, and this fits the bill plus it is stunning in presentation.
Thank you so much Nicole! Honestly I didn't even miss the more processed ingredients, not even a little bit! The texture of the whole wheat is such a great compliment, and the succanat and maple were too 😀
Will check out Delicious Living magazine - beautiful cover! Interesting about succanat, is that easy to find in markets or a special order/health food item? Your whole wheat crusts turned out so perfect and like that there was no blind baking needed - lovely and beautiful pumpkin tarts!
Thank you Cristina! Yes I was really happy with the way the crust turned out. It was super tender and the whole wheat gave it such a great texture. I had no trouble finding sucanat whatsoever. I shop at a regular supermarket (not a health food store) and it was on a shelf right above the sugar. If you can get stevia or agave or coconut sugar, I'll bet you can easily find sucanat as well! PS- the name is derived from SUgar CAne NATural. 😉
Allie, these pumpkin meringue tarts are beautiful!!!! and CONGRATS on the magazine cover feature!!! Well deserved!!!!
Aw thank you so much Alice! Thank you for allowing me to share the apple tart recipe on my blog too 🙂
The tarts look wonderful, I love the topping. And I am quite sorry there is no Thanksgiving here, I would love to have the opportunity to plan a big meal for the family, I love this kind of things and I always think there are not enough occasions during the year. Most people think I'm crazy, all they talk about is simplifying everything and would rather eat sausages for Christmas (and be proud of it) than take the time to make something special.... I find that sad!
Oh I am right there with you, Adina! Nothing brings me more pleasure than to treat my loved ones to delicious food I've made myself. Thank you so much for the nice thoughts and kind words 🙂
These meringue tarts are so elegant!
Thank you Medha! Something about toasted meringue- it's simple as can be, but it just looks so special.
That tart will never cease to amaze me!! Just stunning so befitting of a cover 🙂 And these pumpkin deliciousness are just the same.
You are the sweetest! Thank you for always being so supportive <3
Congratulations on the magazine! These tarts sound spectacular 🙂
Thanks Jen! I'm so happy you like these- thanks for stopping by! xo
Wow, congratulations Allie and welcome home! There's no place like home right?! I'm sure the boys are happy to have you back! These desserts look incredible! My dessert table is filling up! Thanks for all the great ideas!
My pleasure Mary Ann! It is sure good to be home again. 🙂
That Apple Tart is such a stunner -- totally a front cover beauty! Congrats Allie! I love using meringue instead of whipped cream sometimes, it's so light and would be so incredible with the pumpkin!
I agree! It's just a fun alternative and I think the toasty maple thing works really well with the earthy pumpkin. Thanks so much Ashley!
These are super super lovely hon!
Thank you so much boo! Miss you already hon!
Many congrats to you, Allie! Getting 3 pie recipes in a magazine and making the cover is a huge accomplishment. And it's well desertved!! These pumpkin tarts are lovely and would be a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much Jen! It was a lot of fun to put together. I'm so happy you like the tarts too!
Oh my goodness, I'm just swooning over that apple walnut tart, no wonder she became a cover girl! Yumminess. And these tarts certainly aren't coming up short, no refined sugar with a wheat shortbread crust, marvelous. I love it when you can muster up a dessert that isn't just processed junk and still looks and tastes just as fabulous. Lovely photo's here, you are motivating me to work on my Thanksgiving table. Thanks Allie!
Yay! I'm so happy you like! I'm right there with you- I love to make delicious desserts without all the processed junk. Thank you so much for all the kind words, and have fun planning your Thanksgiving! xo