Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Torte
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With a cakey pecan crust, pumpkin pie filling, and crunchy streusel, this pumpkin torte is an easy and elegant alternative to pumpkin pie.
With a cakey pecan crust, pumpkin pie filling, and crunchy oat streusel topping, this torte is an easy and elegant alternative to more time-consuming holiday desserts, like Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Cheesecake. The recipe comes from Linda Grimes, a South Lake Tahoe restaurateur and also one of my readers. Thank you, Linda!
Pumpkin Torte Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the pecans, flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Process until the nuts are finely ground.
Transfer the crust mixture to a greased springform pan.
Pat the crumbs into an even layer (I usually use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to flatten it evenly), then set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
Add the remaining filling ingredients.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Pour the filling over the crust in the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the streusel topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and spices in a medium bowl.
Mix well, then add the butter pieces.
Using your fingers, rub the butter into the other ingredients until the mixture is clumpy.
Stir in the pecans, and then refrigerate until ready to use.
Once the torte has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven.
Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, or until the filling is set and the streusel is golden.
Let the torte cool on a rack until completely cool, about 4 hours. To serve, remove the outer ring from the springform pan and transfer the torte to a platter.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
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Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Torte
With a cakey pecan crust, pumpkin pie filling, and crunchy streusel, this pumpkin torte is an easy and elegant alternative to pumpkin pie.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 cup pecans
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin, such as Libby's
- 1 (12 fl-oz) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Streusel
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the Crust: Combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan. Using your hands or the bottom of a dry measuring cup, pat into an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet for easy handling and set aside.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the remaining filling ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust in the pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is set around the edges but still wobbly in the center.
- Make the Streusel Topping: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until well combined. Add the butter pieces and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the other ingredients until the mixture is evenly moistened and clumpy. Stir in the pecans and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once the torte has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the partially baked filling (don't worry that the filling is still a bit liquid; the topping will not sink). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the filling is set and the topping is golden brown. Let the torte cool completely on a rack, about 4 hours. To serve, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the torte from the sides, then remove the outer ring from the springform pan and transfer the torte to a platter. Slice into wedges and serve with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
- This torte is best made on the day of serving. Store leftovers, loosely covered with foil, in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 432
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 151 mg
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made for Thanksgiving dessert, it was very nice! Love the pecan crust! The whole thing is not too sweet just wonderful! Thank you so much Jennifer!
Easy and delicious! A definite keeper.
Delicious! My family loved it! And I really enjoyed making a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert that didn’t involve rolling out pie dough. This is festive and special. Looking forward to eating the leftovers… (The only things I changed were not using the cloves and halving the ginger and nutmeg.)
It was ok. I used a pie crust instead of the crust this recipe called for. It really wasn’t anything special.
Your recipes are always delicious and I want to try this one as well. My husband is a chocolate lover. Is there any way to incorporate chocolate, maybe some chips, in any part of this recipe?
Hi Tamar, You could try sprinkling some mini chocolate chips over the torte along with the streusel.
Absolute delicious. Didn’t have a springform handy so I used a large pie plate. It came out perfectly. Thanks for another keeper, Jen!
Thank you for this recipe Jen! It wasn’t time consuming but just excellent! It’s not too sweet but way better than pumpkin pie in my opinion! Guests loved it for Thanksgiving!
This recipe was a big hit at Thanksgiving!!
I needed a gluten free dessert so I substituted gluten free flour in the base and used gluten free ginger snaps in the streusel topping. Topped with whipped cream and a small dollop of tart cranberry sauce it was beautifully impressive and deliciously satisfying.
I made this to take to a friend’s Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone loved it! Including the host who doesn’t eat most desserts. It’s my new favorite. Thanks Jen!
A GREAT Dessert!
one word: AMAZING!!!
thank you Jen!
This was a huge hit at my thanksgiving table…made it the day before…turned out just like the picture!! DELICIOUS!!! I will definitley be making this again!
So I made two of these yesterday for Thanksgiving. I got so many compliments on this and my sister in law had two helpings plus another for today! A couple of things I had to do differently, because of location and health. I used a gluten free baking mix, had to use Quaker Oats, could not find rolled oats at this time (in Caribbean). Also, I left the crust a bit chunkier. Also, people raved about how light and fluffy the pumpkin came out, so I was told this might be on the menu for Christmas as well. Very happy! Also, since I’m watching sugar, I used coconut sugar and swerve, but no one knew, at least until I told them.
Jenn, Do you remove the carefully remove the bottom of the springform pan or leave it intact?
Hi Cathy, I remove it carefully so it looks prettier on a cake plate, but you can leave it on if you prefer. It takes two very large spatulas to get it off in one piece!
Would using steel cut oats negatively affect the final product?
Hi Andrew, Steel cut oats won’t work here. Sorry!
just made looks amazing do I leave it in the pan and open tomorrow upon serving or open now after it cooled? (Id like to refrigerate in springform and open upon serving if you think that will work!)happy thanksgiving!
Sure Abbie, that will work, you can refrigerate it in the pan. Just bring it to room temp before serving.
Can’t wait to make this later today, is there any reason I can not sub. coconut flour?
Hi Sara, I haven’t tried this with coconut flour, so I can’t say for sure. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it that way!
What do I do if I dont have a food processor?
Hi Alyssa, I think you could get away with making the crust by hand; it will just take a bit more time and patience to get it to the right consistency.
Should I refrigerate overnight or leave out?
It should be refrigerated overnight, but bring to room temp before serving. Enjoy!
Jenn,
I’m making the torte tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I purchased a bag of chopped pecans. Do I use the same amt of chopped pecans vs whole pecans for the crust?
Thanks,
Stan
Hi Stan, Yes, the amount would be the same. Hope you enjoy it!
Made this for my daughter’s thanksgiving feast, it was delicious. Straightforward and easy. Quick question, if I want to mail this out can I freeze it without loosing it’s taste and integrity?
O.R – I have not tried freezing this torte so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think I’d recommend it. Sorry!!
OMG! This baking in the oven right now and I just discovered the 4T melted butter for the crust still sitting in the microwave! Is it ruined? Do you recommend that I start over?
I think it’s probably fine, Amy. Were you able to remove it from the pan easily? If the crust looks intact and not crumbly, I wouldn’t worry about it. If it makes you feel any better, I do things like this all the time :).
Do you have a Cheese cake recipe?
Hi Jan, here are two cheesecake recipes from my site: This Pumpkin Cheesecake would be perfect for Thanksgiving, and this Ricotta Cheesecake is well liked by readers.
Fantastic! This is incredibly easy and looks so elegant! My husband has declared regular pumpkin pie boring after this. Thanks again, Jenn! And Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Could I just use a bought pie crust and proceed with the filling as written?
Yes Ursula, I think that would work. I would just be more like a pie than a torte. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it this way!
Hi Jenn
I made this, it was easy, and looks beautiful. I think I had to add 5 minutes or so to the bake time…my oven….anyway, I made it Monday and hope it is still OK by Thursday. Will let you know. I made two mini ramekins for my quality control…and it was yummy. Will let you know how the big one tastes and how family feels about it.
Thank you and have a great Thanksgiving.
So I am going to make this for thanksgiving this year and was wondering if you have a suggestion for adding a chocolate element to the torte. I was thinking about sprinkling some chocolate chips either under, in or on top of the pumpkin. Appreciate your thoughts. Andrew
Hi Andrew, You could try sprinkling some some chocolate chips over the streusel topping. I’d probably go with mini chips. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
Love your site! I’m planning to make this for Thanksgiving. I see cognac pictured with the ingredients but when/where do I add it and how much? Can I substitute brandy? Thank you!
Hi Dorothy, Yes, cognac is actually a type of brandy. Hope you enjoy the torte and Happy Thanksgiving!
I notice that the recipe does not say to prebake the crust. Is that correct? Should I refrigerate the crust while I’m making the filling? Thanks for your help!
That’s right, Karen – this crust does not need to be prebaked. It’s more cakey than crisp. (And no need to refrigerate it either.) Hope you enjoy it!
Another 5 star recipe!! Easy to assemble but looks and tastes like a lot of work. BTW I used evaporated soy milk in place of dairy and it turned out delicious.
Jenn,
My daughter is lactose intolerant so I avoid evaporated milk. Do you think I could substitute 1/2 milk, 1/2 heavy cream (I can buy both lactose free locally.)
I do think that would work, Anne. One reader mentioned she made it with half & half and it turned out well. Hope you enjoy it!
The recipe calls for light brown sugar but, in your photos it looks like you used dark brown sugar. What is the correct ingredient? Thank you
Hi Linda, You have a keen eye :). I tried it with both and prefer light, although either will work. You’re correct that dark is pictured. My mistake!
I made this yesterday for my crafting class and it was a huge hit….expect it will end up on some Thanksgiving tables this year. The recipe was easy to follow and baked up just like the recipe said. I should have trusted Jennifer when she said its OK if there is still a little jiggle when it looked done. I baked it an extra 3 minutes and my crust was just slightly overdone, but still delicious and quickly devoured. Thanks for such a delicious pumpkin recipe!
Hi Jen,
I tried this recipe today and it was great! I used half and half instead of evaporated milk and it turned out fine. Thank you! I will make this for Thanksgiving.
Hi Jenn,
I had the same question about pre baking the crust? If I like a crispy crust, do you think substituting a graham cracker crust would be a disaster?
I haven’t made this yet but I am loving your recipes. Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer, The topping on this torte is crisp and crunchy and the bottom is cakey…but if you’d also like a crispy crust, I think you could use a graham cracker crust (pre-baked for about 10 minutes). If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Could you use Evaporated Soy Milk instead of dairy?
Yes Laurie, that should work!
Thanks Jenn for this delicious recipe. I made a gluten free version this last weekend and it was a BIG hit. Its a great alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie. The only change I made was substituting the same amount of King Arthur’s gluten free all purpose flour for the regular flour. Oh and I added an extra 5 minutes to the final cooking time. Just perfect!
Hi Jenn,
This looks absolutely delicious and easy to make. I’m going to try this for Thanksgiving. Just wondering why you used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream or just whole milk. Is there a reason why? Or can I substitute heavy cream or whole milk?
Please advise.
Hi Lucy, This recipe was given to me by a reader. Evaporated milk is often used in pumpkin pie filling but I think it would be fine to replace with cream or half & half. Please let me know how it turns out!
Do you recommend toasting the pecans? Funny story for you…I like to share your recipes on FB and one of my Thanksgiving guests saw this recipe on FB and asked me if I was going to make this??!!!! I don’t think I can resist!!!
That is funny– Sounds like you’ve got a dessert request! You definitely don’t need to toast the pecans. Hope it’s a hit!
Can sweet potatoes be used in place of the pumpkin with a decrease in the sugar?
Hi Suzon, Yes, that should work. And you can reduce the sugar, but I don’t think you’d need to reduce it much. Would love to hear how it turns out with the sweet potatoes!
My Mom made sweet potato pies for the holidays rather than pumpkin, prompting my question. This one amps hers up with the crust and the topping. I’ve added it to my Thanksgiving menu and will let you know the results.
Hi Jenn,
Would Bourbon work as well as the brandy?
Thank you
Sure Michelle, I think bourbon would work here. Enjoy!
There are no words! Let that try to stop me 🙂 Jenn, what you’ve shared via your friend Linda, has rocked our pumpkin loving world. In Los Angeles, there is a bakery that makes a streusel topped Pumpkin pie that is outrageously pricey to buy. With the pecan crust AND the streusel topping, this torte tops their version by a mile. Because of the almost identical surface area to a 9 inch round springform, I used my 8 inch square false bottomed pan. I lined with non-stick foil, and my only regret is that I cannot include a picture of how this torte looked before cutting. It was stunning, and a day later, we are still talking about this flavor filled torte. For various reasons baking has taken on significant comfort of late, and thank you for the happy diversion. This is a stunner of a recipe.
Loved this torte, Jenn! I made it as a trial run for Thanksgiving and my family gave it a big thumbs up. The crunchy top and blend of spices is perfect…and it really was easy to make. Can’t wait to make it again. Happy Holidays!
Looks yummy! Do you think I can use roasted pumpkin not canned?
Hi Rochelle, Yes, that should work. Just make sure to drain any extra liquid off after the pumpkin is cooked so that it’s similar to the consistency of canned pumpkin. Hope you enjoy!
What could I have done I do wrong?
I followed the ingredient list and directions exactly. I did not see where you indicated to prebake the crust.
The pumpkin mixture was very liquid after 30 minutes, but I added the streusel topping anyway, however it seemed to take forever to firm up. I added an additional 45 minutes at a lower temp 350 because I just could not imagine that is was done. I have not eaten it yet, but has anyone else had this issue?
BTW I loved the ingredients list and the instructions for adding, baking were easy to follow.
Hi Michelle, Sorry you had trouble with the torte! I don’t think you did anything wrong…The pumpkin mixture will still be quite liquidy after 30 minutes (I’ve updated the instructions to reflect this) but the streusel topping “floats” on top so you don’t need to worry. The filling should be just set at the recommended cook time. Please lmk how yours turned out in the end.
It tasted ok, but the crust was a bit overdone.
But thanks so much for answering.
On another note, is there any way I can automatically get notified if you respond to my comment? I think all of your recipes are amazing, and you are my favorite chef to follow.
Thanks so much, Michelle! Unfortunately, there’s no way to get notified w/ comments but feel free to email me directly with any questions at jennifer@onceuponachef.com — I’m usually pretty quick to respond.
Looks great. Can I make this ahead and freeze it?
Hi Caroline, I don’t recommend freezing this. The torte can be made 1 – 2 days ahead of time though and refrigerated; just bring to room temp before serving.
Hi Jen–I don’t have a springform pan:( Could I use a pie plate?
Sure, Amy. I think a 9-inch deep dish pie plate will work. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
This looks delicious! My son has a nut allergy — do you think I could substitute your gingersnap crust from the pumpkin cheesecake and omit the pecans in the streusel topping?
Thank you.
Hi Amy, Yes and yes :). But because the gingersnap crust is pretty crunchy, I’d omit the step where you pre-bake the crust. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn —
I don’t see any instructions for pre-baking the crust. It says to prepare the crust and then set aside. So just checking — should the crust be pre-baked? If so, for how long? And would you pour the filling into the warm crust? Or let the crust cool a bit first?
Thanks!
Hi Rachel, No need to pre-bake the crust for this recipe — it’s more cakey than crisp.
Hi Jenn,
This looks like a ‘must try’ recipe for the upcoming holiday season. I may be having a guest with celiac disease–what non-wheat flour would you recommend as a substitute? Thanks! Lisa McK.
Hi Lisa, I think a gluten-free flour (like Pamela’s) would work just fine here. Hope everyone enjoys!
Jenn thanks for this unique and delicious looking recipe! Question: Can the flour be replaced with oat flour for my gluten free friends? If so, is there a change in amounts?
Thanks
Darlene
Hi Darlene, I would use a gluten-free flour blend (same amount) over straight oat flour — I worry oat flour would cause the crust to be tough.