Say that 3 times fast!! We love everything about fall, particularly the pumpkin treats and warm spices, but if we're being honest, we feel like pumpkin spice is a bit overplayed. Pumpkin pie is a staple on many of our team members' Thanksgiving tables, so we took it upon ourselves to create a fresh take on the classic dessert. We leaned on a cardamom-forward chai spice blend and a hefty addition of tahini, balancing the sweetness and filling our kitchens with the most intoxicating aroma!  

INGREDIENTS

Pie crust of your choice (blind-baked if that's part of your recipe's instructions). There are so many variations on pie crust recipes, that we didn't want to be too prescriptive here! One of our favorite variations to this recipe is to use a chocolate pie crust base!  

1 15-oz can pumpkin purée
1/2 c Seed + Mill Organic Tahini
2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp chai spice blend (or replace with 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamom)
1 tsp salt
2/3 c whole milk
Whipped cream, Greek yogurt or creme fraîche, for serving**
 
STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, tahini, eggs, sugar, chai blend and salt until smooth. Continue whisking while slowly streaming in the milk. Once all the milk has been incorporated and the pie filling has become creamy, pour the mixture into the pie crust.
3. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, and lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for another 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
4. If you're feeling artistic, fill a piping bag or ziploc bag with the whipped cream, and pipe it into a pattern on the pie. No need to be precious, we love the look of a slightly messy, organic design. Otherwise, dollop the whipped cream on top and swoosh it around a few times with a spatula to create peaks and swirls.
5. Slice, serve and enjoy!

*If you don't have a chai spice blend on hand, you can create one very easily by combining together 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg. 

**We love to fold a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt into our whipped cream for a little extra tartness; it provides a lovely balance to the sweet, spicy filling.