Deep Dish Salted Maple Pumpkin Pie + Toasted Marshmallow Meringue

Taycier Elhindi

Quarter Cup Kitchen

Hi QCK!

Thanksgiving totally snuck up on me this year, and I am wildly underprepared. I still have so much to sort out before Thursday — including deciding on the actual menu. Not great… but honestly, not my worst year either.

This season, I’ve noticed a surprising amount of discourse about whether we even need dessert at Thanksgiving since the meal is already so heavy. Personally? I think a not-too-sweet dessert with an interesting flavor profile, served in small slices well after the main event, with a cup of coffee, is the perfect ending to the night.

Also, let’s be serious — if you don’t make a dessert with at least a little leftover, what are you having for breakfast the next morning?

Enter: this deep-dish pumpkin pie. I’ve been fully obsessed with the salted maple shaken espresso that’s been circling the internet, and I truly think the best upgrade to pumpkin pie is a shot of espresso in the mix. It cuts the sweetness, deepens the flavor, and brings out a richness pumpkin really benefits from. Add warm maple syrup and a generous finish of flaky sea salt, and you have the exact kind of dessert that ends Thanksgiving on a high note.

Then comes the toasted marshmallow meringue — playful, indulgent, and honestly so fun. It’s lighter and airier than classic marshmallow, with a fluffy interior and crisp, toasted top that gives every bite texture and contrast. If marshmallows aren’t your thing, feel free to skip it and go with classic whipped cream, or even a salted vanilla cream. There’s plenty of flexibility here — choose whatever suits you.

Recipe:

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: 45-55 Minutes

Category: Dessert

Servings: 8-12

Ingredients

For the crust

2 ½ cups (315g) flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp table salt
2 sticks (1 cup / 8oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
½–¾ cup very cold water

For the filling

1 can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup cream
2 tbsp espresso
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp flaky sea salt

For the marshmallow meringue

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
¼ cup marshmallow fluff
¼ tsp kosher salt

Directions

Make the crust

In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs — you should still see small pieces of butter.
Gradually add cold water and mix until a dough forms.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently shape into a disk.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Make the filling

In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, brown sugar, cream, espresso, and maple syrup.
Stir in flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and fully combined.

Assemble the pie

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan.
Roll out the chilled dough into a large circle and gently press it into the pan, trimming any excess.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the center is just slightly jiggly.

Make the meringue

In a stand mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gradually add sugar, then mix in salt, vanilla, and marshmallow fluff.
Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.

Finish

Set aside in a cool place until ready to serve.

Spoon or pipe the meringue on top of the cooled pie and use a torch to gently toast until golden.

Thank you so much for visiting QCK! I’m happy to have you here. If you try any recipes, or have any requests, please let me know! Otherwise happy cooking and lots of love from my kitchen to yours. ❤