Pancake Mix Pumpkin Tart
I Want My Pumpkin Tart Now!
At the end of each summer, I start to look forward to the next season in terms of food...you know yummy things such as mushrooms, succulent grapes and pumpkin pies! I put an exclamation point there to emphasize the fact that I love pumpkins especially when they're made into sweet little things.
I also love cakes, tarts and pies and I spend a huge amount of my salary buying them at stores and bakeries. We have so much to choose and being here in Tokyo, a lot of it is very good but tend to be fancy and high-end no to mention quite expensive. So it's not a daily thing that I do.
Of course I can make them at home but one thing that prevents me from doing that is how time-consuming it can be. I also don't have a lot of ingredients on hand as our kitchens in Tokyo tend to be on the smaller side so every space counts.
I Found Pancake Mix in the Cabinet
One day I was rummaging through my kitchen cabinets and found a box of pancake mix and a bag of frozen pumpkins. I thought to myself how cool it would be to make a pumpkin tart with these ingredients in hand.
Maybe it wouldn't take as much time as I thought. I tinkered with my pancake mix for a couple of weeks and I came up with this incredibly easy way to make a pumpkin tart with pancake mix. The great thing about this pie is frozen pumpkin (or fresh) is used and is lower in fat than your traditional tart!
*All photos taken by myself
My Aunt Jemima
Is it a pie or a tart?
That's a good question because I still don't know what to call it. I started out with making a tart as the goal but the finished product resulted in something that was between a pie and a tart. I wanted to use only ingredients I had in my apartment and it had to be really simple to make.
Tart Crust Made From Pancake Mix?
First, making the tart crust is gone. In fact it's made with pancake mix and there is no pre-baking the crust before the tart which saves time. Although the crust doesn't come out crispy and flaky, it does add a crust flavor to the end product.
The filling is so easy to make and doesn't involve canned pumpkins. You can use frozen pumpkins or even a fresh one if desired. The pie is much less sweet than your typical pumpkin tart and it tastes light and fresh.
I think this version of a pumpkin tart would suit those that don't like spending much time in the kitchen and want to use minimal ingredients. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I've enjoyed making it.
Let's Get Started!
This is a light and super-easy version of a pumpkin tart using pancake mix. Make sure you are using the version of pancake mix without the eggs and milk already added in.
It might work with the "just add water" versions but I haven't tried it yet so I cannot guarantee good results. Let me know down below if you tried it and it worked. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pancake mix
- 1/3 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 250 grams or 1 cup frozen pumpkin
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)
Instructions
- To make the filling, microwave the frozen pumpkins for 4 minutes or until soft. Mash the pumpkins in a bowl with a fork or a whisk. Add sugar, egg and milk and mix well until the batter is smooth. Small chunks of pumpkin skin in the batter is ok and adds a nice color to the tart. If you like, you may add the cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
- To make the crust, put the softened butter into a bowl and mix with a spatula until smooth. Add pancake mix and cut the butter into it with your spatula until it becomes flaky. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and keep mixing/cutting with the spatula until a nice dough forms. If the dough is too soft, add a little more pancake mix.
- Spread the dough and make it flat with a rolling pin. I like to put a piece of plastic wrap on top to prevent sticking. Place the dough inside the bottom of a shallow tart pan and cut off the excess from the sides. If you don't want to do this and don't mind less crust, you may want to just lay the dough on the inside of the tart pan and spread with your fingers making sure to press down to make it thin. In my recipe I actually ran out of dough and my tart pan was too big so I only had enough to cover the bottom of the pan. It still turned out good though so don't sweat the small stuff.
- Fill the dough with the pumpkin filling.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees celcius or about 325 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes. I would check the tart at around 25 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. Insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean it is done.
- Cool the pie before cutting and serving. Eat as is or serve with a dollop of whipped cream for a light and delectable treat.
The Essential Non-Stick Pan
Photos Make It Easier
