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Milk Bar-Inspired Pumpkin Pie

Milk Bar-inspired pumpkin pie with a buttery oat crust, silky spiced filling, and a crackly brown-butter glaze. The oat crust bakes until lightly golden for a chewier, toasty texture that holds a just-set center with a slight jiggle.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 7 minutes
chill 2 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 34 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Oat Crust
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
Pumpkin Filling
  • 1.5 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 0.75 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Brown Butter Glaze
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.75 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk plus more as needed
  • 1 pinch salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 small saucepan

Method
 

Make the oat crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly set out a 9-inch pie dish so it’s ready for packing the crust.
  2. Stir together old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix until the dry ingredients look evenly combined.
  3. Pour in melted unsalted butter and mix until evenly moistened and crumbly. The mixture should clump when pressed between your fingers.
  4. Press the oat mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Pack it tightly for a sturdy, chewy crust.
  5. Bake 12–15 minutes until lightly golden, then set aside to cool slightly. Keep the crust partially baked while you make the filling.
Make and bake the pumpkin filling
  1. Whisk canned pumpkin puree, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth. Stop when no streaks of pumpkin remain.
  2. Pour the filling into the partially baked crust. Fill to the top without leaving big gaps.
  3. Bake 40–45 minutes until the center is just set with a slight jiggle. Watch for gentle movement in the middle when you nudge the pie.
  4. Cool completely on a wire rack, then chill at least 2 hours. Cover after cooling if needed to prevent fridge odors.
Make and finish with brown butter glaze
  1. Melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches a deep golden color.
  2. Whisk the brown butter into powdered sugar with a pinch of salt. Mix until thick and smooth.
  3. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until pourable. Aim for a drizzle consistency that will set into crackly streaks.
  4. Drizzle the glaze over the chilled pie in a loose crackled pattern, then slice and serve. Let the glaze set briefly before cutting for cleaner slices.

Notes

For the smoothest filling, whisk the pumpkin mixture until completely uniform—scrape the bowl sides once to eliminate streaks. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the oat crust and glaze texture can soften after thawing. For a dairy swap, use evaporated milk in place of heavy cream and skip a portion of milk in the glaze by adding only as needed for drizzle consistency.