Today’s recipe is a giant pumpkin pie poptart inspired by Gilmore Girls. I don’t know if it’s the autumn-colored opening titles or the iconic Thanksgiving episodes, but I always love to rewatch this show in the fall, and since poptarts are one of the Gilmores’ favorite foods, we’re gonna supersize one for a Thanksgiving-table-worthy dessert.

I took the leftovers of this poptart to a dog’s birthday party (because that’s the kind of thing that happens in Los Angeles), and a few of the guests (the human guests) said they preferred it to traditional pumpkin pie. And I’ll say it’s definitely an improvement on the store-bought pop-tarts. The crust is buttery and flaky, it tastes of cinnamon and, most importantly, pumpkin. I think it would be a great dessert for a more casual Thanksgiving meal.

Giant Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart

For the crust

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling

1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg for egg wash

For the glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt
1-2 teaspoons water

To make the crust

Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Add butter and pulse until the butter is in small pieces and the mixture resembles sand. Add a few tablespoons of ice water and process, adding more water as needed until the dough starts to form into clumps. Divide dough into 2 equal discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for at least an hour or up to overnight.

To make the filling

Combine pumpkin, sugars, salt and spices (1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & cloves) in a medium bowl. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well-combined. Set filling aside in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out each dough disc to at least a 9” x 13” rectangle on a sheet of parchment. Transfer bottom pastry dough to a cookie sheet. Spread pumpkin filling on top into a rectangular shape, leaving at least 1” of pastry dough along the edge. Flip second sheet of pastry dough on top of the pumpkin filling and carefully pull away the parchment. Fold the edges over, then use the tines of a fork to crimp all around and seal the edges together. If the fork sticks to the pastry, just dip it in some flour and keep crimping.

Chill the assembled pie for 20 minutes, brush with egg wash and dock all along the top with a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow poptart to cool completely before glazing

To make the glaze

Heat butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Add to powdered sugar and salt and mix to combine. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you have a nice pour-able consistency. Immediately add to pop tart and spread to the edges, then decorate with fall-colored sprinkles.

Cut into squares to serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Giant Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart