Pumpkin buttercrunch is going to be your new favorite treat!
I can’t get enough of this caramely, chocolatey, pumpkin dessert. It’s fun and festive and different enough for this crazy year.
This recipe was inspired by Dominique Ansel’s peppermint buttercrunch! It’s essentially toffee and while I’ve never been someone who would lose my mind over toffee, when you call it buttercrunch?
Um, hello, I am IN!
Something about the name buttercrunch just sounds so wonderful. It’s like when my grandma would make butterscotch fudge and we would all be grossed out as kids. Except we didn’t realize that butterscotch is essentially brown butter. Or caramel. Or a mix of brown butter caramel.
That’s kind of how I feel about buttercrunch! It’s a toffee but literal perfection!
For this pumpkin version, I actually mixed a bit of pumpkin puree into the buttercrunch layer, along with a lot of spice. Yes, I’m the person who doesn’t love the spice part of pumpkin spice. However, it’s really important here to bring out the flavor, and it’s also delicious!
All of those spices with the butter and sugar?
So good.
Once the buttercrunch layer sets, I like to cover this with a layer of milk chocolate. You can use dark if you wish. Whatever you prefer.
Then come the most wonderful toppings. Salted pepitas, toasted pecans and some sort of chocolate chunks – you can use dark chocolate or white chocolate chips. I actually used Valrhona dulcey blonde chocolate here. It’s a carmely, delicious milk chocolate made with only 30% cocoa, which gives it the light color. It tastes warm and buttery to begin with, so it’s the perfect addition to this toffee.
However! It’s not necessary. You can truly add any sort of chocolate here, or even a chocolate caramel candy. Something to add a little texture while looking cute. You know! Important things.
I love this twist on a classic treat for the season. If you’re not into pie or pumpkin dream cake, then you could make this pumpkin buttercrunch ahead of time and have it to snack on after dinner come Thanksgiving. It’s also fun to make and package up for friends and family, especially if you deliver some food on the holiday!
Plus, this buttery caramel crunch! Cannot get enough.
Pumpkin Buttercrunch
Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Buttercrunch
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ cup roasted pepitas
- ½ cup toasted pecans, some chopped
- ½ cup chocolate chunks, I used valrhona dulcey blonde chocolate
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat the butter, sugar, water, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and salt over medium heat in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 298 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Immediately pour the mixture on the parchment paper and spread it out in an even thin layer. Let it cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave. I like to do this in 30 second increments, stirring after each time. Once melted, pour the mixture over the set toffee layer.
- Sprinkle with the pepitas, pecans and chocolate chunks. You can add some flaked sea salt or a sprinkle of pumpkin spice if you wish as well! Let the chocolate layer set completely.
- Break into pieces and serve!
Notes
Hello I’m in love.
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