Pumpkin Pie Tacos
Pumpkin pie tacos turn classic fall flavors into crispy, handheld bites that disappear in minutes. Flour tortillas are brushed with butter, coated in cinnamon sugar, and baked over a muffin tin into crunchy taco shells, then filled with a silky pumpkin cream cheese filling and topped with a cloud of whipped cream.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin standard size, turned upside down to shape the shells
- 4-inch round cookie cutter or a drinking glass with a similar rim
- Silicone pastry brush for brushing melted butter
- Piping bags and tips for neat filling and whipped cream; large round tip and large star tip
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment
- Wire cooling rack for cooling the shells completely
- Two shallow bowls one for butter and one for cinnamon sugar
- Fork for pricking the tortillas
- Baking sheet for serving or reheating shells
- Parchment paper for baking sheet and storing shells
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Sugar Shells
- 6 large flour tortillas 10-inch, burrito size
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 8g
For the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227g, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree 180g; not pumpkin pie filling
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar 90g, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 5ml
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2g
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt 0.75g
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream 240ml
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 15g
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2.5ml
For Garnish
- ground cinnamon for dusting
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans 30g, optional
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Flip a 12-cup muffin tin upside down so the bottoms of the cups face up.
- Melt the butter in 20-second bursts, pour into a shallow bowl, and let cool slightly. Stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a second shallow bowl.
- Stack two or three tortillas on a cutting board. Press the 4-inch round cutter into the tortillas and cut out three circles from each large tortilla, aiming for 18 circles total.
- Gently poke each circle four or five times with a fork. Brush both sides of one tortilla circle with melted butter, covering it from edge to edge.
- Press the buttered tortilla into the cinnamon sugar, then flip it and press the other side. Coat generously and repeat with the remaining circles, stirring the cinnamon sugar now and then.
- Drape each coated tortilla over the space between two cups on the upside-down muffin tin so it folds into a taco shape. Fit 10 to 12 shells on the tin at a time.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the shells are light golden brown and the sugar looks bubbly. Watch closely in the last two minutes. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Let the shells rest on the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool for at least 20 minutes, since the shells crisp up as they cool.
- Beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Beat on low until combined, then on medium for another minute until silky and smooth.
- Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and refrigerate it while you whip the cream.
- Pour cold heavy whipping cream into your chilled mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Beat on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape. Stop as soon as you reach stiff peaks.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a second piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Line up the cooled shells on a serving platter so they lean against each other.
- Pipe a generous swirl of pumpkin filling into each shell, filling it about two thirds of the way. Top the pumpkin layer with a swirl of whipped cream.
- Dust the whipped cream lightly with ground cinnamon and sprinkle on the chopped pecans if using. Serve right away while the shells are at their crispiest.
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese fully at room temperature for at least an hour; cold cream cheese leaves tiny lumps that never beat out.
- If your pumpkin puree looks watery, spread it on a paper towel for a minute so the filling stays thick and scoopable.
- Do not skip the fork pricks; they keep the tortillas flat and stop them from puffing into dome shapes.
- Coat both sides of each tortilla with butter and cinnamon sugar for even browning and a shell that does not turn soggy.
- Cool the shells completely before filling; warm shells will melt the whipped cream and lose their snap.
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters before whipping the cream; a cold bowl and cold cream whip faster and hold their peaks longer.
- Use a piping bag to keep the shells clean and give them a bakery look with almost no extra effort.
- Fill just before serving to keep the shells crisp and the whole platter looking its best.
- Shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, with parchment between layers. Baked shells freeze well for up to 1 month.
- Pumpkin filling keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Whipped cream keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; whisk briefly before using.
- Do not use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree, since it is already sweetened and spiced and will make the filling too sweet and too loose to pipe.
- For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free cream cheese, vegan butter, and chilled coconut cream for the topping.
Nutrition
Serving: 1TacoCalories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 150mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12g
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