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Pumpkin Pie Mille-Feuille | Napoleons

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Pumpkin Pie Mille Feuille has crisp layers of buttery puff pastry, rich pumpkin pie pastry cream, and velvety vanilla Chantilly. This show stopping dessert just might replace the pumpkin pie on your dessert menu this year!

These pumpkin pie napoleons have the crispiest, flakiest, butteriest rough puff pastry baked until golden. The pumpkin pie pastry cream tastes just like rich pumpkin pie! The texture is so silky and creamy. And the freshly whipped Chantilly cream has hints of vanilla to finish these treats off perfectly, just like a pie! These pastries are bursting with holiday flavors while being a unique pumpkin dessert. These pumpkin pie napoleons are memorable and so special to serve for thanksgiving or anytime a pumpkin pie craving hits.

These French inspired desserts will take some advance planning. *To make these simpler and semi-homemade, then use store-bought puff pastry and ready made whipped topping.

Use this pastry cream in cream puffs and choux au crhaquelin!

Pumpkin Pie Napoleons | Mille-Feuille

So what’s the difference between Mille-Feuille (meaning, one thousand sheets) and Napoleons. Technically, napoleons are pastry layers filled with almond cream. However, these terms are often used interchangeably. Mille-Feuille are a French dessert that consists of layers of puff pastry filled with layers of pastry cream. The top layer is traditionally a glaze.

Like traditional napoleons and Mille-Feuille, there are three separate layers needed to create these pumpkin pie napoleons.

You will need to use thawed store-bought puff pastry or make your own rough puff with the recipe below. The pumpkin pie pastry cream should be made in advance so it has time to thicken and cool. Rather than a glaze, you will use a sweetened whipped cream since this is similar to pumpkin pie. The Chantilly cream is easily whipped right before assembling these.

Pumpkin Pie Pastry Cream

Rich pumpkin infused custard is swirled with spices and hints of vanilla for a silky, smooth, and decadent cream. This pastry cream can also be used to fill choux buns or tarts. Or for an extra lavish treat, make little custard pots by piping it into cups and top with freshly whipped cream.

For the following pumpkin pie whipped pastry cream you will need whole milk, sugar, cornstarch, butter, egg yolks, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice.

Tips When Making Pastry Cream

  • Whisk cornstarch with the egg yolks and a small portion of milk.
  • Temper the warm milk into the egg mixture so you don’t scramble the eggs.
  • Constantly whisk the mixture. It comes together in a few minutes and should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
  • Add vanilla extract in after taking it off the heat.
  • Sieve the pastry cream into a large bowl before chilling to remove any bits of egg.
  • Pastry cream thickens as it cools.
  • If you want to lighten your pastry cream, feel free to fold in 1/2 cup of Plain whipped cream, but note it will make it thinner.
  • Put plastic wrap against the pastry cream when chilling to prevent a film from forming.
  • Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Rough Puff Pastry

I have included a step by step recipe for homemade rough puff pastry, which is a quicker version of puff pastry. However, feel free to use store-bought puff pastry for the pumpkin pie napoleons.

To bake and assemble the puff pastry for these napoleons, you should use a ruler and a sharp knife to get even rectangles of pastry.

You will need frozen butter, a grater, and a rolling pin.

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*To make these simpler and semi-homemade, then use store-bought puff pastry and ready made whipped topping.

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Pumpkin Pie Mille-Feuille

Pumpkin Pie Mille-Feuille has crisp layers of buttery puff pastry, rich pumpkin pie pastry cream, and velvety vanilla Chantilly. This show stopping dessert just might replace the pumpkin pie on your dessert menu this year! 

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling and Lamination 3 hours
Servings 8 Napoleons

Ingredients

Pumpkin Pie Pastry Cream

Chantilly Cream

Rough Puff Pastry

  • 2 Cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/4 Cup butter frozen, unsalted
  • 10-12 Tablespoons water ice cold

Instructions

Homemade Rough Puff Pastry

  1. Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Chill for 15.

  2. Freeze butter for 15 minutes.

  3. Grate frozen butter into the flour mixture. As you do this, gently mix it with a fork to distribute the butter throughout flour.

  4. Drizzle the cold water over the mixture. Mix until it is a rough dough.

  5. Lightly flour a surface. Turn dough onto surface and knead it a few times until it is a firm and cohesive dough. Shape into a 1/2 inch thick square. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

  6. Then on a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Fold the top third down to the center. Then bring the bottom third up and on top.

  7. Turn 90 degrees. Roll it out into a another rectangle. Repeat this process 3 more times. Chill while you heat the oven.

  8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

  9. Lightly Flour a surface. Then unfold the dough and roll to 1/16 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pixie cutter to slice 2×4 rectangles. Use a ruler to ensure they are even.

  10. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place some of the rectangles of puff pastry 2 inches apart. Then put a second piece of parchment on top. Then cover it with another baking sheet.

  11. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Remove from oven and put onto a wire rack to cool. Then repeat process for remaining puff rectangles. *If you want the layers of puff pastry to show, then use a sharp knife to trim each rectangle.

Pumpkin Pie Pastry Cream

  1. In a large saucepan set over medium heat, combine 2 cups of the milk with sugar and salt. Allow it to heat and come up to a simmer until sugar is dissolved.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining milk with the egg yolks and cornstarch.

  3. Then while constantly whisking, gently drizzle some of the warm milk mixture (about 1/2 C) into eggs. Do this slowly so you don't scramble.

  4. Whisk pumpkin puree and spices into the remaining pot of milk.

  5. Then Add all of that egg mixture into the pan and continue whisking until thickened. This takes only a few minutes of constant whisking. *The pastry cream should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Then add in softened butter and whisk until blended.

  6. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.

  7. Strain mixture into a medium bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to push mixture against sieve to help this process.

  8. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing plastic against the surface to prevent a film from forming.

  9. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Chantilly cream

  1. Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a medium bowl.

  2. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to whip until peaks form. Chill until ready to use.

Assembly

  1. Put the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip. I used 1A size.

  2. Take a rectangle of puff pastry. Then pipe on the pastry cream.

  3. Place a rectangle of puff pastry on top and pipe more pastry cream.

  4. Place another rectangle over that and then top with Chantilly.

  5. Serve immediately after assembling to keep the puff pastry crisp.

Recipe Notes

*To make these simpler and semi-homemade, then use store-bought puff pastry and ready made whipped topping. Then all you will need to make from scratch is the pumpkin pie pastry cream.

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