This creamy pumpkin tart with bacon is a savoury bake made with lightly herbed pastry, a creamy leek, onion, and cheese filling, and ribbons of paukena (pumpkin). It bakes until golden and crisp, making it perfect for brunch, lunch, or entertaining.
Why you will love this Creamy Pumpkin Tart:
I first created this Creamy Pumpkin Tart a couple of years ago, and it’s been a favourite ever since. I made it again as part of our hākari (feast) to welcome in the new year of 2025, and it disappeared almost as quickly as it was served.
This tart is rich, savoury, and topped with golden ribbons of paukena (pumpkin) and smoky bacon. Serve it as one large tray tart for sharing, or make individual mini tarts for something a little more personal.
Some more savoury recipes:
Looking for more delicious savoury baking recipes? Try these Brie Stuffed Honey Mustard Scones and Bacon, Cheese and Chive Savoury Muffins, or my popular Light and fluffy fry bread — all easy to make and packed with flavour.
If you’re hosting brunch, my Bacon and Egg Brunch Buns recipe is always a favourite.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Ingredients:
- Pastry: Check out the pōhā (pastry) ingredient list here.
- Leek: The leek adds to the subtle tāwara aniana (onion flavour) but if you don't have it, leave it out or use another onion.
- Mustard: Use wholegrain mahitete (mustard) or half the amount of English or Dijon.
- Thyme: Fresh is best here but 2 teaspoons of tāima raki (dried thyme) is also an option.
- Cream: Fresh pouring kirīmi (cream) is used to create a delicious sauce.
- Cheese: I used a smoked Havarti cheese but whatever cheese you have.
- Pumpkin: I prefer buttercup squash for this recipe but it can be any variety of paukena (pumpkin) or swap it for kūmara ārani (orange kūmara).
- Bacon: Pēkana (bacon) is completely optional but adds a smoky note to the tart.
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS TART:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Make the Savoury Pastry:
Make one quantity of my herbed savoury pastry.
Chill it for 30 minutes or up to 2 days, it is ready to use when you are.
2. Sauté the Vegetables:
Dice the aniana (onion), kāriki (garlic) and rīki roa (leek) in to small pieces.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of noni (oil).
Add the diced aniana (onion), kāriki (garlic) and rīki roa (leek) and cook for a minute or so.
Add the huka (sugar), tote (salt), pepa (salt), mahitete (mustard) and tāima (thyme).
Stir it through and cook for another 5 minutes until the hua whenua (vegetables) are soft.
3. Mix in the Butter and Flour:
Add the pata (butter) and melt it into the onion mixture, stir it through. Then add the puehu parāoa (flour) and cook it until it has thickened.
Pour in the kirīmi (cream) and stir it through until thick. Remove from the heat.
4. Add the Cheese:
Grate 100 g of the tīhi (cheese) in to the sauce. Whakaranuhia (mix it together).
Allow the filling to cool for 15 minutes before assembling your tart.
This can also be made ahead. Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before using it.
5. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat the oven to 185 °C bake setting or 175 °C fan bake setting.
If you are making a large tart, prepare a 30 cm x 35 cm tray with baking paper.
If you are making mini tarts, prepare two 25 x 30 cm trays with baking paper.
6. Roll out the Pastry:
Roll out the chilled pōhā (pastry) to a 30 x 35 cm rectangle, it should be just under 1 cm thick.
If you are making one large tart, add it to the baking paper.
If you are making mini tarts, cut the dough in to 8 mini pieces and add 4 pieces on to each tray with a 3 cm gap between each one.
7. Fill the Pastry with the Topping:
Create a border around of the tarts by folding over the edge of the pastry.
For the large tart, spread all of the leek and cheese mixture on to the pastry. For the mini tarts, divide the leek and cheese mixture between the 8 pieces. Spread it on evenly.
8. Prepare the Pumpkin:
Cut, core and peel the paukena (pumpkin). Using a potato peeler, peel the potato in to rīpene (ribbons).
9. Add the Pumpkin to the Tart:
Arrange the rīpene paukena (pumpkin ribbons) on the tart or tarts. I like to stand it up in to round shapes but this is optional.
10. Add the Bacon and Thyme:
Waruwarutia te toenga o te tīhi ki runga (grate on the rest of the cheese).
Cut the pēkana ropiropi (streaky bacon) in to small pieces and then sprinkle over top of the tart or mini tarts.
Sprinkle over the fresh tāima (thyme) or any favourite herbs you have.
11. Bake the Creamy Pumpkin Tart:
Add the trays in the bottom of the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
If you are baking the mini tarts, swap the trays around half way through for an even bake.
12. Serve the Creamy Pumpkin Tart:
Remove the tarts from the oven.
Top with a drizzle of penu amiami (pesto) and finely grate over the kiri rēmana (lemon zest) for a burst of freshness.
Serve it hot with a fresh salad and enjoy all the delicious flavours you have created!
Store the Tart:
This tāte (tart) is definitely best served straight from the oven.
Store any left overs in a sealed container and reheat them to bring them back to life.
Love this tart? Then try these
Savoury Recipes
Forget the sweet, savoury recipes are all the rage.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Creamy Pumpkin Tart - Tāte Paukena
Ingredients
The Savoury Pastry - Te Pōhā Mōkarakara
- 1 quantity herbed savoury pastry
- 100 g pata mātao (chilled butter)
- 1 C (250 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
- 2 tsp huka (sugar, any kind will work)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon (4 g) īhi horo (instant yeast)
- 2 tsp orekano raki (dried oregano or any dried herbs like basil, parsley or coriander).
- 2 ½ C (375 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 1 tsp tote (salt, fine)
The Tart Filling - Te Puku o te Tāte
- 1 aniana nui (large onion)
- 6 kāriki (garlic cloves)
- 1 rīki roa (leek, washed)
- 2 teaspoon huka (sugar, any kind will work)
- Tote me te pepa (salt and pepper, to taste)
- 2 tablespoon mahitete (mustard, wholegrain or half the amount of English or Dijon mustard)
- 5 g (small handful) tāima (thyme, fresh) or 2 teaspoon of dried thyme.
- 30 g pata (butter)
- 3 tablespoon puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- ¾ C (185 ml) kirīmi (cream)
- 100 g tīhi (cheese, I used a smoked Havarti cheese but use a cheese you love)
The Pumpkin Layer - Te Paparanga Paukena
- 400 g paukena (pumpkin, I used buttercup squash) This is the weight with skin and seeds on.
- 100 - 150 g tīhi (cheese)
- 250 g pēkana ropiropi (streaky bacon, optional)
- 5 g (small handful) tāima (thyme, fresh) or 2 teaspoon of dried thyme.
Garnishes - Ngā Kīnaki (both optional)
- 60-100 g penu amiami (pesto)
- Kiri rēmana (lemon zest of one lemon)
Instructions
Make the Savoury Pastry:
- Make one quantity of my herbed savoury pastry.
- Chill it for 30 minutes or up to 2 days, it is ready to use when you are.
Sauté the Vegetables:
- Dice the aniana (onion), kāriki (garlic) and rīki roa (leek) in to small pieces.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of noni (oil).
- Add the diced aniana (onion), kāriki (garlic) and rīki roa (leek) and cook for a minute or so.
- Add the huka (sugar), tote (salt), pepa (salt), mahitete (mustard) and tāima (thyme).
- Stir it through and cook for another 5 minutes until the hua whenua (vegetables) are soft.
Mix in the Butter and Flour:
- Add the pata (butter) and melt it into the onion mixture, stir it through. Then add the puehu parāoa (flour) and cook it until it has thickened.
- Pour in the kirīmi (cream) and stir it through until thick. Remove from the heat.
Add the Cheese:
- Grate 100 g of the tīhi (cheese) in to the sauce. Whakaranuhia (mix it together).
- Allow the filling to cool for 15 minutes before assembling your tart. This can also be made ahead. Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before using it.
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 185 °C bake setting or 175 °C fan bake setting.
- If you are making a large tart, prepare a 30 cm x 35 cm tray with baking paper. If you are making mini tarts, prepare two 25 x 30 cm trays with baking paper.
Roll out the Pastry:
- Roll out the chilled pōhā (pastry) to a 30 x 35 cm rectangle, it should be just under 1 cm thick.
- If you are making one large tart, add it to the baking paper. If you are making mini tarts, cut the dough in to 8 mini pieces and add 4 pieces on to each tray with a 3 cm gap between each one.
Fill the Pastry with the Topping:
- Create a border around of the tarts by folding over the edge of the pastry.
- For the large tart, spread all of the leek and cheese mixture on to the pastry. For the mini tarts, divide the leek and cheese mixture between the 8 pieces. Spread it on evenly.
Prepare the Pumpkin:
- Cut, core and peel the paukena (pumpkin). You should have around 300 g of paukena (pumpkin) to peel.
- Using a potato peeler, peel the potato in to rīpene (ribbons). This helps the pumpkin cook fast and looks beautiful too.
Add the Pumpkin to the Tart:
- Arrange the rīpene paukena (pumpkin ribbons) on the tart or tarts. I like to stand it up in to round shapes but this is optional.
Add the Bacon and Thyme:
- Waruwarutia te toenga o te tīhi ki runga (grate on the rest of the cheese).
- Cut the pēkana ropiropi (streaky bacon) in to small pieces and then sprinkle over top of the tart or mini tarts.
- Sprinkle over the fresh tāima (thyme) or any favourite herbs you have.
Bake the Creamy Pumpkin Tart:
- Add the trays in the bottom of the oven and bake for 35 minutes. If you are baking the mini tarts, swap the trays around half way through for an even bake.
Serve the Creamy Pumpkin Tart:
- Remove the tarts from the oven.
- Top with a drizzle of penu amiami (pesto) and finely grate over the kiri rēmana (lemon zest) for a burst of freshness.
- Serve it hot with a fresh salad and enjoy all the delicious flavours you have created!
Store the Tart:
- This tāte (tart) is definitely best served straight from the oven.Store any left overs in a sealed container and reheat them to bring them back to life.
Video
Tips for the best Creamy Pumpkin Tart:
Make the Pōhā (Pastry) Ahead of Time:
Make the pōhā (pastry) up to two days ahead of time. Not only does this save you a job on baking day, but the pastry also develops an even deeper, more delicious flavour.
Get Creative with the Flavours:
This tāte (tart) is incredibly versatile. Serve it as written above, or bake it with the creamy onion filling and finish it with fresh tōmato (tomatoes) and basil instead. Use the base recipe as your starting point, then get creative with your favourite toppings and flavours.
Variations:
Make It Vegetarian:
Leave out the pēkana (bacon) and add extra huawhenua (vegetables) instead. Sautéed harore (mushrooms), kōrihi (spinach), kīnaki aniana (caramelised onions), or roasted kapikama (capsicum) would all work beautifully with the creamy filling.
Try Different Cheese:
Swap the tīhi (cheese) in the filling for feta, parmesan, gruyère, or even blue cheese for a stronger flavour. A combination of cheeses also works well in this tart and can really elevate the flavour.
Make Mini Tarts:
Instead of one large tray tart, divide the pastry and filling into smaller tart tins for individual serves. These are perfect for brunches, picnics, or entertaining and look beautiful served on a wooden board, scattered with fresh herbs.
Storage:
Best Served Fresh:
This tāte (tart) is definitely best served fresh from the oven while the pastry is crisp and the filling is warm and creamy.
Store Leftovers:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them in a freeze safe bag for up to a couple of months.
Reheat Before Serving:
To bring the tart back to life, reheat slices in the oven or air fryer until warmed through and crisp again. The microwave works too, although the pastry will be softer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes. You can prepare the pōhā (pastry) and the filling up to two days in advance and keep it stored in the fridge until ready to use.
Butternut pumpkin works especially well because it becomes soft and sweet when baked, but other pumpkin varieties can also be used. Orange kūmara (sweet potato) would also well work really well in this recipe.
Āe mārika (yes indeed), although it is best enjoyed warm when the filling is creamy and the pastry is crisp.
Maree Groves
I absolutely love this recipe!! I make it as one large tart. At first glance it looks like a lot of work because of the three parts but it actually comes together quickly and cooks quickly too. The pastry has the perfect texture and crunch and the oregano adds the perfect flavour. The filling is amazing and the pumpkin on top looks so pretty. I've made it with the extra toppings but even without them the tart is still amazing. This is one recipe I've shared many times.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
What wonderful feedback to read Maree, all of the things that I love about this recipe, you enjoy too! That is awesome - so glad you recommend it to others as well!
Serona Sionetama
This was absolutely amazing even made the base myself first time .Quick and easy meal nice and light .Can't wait to make it again.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Kia ora Serona, this is definitely one of my favourites too. Thanks for the awesome feedback. Ngā mihi (thank you), Naomi
Natalie Nelson
I’ve made this twice, with and without the bacon. Both absolutely delicious, and so satisfying to make something completely from scratch. The base would be great for many different toppings.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Yes Natalie - it is such a tasty and fun recipe to make aye. Thanks for the amazing feedback!