Fall is here, and with it comes crunchy bright leaves, hot comforting drinks, and pumpkin everything. While pumpkin is very popular every year, it seems this year it’s on a whole another level. Brands are coming out with all kinds of pumpkin-flavored products and I must admit I’m not totally hating it. I’m here for it.
All this pumpkin talk reminded me of a fall delicacy that I haven’t had in a very long time but always enjoyed: Dulečnjak or most commonly know as Bundevara, a Balkan-style pumpkin phyllo pie.
Dulečnjak or Bundevara is a phyllo pita (pie) made with a pumpkin filling that is baked until golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar. Usually made with fresh, grated pumpkin, it’s flavored with cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Living in the USA, I have access to both fresh and canned pumpkin, so I decided to use the canned version for convenience and because this would allow anyone to make this year-round instead of only when pumpkins are in season.
This pastry has a crispy crust and a creamy, fragrant filling. The creaminess from the pumpkin and the warm spices are so comforting, it’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Paired with some delicious tea or strong cup of Turkish coffee, this is going to be our staple as we fully embrace these cooler months.
This sweet treat can be enjoyed warm, but I think it tastes best at room temperature, dusted with some powdered sugar. You have to dust it with powdered sugar, that’s the only way to get the full effect, trust me. It’s not overly sweet, the pumpkin flavor comes through very nicely, and the flaky crust will have you reaching for more.
Interested in more sweet treats? Check out my dessert section!
Dulečnjak (Bundevara) / Balkan Pumpkin Pie
Course: DessertCuisine: Balkan, Serbian4
servings20
minutes40
minutesPumpkin pie Balkan style!
Ingredients
1 15oz can pumpkin puree (450 g pire od bundeve)
1 package phyllo dough (500 g kore)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (25 g) cream of wheat (griz)
1/2 teaspoon (5 g) cinnamon
1 tablespoons vanilla sugar (1 packet)
Oil
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, sugar, cream of wheat, cinnamon, and vanilla sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375F (200 C) and prepare your baking dish by brushing a generous amount of oil on the bottom and sides. I use about 2 tablespoons. Set aside.
- Unroll your phyllo dough sheets on a flat surface.
- Lay one phyllo sheet down and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a brush to brush the oil all over the sheet. Lay another sheet on top, drizzle with another tablespoon of oil, brush all over, and lay a third sheet on top. On the third sheet, do not drizzle oil. Instead, take about 1/3 of your pumpkin mixture and spread all over the sheet. Then, roll the entire thing up (I roll on the short side) and place your roll into your greased baking dish.
- Repeat step 4 until you have used up all of your ingredients. I am able to get 3 rolls out of the above amounts.
- Brush each roll generously with oil all over and bake at 375 (200) until golden brown.
- When golden brown, remove from the oven, and cover with a damp paper towel, followed by a dish towel. Let cool to room temperature.
- When cooled, dust with powdered sugar and slice according to your preference.
Notes
- Your house will smell amazing as this bakes.
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This looks amazing! Can you tell me what vanilla sugar is, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it before. Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much! Vanilla sugar is just that, sugar that has been blended with or steeped in vanilla for a while giving the sugar a very fragrant vanilla smell and taste. I purchase vanilla sugar in the European aisle of my grocery store, but they have it on Amazon too! I prefer the Dr. Oetker packets and 1 packet is 1 tablespoon!
Hope this explains it,
– Nevena
This looks so great! Could you give me piece of advise how I could get pumpkin puree out of a whole hutternut squash? I have that in my fridge from time to tims, how could I prep it for this meal?
Hi Julia,
I recommend you bake it really well then blend the flesh in a food processor or blender until smooth. You can also cut it up and boil it, then dice it and use it to make the filling. Another option is to grate the raw squash and use it in the filling. Because it’s grated thinly it will cook while the pastry bakes!
Hope this helps!
– Nevena