This homemade Caramel Pecan Pie is sweet, nutty, rich and so easy to make at home. The pecan pie caramel filling is sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup and chock full of crunchy toasted pecans.
Jump to:
Caramel Pecan Pie
What kind of winter holiday season would it be without pecan pie? It’s such a classic pie that you almost assume it will be on the table once Thanksgiving rolls around.
This Pecan Caramel Pie is our go-to recipe every year. It’s got the perfect sweet, salty, buttery, and nutty ratio. We sweeten our filling with brown sugar and maple syrup, rather than corn syrup, cooking it along with butter, eggs, and vanilla. Toasted pecans are folded in at the last minute, then everything nestles into a homemade flaky pie crust where it bakes low and slow until it’s set.
We highly recommend serving with a large dollop of freshly whipped cream, a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream or both. Enjoy!
Caramel Pecan Pie Ingredients
Homemade Pie Crust
- Flour - you can use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Salt - any kind of sea salt or finely ground salt will work.
- Crisco - Crisco works great because it doesn’t melt as easily as butter. But, you can absolutely substitute cold butter if you’d prefer.
- Water - use super cold water to keep the dough as cool as possible. You can even add ice cubes to the water (just don’t add the ice cubes into the dough).
- Egg Wash and Sugar - applying an egg wash to the dough gives it a little shine and keeps the crust nice and crisp. You don’t need much - just an egg and a tablespoon of water. We like to finish off with a sprinkle of sugar, too.
Pecan Pie Caramel Filling
- Pecans - since we are using chopped pecans, it’s easiest if you can find pecan pieces. You’ll toast them the same way and you won’t have to worry about chopping.
- Brown Sugar - use either light or dark brown sugar to make the caramel mixture.
- Maple Syrup - pure maple syrup tastes best if you can find it. It gives this pie so much more flavor than regular corn syrup, but if that’s all that you have you can absolutely substitute it. Karo syrup would work, too.
- Eggs - any type of large eggs will work.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Butter - you can use either salted or unsalted. However, you may want to adjust the amount of additional salt if you use salted butter.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
How to Make Caramel Pecan Pie
- Make the pie dough. See our post on Homemade Flaky Pie Crust for detailed instructions on how to mix, roll and shape your own dough.
- Line the pie dish. Carefully line a pie plate with the rolled dough then fold the edges under and pinch the edges of the dough to make a decorative edge. Prick the edges and bottom of the pie crust with a fork, about 2 inches apart.
- Blind bake the crust. Line with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with ceramic pie beads or dry beans. Bake the prepared pie crust in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 8 minutes - you only want to bake it partially. Remove from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees and set aside while you make the filling.
- Toast the pecans. Add the pecans in a large non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they become golden brown and fragrant (about 5-8 minutes). Pour the nuts into a bowl and set aside.
- Make the pecan pie filling. In the large, non-stick pot over low heat, add the butter and melt. Remove from heat and add the sugar and salt. Stir until the butter is absorbed, then whisk in the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Place the caramel mixture back on low heat and heat and stir constantly. Slowly warm the mixture until it reaches 130 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat, stir in pecans, then mix until combined.
- Fill the pie shell. Pour the pecan pie filling into the partially baked pie shell and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 275-degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the center of the pie is just jiggly. (Note: If the pie shell's outer edges become too golden brown, cover with aluminum foil until your pie is finished baking.)
- Cool, then serve. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on a wire rack before serving with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy!
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
Homemade Whipped Cream is super quick to make and tastes worlds better than the stuff in a can. Here’s how:
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. In a large chilled bowl using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the cold heavy whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Whip. Whip the heavy cream mixture on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes, or until soft peaks, medium peaks, or stiff peaks form*, depending on what you plan to use it for.
- Store or serve. Use immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 24 hours. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations for Caramel Pecan Pie
These creative twists will add new dimensions to the classic pecan pie, making them perfect for any occasion. Feel free to mix and match creating your own fun new flavors.
- Salted Caramel Pecan Pie: Add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. The combination of sweet and salty creates an irresistible contrast that'll keep you coming back for more.
- Chocolate Chip Caramel Pecan Pie: Mix in chocolate chips. While the pie bakes, they will melt and combine perfectly with the caramel and pecans.
- Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie: Add a splash of your favorite bourbon.
- Espresso Caramel Pecan Pie: Add a little espresso powder to the filling.
- Coconut Caramel Pecan Pie: add toasted shredded coconut to the filling then top with a bit more.
- Caramel Apple Pecan Pie: mix in thinly sliced apples before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can give it a grainy texture if you overcook the eggs in your pecan pie filling. Be sure and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, and keep a good eye on the temperature using a candy thermometer.
Sometimes the crust begins to finish baking before the filling. If you notice it is getting too dark but the filling hasn’t finished baking, remove the pie from the oven and cover just the outer edges of the crust with aluminum foil, then return the pie to the oven and finish baking.
Yes! Store your Caramel Pecan Pie in the fridge for up to 4 days.
A pecan pie can crack if it was either overbaked or if it cools too quickly. To prevent this, bake just until the center is jiggly, and make sure you let it cool at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
This pie is perfect for making ahead! It holds up great in the fridge, so if you want to plan ahead you can absolutely bake it a day in advance. You’ll want to pull it from the fridge about an hour before you are ready to serve.
Tips and Tricks
- For an extra caramel pie, drizzle your favorite brand of caramel sauce or caramel ice cream, topping over the top.
- Toasting the pecans ahead of time gives this pie much more flavor with just a little extra effort.
- Make sure you have a good candy thermometer before making this pie. The temperature that you cook it to is crucial to the overall texture.
- If you are a fan of salted caramel, sprinkle a little sea salt over the top of the pie to finish.
Storing and Freezing
- Refrigerator: you can store your baked Caramel Pecan Pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure it is completely cooled, then cover with aluminum foil to protect it and keep the crust from getting soggy.
- Freezer: if you would rather store your pie for longer, let it cool completely then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. For extra protection, you can also place it inside a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to Thaw: the easiest way is to transfer your pie to the fridge overnight. You can also thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then warm in a 300-degree oven until completely thawed.
Caramel Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Single Pie Crust Recipe
- 1 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 oz Crisco or butter
- ¼ cup Water cold
Caramel Pecan Pie Filling
- 1 ½ cup Pecans chopped
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup
- 3 large Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Basic Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the four and salt.
- Add the Crisco (or cold butter) and use your fingers to combine. Once the mixture resembles coarse meal, make a well in the center and add the water.
- Carefully bring the flour mixture from the sides of the bowl into the center with the water and gently mix until combined and the flour is all moistened. Do not overmix or knead!
- Form the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic, then let rest in the cooler for about 30 minutes - 1 hour. Note: if you don’t have time, don’t worry about chilling the dough. It’s a good practice, but not 100% necessary with this recipe.
- Once the dough has rested, remove from the plastic wrap and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin, start in the middle of the dough and roll outwards to make a circle. Roll into an evenly thick round circle large enough for the dough to hang over your pie plate at least ½".
- Carefully line a pie plate with the rolled dough then fold the edges under and pinch the edges of the dough to make a decorative edge. Prick the edges and bottom of the pie crust with a fork, about 2 inches apart, then line with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with ceramic pie beads or dry beans.
- Bake the prepared pie crust in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 8 minutes - you only want to bake it partially. Remove from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees and set aside while you make the filling.
Caramel Pecan Pie Filling
- In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add the pecans, stirring occasionally until they become golden brown and fragrant (about 5-8 minutes). Pour the nuts into a bowl and set aside.
- In the large, non-stick pot over low heat, add the butter and melt. Remove from heat and add the sugar and salt. Stir until the butter is absorbed, then whisk in the maple syrup, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Place the caramel mixture back on low heat and heat and stir constantly. Slowly warm the mixture until it reaches 130 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat, stir in pecans, then mix until combined.
- Pour the pecan pie filling into the partially baked pie shell and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
- Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the center of the pie is just jiggly. (Note: if the outer edges of the pie shell become too golden brown, cover with aluminum foil until your pie is finished baking.)
- Once baked, remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on a wire rack before serving.
- Serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!
Homemade Whipped Cream
- In a large chilled bowl using a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the cold heavy whipped cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Whip the heavy cream mixture on medium high speed for about 3-4 minutes, or until medium peaks form.
- Use immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
Here are more of our favorite dessert recipes!
- No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
- Fresh Peach Pie
- Homemade Apple Pie
- Best Pumpkin Pie
- Gourmet Caramel Apples
- Homemade Caramel Popcorn
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies
- More Pie Recipes
- More Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
This Caramel Pecan Pie has the perfect ratio of salty, sweet, buttery and nutty. Serve topped with whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Mel
I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving! This is going to be on my dessert table for sure!!! Every recipe of yours always turns out perfectly. So I know this is going to be a winner too!
Brandy
So delicious! It's the perfect pie for the fall weather. I'm going to also make this for the holidays. I know it will be a hit with everyone!