This Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie takes your traditional pumpkin pie and infuses it with the liquid gold richness of salted caramel!
Out of ALL the different kinds of pies in this world, if I could choose just one kind to eat for the rest of my life, it would definitely be pumpkin pie. Of course, it would HAVE to be buried under a ginormous cloud of whipped cream!
Sure, pumpkin pie isn’t the most indulgent or unique pie flavor out there, but that also means you can eat several pieces without ever getting sick of it. In fact, I’ve probably had at least a few thousand pieces of pumpkin pie in my lifetime, and I still have yet to overdose on the stuff. Seriously, why is it so DARN addictive?!
Surprisingly though, I’ve been blogging for several years now and I STILL haven’t posted a pumpkin pie recipe. That is, until today…
While this Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie isn’t quite like your traditional pumpkin pie, I can assure you that it has ALL of the delicious qualities that we all love and adore about the classic.
First off, it’s made with homemade FROM SCRATCH pumpkin puree. Yes people, I actually made my own batch of pumpkin puree, and it was an absolute game-changer. Not only is it so stinkin’ easy to do, but the consistency is so much creamier and fuller flavored than canned.
Make your own pumpkin puree!
All you have to do is get yourself a “pie pumpkin” or “sugar pumpkin”, cut it in half, remove the guts and seeds, and place both pieces cut-side-down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400ºF oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the skin begins to wrinkle and pull away from the flesh. Allow the roasted pumpkin to cool, scoop the flesh out into a food processor, then puree until smooth. That’s it!
Don’t get me wrong, I do love canned pumpkin for its convenience, but it’s so totally worth it to make your own if you get the chance. Whether you use canned or homemade, this pie is going to taste incredible either way!
Along with pumpkin, this pie pretty much contains your typical pumpkin pie ingredients–eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. The main difference lies in the fact that homemade salted caramel is added to sweeten the pie. So instead of just adding brown or white sugar, I went a step further by cooking up a batch of salted caramel and adding it to the filling.
Once the caramel has cooled, a cup of it is stirred into the pumpkin filling, which means you’ll have more than enough leftover to drizzle on top just before serving.
How to get that crackless pie top!
If you’ve always wondered what causes your pumpkin pie to crack, the key lies in AFTER it is done baking. The secret is to allow the pumpkin pie to cool down slowly and gradually. To do this, when the pie has finished baking (mostly firm but with a slight jiggle in the center of the filling), turn the oven off, and leave the pie in the oven with the door cracked open for about an hour. This tip has resulted in a crackless pie for me every single time!
This is honestly the creamiest, most velvety pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. I’m not sure if it was the homemade pumpkin puree or the salted caramel, but I’m extremely pleased with the result! Along with its perfect consistency, the luscious combo of deliciously-spiced pumpkin and sweet n’ salty caramel is a match made in dessert heaven. It’s not too sweet, and the pumpkin flavor is only amplified by the caramel.
Shovel on a hefty scoop of freshly-whipped cream, as well as a drizzle of extra salted caramel, and I guarantee you’ll be questioning whether you should share this with anyone else…
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- Your Favorite Pie Crust par-baked and cooled in a 9-inch pie dish
Salted Caramel:
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree homemade or canned
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel:
- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the pan, making sure none of the sugar crystals hit the sides. Add the corn syrup.
- Place pan over medium heat, leaving it alone for the first 5 minutes or until it the color begins to turn yellowish. Once you see some color, gently swirl the pan around occasionally as it boils. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden amber color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat, stirring until caramel is smooth. Transfer to dish or glass measuring cup to cool completely. Caramel will continue to thicken as it cools.
Make the Pumpkin Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, eggs, heavy cream, salt, and spices together until combined. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and continue whisking until smooth. Pour filling into par-baked pie crust. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until filling is set around the edges and center jiggles only slightly.
- When the pie is done baking, turn off the oven and let the pie cool in the oven with the oven door slightly open. This will prevent cracking. Wait at least one hour before removing the pie from the oven and placing in the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours.
- Cut the pie into slices and serve with whipped cream and extra salted caramel.