Creamy cold brew coffee filling laced with rich caramel in a chocolate cookie crust!
With summer in full swing and temperatures hovering around the 80’s and 90’s, I’m sure coffee is the last thing you think of when it comes to refreshing summer flavors. There is, however, a new trend in the world of coffee known as cold brew. Mind you, I had absolutely no clue what this was until literally a few days ago. As one of the few “adults” who doesn’t include coffee in their daily regime, I’m usually behind on coffee trends.
So what is cold brew?
To put it simply, cold brew is a type of coffee that has been brewed with cold or room temperature water. Unlike the hot coffee brewing method, cold brewing relies on time, rather than heat to extract the coffee’s natural sugars, oils and caffeine. It involves a long steeping process that can be anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. The result of this slow, low temp brewing process is a slightly sweeter flavor that’s also a bit milder and way less acidic than your average cup of coffee.
Ok, now that you know what cold brew is, let’s talk about this pie, shall we??
Although I’m not much of a coffee drinker (unless if it’s “cracked out” with heaps of sugar and cream), I have to say that this Caramel Cold Brew Pie is DIVINE. The cold brew coffee-infused filling is lusciously creamy and the toasty sweetness of the caramel pairs so perfectly with the distinct, yet subtle coffee flavor.
As I mentioned earlier, coffee isn’t really my jam. So if you’re similar to me, odds are you’ll LOVE this pie. Moreover, it’s super simple to make, and you don’t have to turn on that pesky oven, which is absolutely crucial during these hot-as-heck summer months.
For this pie, I decided to go with a simple Oreo cookie crust. All you have to do is crush up some Oreo cookies, toss in a few tablespoons of melted butter, then press the crumb mixture evenly along the bottom and sides of a pie plate. Pop it in the refrigerator and move on to the homemade caramel!
If you’re short on time, you can definitely substitute store-bought caramel for the homemade caramel in this recipe. HOWEVER, I have yet to find a caramel sauce that compares to the flavor of homemade caramel. It’s also really not that difficult to make your own at home. All you need is sugar, water, corn syrup, heavy cream, salt, and a little bit of patience.
First you’ll pour some water and granulated sugar into a medium saucepan. (Make sure the sides are high, since the mixture does boil up later on.) Add a little corn syrup, which helps to prevent crystallization. Gently swirl the pan a few times to allow the sugar and water to combine–don’t stir it. Heat this mixture for several minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the clear boiling liquid becomes a golden amber hue. Once you begin to notice some color, it should take less than a minute to attain that amber hue, so do NOT leave the pan at this point. I repeat, DO NOT LEAVE THE PAN.
Once you’ve got the right color, immediately take the pan off of the heat and pour in some heavy cream. The mixture will boil up vigorously, so be careful. Grab a whisk and start stirring. The boiling will die down after a few seconds. At this point, you can add the salt and return the pan to the stove, cooking the mixture over medium-high heat until the caramel is completely smooth. Pour the caramel into a heat-proof bowl, and allow it to cool while you make the filling.
The filling starts off with a small package of instant white chocolate pudding mix, but you can also use vanilla pudding mix. Stir in a cup of cold brew coffee until the mixture is smooth. Any brand of cold brew coffee will work–just make sure that you use the SWEETENED kind, not unsweetened. I used Stumptown Original Cold Brew Coffee with Cream and Sugar.
While the pudding thickens up, you’ll whip up some heavy cream. Just pour the heavy cream into the well-chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large chilled bowl and a beater) and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl, then return the bowl to the mixer.
In the bowl, beat some cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, dissolved the instant espresso powder into the hot water. Stir the espresso liquid into the filling. Then add the pudding mixture to the bowl, beating until well incorporated. Finally, take your whipped cream and gently fold it in.
Once your caramel sauce has cooled to room temperature, you can assemble the pie. If it’s still too warm, just place the filling into the refrigerator until the caramel has cooled down enough. You don’t want the caramel to melt into the filling.
To assemble, spread a third of the filling into the bottom of the crust. Then take your caramel and drizzle a third of it evenly over the filling. Repeat these steps ALMOST two more times. Instead of adding the drizzle of caramel on top, save it for just before you serve the pie.
Of course, a pie would not be complete without a beautiful (and generous) border of whipped cream. A few chocolate-covered espresso beans also doesn’t hurt!
Why drink a cup of joe, when you can have this in the morning instead?
Caramel Cold Brew Pie
Ingredients
Caramel:
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Crust:
- 22 Oreos
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
Cold Brew Filling:
- 1 (3.9 oz) package instant white chocolate pudding mix (can substitute with vanilla pudding mix)
- 1 cup cold brew coffee (Any brand - Make sure it is sweetened)*
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon hot water
For Decorating:
- Freshly-whipped cream
- Chocolate-covered espresso beans
Instructions
Make the 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 5 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 Crust:
- Crush the Oreos in a food processor until finely ground. Pour into a mixing bowl with the butter and use a fork to combine. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch pie pan; refrigerate.
Make the Filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the pudding mix and cold brew together until smooth and combined. Mixture should be thick; set aside.
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with a beater), whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to another bowl and place in the refrigerator.
- Return bowl to mixer and replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the pudding mixture, beating until combined.
- In a small bowl/cup, dissolve the espresso powder into the hot water. Add this liquid to the filling, beating until combined. Add the pudding mixture to the bowl, beating until well incorporated.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
To Assemble Pie:
- Scoop a third of the filling evenly into the crust. Drizzle a third of the caramel over the filling. Scoop another third of the filling evenly on top, and drizzle with a third of the caramel. Spread the remaining filling evenly on top, then place pie in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- On the day of (or just before serving), drizzle the remaining caramel evenly on top of the pie. If desired, pipe a border of freshly-whipped cream along the top of the pie and add chocolate-covered espresso beans.