Caramel Pecan Pie

This amazing caramel pecan pie is rich and buttery with a sweet caramel filling and crunchy pecans. It’s a perfect dessert for any gathering or holiday.

I love the pie season. The best part about being an adult is that nobody can tell me how many slices of a pie and how many dollops of whipped cream I can have.

And with this caramel pecan pie, it is really hard to stop making it again and again. I warned you! In every bite, you have the pecans, melted caramel, and crumbly doughy crust… it is one of my favorite things to make during fall, and it also happens to be a Southern dessert classic.

Why You’ll Love Pecan Pie With Caramel

• Easy pecan pie recipe with pre-made crust and homemade caramel filling. Using a store-bought pie crust saves us time without sacrificing the flavor and also keeps the kitchen from getting messy! Did I mention the prep takes 15-20 minutes max?
• Amazing pie for the holiday season and family’s Thanksgiving dinners to spark some conversation around this delicious recipe 😉
• Classic winning flavor combo – crunchy nutty pecans with sweet gooey caramel.

Ingredients Notes

• 9-inch unbaked pie crust or pie shell (shortcrust pastry). I use store-bought pie crust, but you can use your go-to pie crust recipe to make the pie dough ahead of time. I think it is a delicious pie even with pre-made crust! It has to be a deep dish pie crust though so we can pour the filling in.

For Pecan Pie Filling

• Caramel candies (you need to unwrap them all, it takes time so do this beforehand and engage your family to help you!) – the base for our homemade caramel pecan pie filling mixture.
• Heavy cream is what adds a pillowy silky texture to the pie filling. It will be completely incorporated and the filling will taste just like sweet caramel. You can use full-fat milk too or plant-based milk but I love the richness the cream gives more. A closer substitute would be half and half.
• Granulated sugar. Brown sugar would also work amazingly with pecans and fall flavors in general as it adds caramel flavors too. You can use both in a 50/50 mix.
• Corn syrup is a staple in Southern pecan pie recipes but if you don’t want it, simply skip it.
• Large eggs. Eggs make sure our pie is fluffy and doesn’t fall apart. Make sure eggs are at room temperature before you mix them in.
• Unsalted butter melted.
• Vanilla extract for a little flavoring. Vanilla won’t overpower caramel. I prefer using pure vanilla extract.
• Pecan halves are best to use for traditional pecan pie but if you have chopped pecans they’ll work too, and you can add them directly to the filling mix. Toasted/roasted pecans have more flavors. You can save some to decorate the top of the pie too, if you want.

For exact measurements, see my recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need

• Round baking dish
• Pie plate for serving
• Microwave-safe bowl or medium saucepan to make melted caramel mixture

How To Make Caramel Pecan Pie

This pecan pie has 3 layers: a nice doughy crust, a layer of crunchy pecans, and a luscious caramel filling.

The steps are straightforward and it is very hard to mess it up, so I would highly recommend it even for beginners in baking.

1: Prepare The Pie Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Prepare the pie crust dough in the dish. Gently press in to make sure it sits inside nicely. Set aside.
3. You don’t need to pre-bake the entire pie crust for my recipe.

2: Make The Caramel Sauce

Unwrap the caramel candies and place them in a microwave-safe bowl with the heavy cream. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

*If using a saucepan, allow the caramel to melt with heavy cream, stirring frequently.

3: Make The Caramel Pecan Pie Filling

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, until well combined.
2. Slowly whisk ⅓ of the melted caramel mixture into the sugar mixture, keeping it moving as it is added to prevent the eggs from scrambling as you mix. 
3. Add the remaining melted caramel, whisking until fully incorporated.

4: Assemble The Caramel Pecan Pie And Bake

1. Spread the pecan halves evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
2. Pour filling over the pecans, making sure they are evenly distributed.
3. Bake for 50-55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the pie is set and the crust is golden brown.

5: Cool & Serve

Let the pie cool completely on the wire rack before serving.

I love to serve this pie slightly warm with some whipped cream and vanilla ice cream – I’m pretty basic, I know! Butter pecan ice cream would be a great option too.

Storage

Store leftover caramel pecan pie in the fridge, in an airtight container or wrapped in foil, for 3-4 days.

You can freeze this caramel pecan pie easily for 3 months! It stores very well but only if you wrap it tightly in 2 layers of foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving again.

For your convenience, I’d highly suggest you freeze individual slices!

Make Ahead

You can make this caramel pecan pie ahead and store it at room temperature for 24 hours. When making ahead it will be easier to slice it when it is chilled before serving.

If you prefer it warm simply microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Caramel sauce is super easy to make ahead and it can be stored in the fridge for one month – perfect for the holiday season and versatile to use in pie filings or as a drizzle to decorate.

Caramel Pecan Pie Variations

• Homemade salted caramel sauce is the second best (in my opinion) filling option for caramel pecan pie.
• No pecans? Try chopped walnuts or peanuts instead. They have a more pronounced nutty taste.
• More fall flavors are easily added with pumpkin spice, nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon.
• Make homemade pie dough. Combine all the ingredients (cold cubed butter, flour, and water) in a food processor or mixer, then roll the dough into a disk and let it chill in the fridge wrapped with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours.
• For adult-only pie, you can add some whiskey or rum to the caramel filling.
• Maple syrup is an amazing add-on to the filling mixture or it can be served on the side to enjoy the pie. It is one of the classic fall flavors so we can’t really skip it. In a way, it makes a substitute for corn syrup too.
• Add cocoa powder to make chocolate caramel pecan pie. You can also mix in some chocolate chips in the filling mixture.

More Variation Ideas

• Make mini pecan pies! Get a few 3-inch unbaked pie shells and follow the same recipe! Double or triple the recipe if preparing for a potluck or party.
• Caramel pecan pie with condensed milk. To impress the true sweet tooth, mix condensed milk, sugar, maple syrup, and eggs in a mixing bowl to make the pie filling. Yep, just four ingredients. You can mix in the chopped pecans or use them as a separate layer. You don’t even need to melt it, you simply mix it pour it into the pie crust, and then bake. Condensed milk in general can make a substitute for corn syrup, and it is very rich and creamy. The flavor would be closer to dulce de leche.
• Turn it into a cheesecake. Use Graham cracker pie crust, then a layer of caramel pecan filling, and then a layer of vanilla (or any other flavor of your choice) cheesecake.
• Serve this caramel pecan pie recipe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of caramel topping, or homemade caramel sauce.

Tips To Make The Best Pecan Pie

• To have a beautiful golden crust, use egg wash to brush it before baking. Simply beat the egg in a small bowl and apply the egg wash with a pastry brush.
• It is best to add cooled caramel sauce to the mixture to make sure all ingredients will combine and the eggs won’t curdle. Always gradually mix the caramel in to make sure the mixture is well incorporated.
• I do not use salt in this recipe at all. You can introduce some salty flavors by using salted butter in the caramel filling, by decorating the pie with some flaky sea salt orsimply by adding regular salt to the crust or filling mixture.
• To roast pecans, coat them with melted butter and salt/sugar in a medium saucepan, them lay out on a baking sheet, and toast for 5 minutes at 350 F.
• If you make the pie crust from scratch it is a good idea to blind bake it (using pie weights) until lightly golden not golden brown. Because it will still bake again with the filling and we don’t want it burning.
• If the crust is getting too brown too quickly, protect it with a foil shield.

Popular Questions

Dulce De Leche Vs Caramel Pecan Pie

Dulce de leche is a very popular caramel-like sweet treat in South America, especially Argentine. You can make pecan pie with dulce de leche – it will be rich, sweet, and decadent.

Dulce de leche and caramel are both golden brown, but they are made of different ingredients. Caramel pecan pie filling is made of caramel candies, which are basically sugar, that is melted, while dulce de leche is actually cooked milk (condensed milk) with sugar.

Why Is My Pecan Pie So Hard?

You may have added less water to the homemade pie crust, kneaded it too much, or cooked the pecan pie too long so it started ti dry out.

How Do You Keep Pecan Pie From Getting Soggy?

Blind bake the pie crust with pie weights or dry beans to make it firm and keep it from soaking too much filling and getting soggy. Filling needs to be set fully while baking otherwise it makes the crust soggy.

If you roll the pie dough too thin for the crust it can also be easier to tear.

What Happens If You Overbake Pecan Pie?

Overcooked pecan pie will crack. Remove the pecan pie from the oven when the whole cake is set but the center is still slightly jiggly if you shake the pan.

To make sure you don’t overbake caramel pecan pie, use a cake thermometer, it should read around 200-207F. 

If you love this pie recipe, you’re going to love these other pies too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Pecan Recipes

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Candied Pecans

No-Bake Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

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