Home » » Salted Caramel Pecan Pie
October 30, 2014 (updated Feb 1, 2022) by Jennifer McHenry //
24 Comments
This Salted Caramel Pecan Pie is a modern twist on a classic dessert! Homemade pie crust is filled with pecans smothered in salted caramel. You’ll love a big slice of this gooey, decadent pie.
Want more pecan pie desserts? Try these Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars or this Classic Pecan Pie recipe!
An Easy Twist on Pecan Pie
Fall means different things to different people. For some, it’s all about back to school. For others, maybe it’s football. (I definitely don’t fall into that category.) It could be new boots, coats, and scarves. (Okay, that’s a little bit me.) For me, it’s probably no surprise that it’s mostly all about baking with my favorite fall flavors.
This Salted Caramel Pecan Pie checks off a lot of points on my fall baking list. First of all, well, it’s pie. This is pie season, right? Secondly, pecans! Sure, I use them all year, but they seem to call to me quite loudly this time of year. And last but not least, there’s caramel. Rich, gooey, salted caramel. Is this working for you?
While I’m calling this a pecan pie, this is actually a twist on the traditional pecan pie. Instead of the old-fashioned pecan pie filling, this one is filled with plenty of homemade caramel.
Making Homemade Caramel
It wasn’t that long ago that the thought of homemade caramel made me want to huddle in a corner. So, if you’re in that camp, I completely understand. But believe me when I tell you that it’s really not so bad to make. And this is coming from the girl who used to assume that caramel-making would take at least two tries to get right.
Pro tips for success:
- Use a bigger saucepan than you think you need. When you add the cream, it gets pretty bubbly and could make quite a mess if you’re using a small pan.
- Don’t walk away from the stovetop. Not even for a second. Have everything you need ready and focus on what you’re doing.
- Don’t stir it. Maybe you won’t have that compulsion, but it’s all I can do not to stir it. A little swirl of the pan is okay if you want to redistribute a bit, especially if you have a hot spot on your stovetop.
- Don’t cook it too long. I used to try to leave it cooking until it was all perfectly amber. That invariably sets off my smoke alarm. If the whole thing is perfectly amber on the stovetop, it will be overcooked. When you see amber in the majority of the caramel, it’s most likely done.
What You’ll Need
- Homemade Pie Dough
- Pecans – You can use another kind of nut if you prefer, just keep the overall amount the same.
- Sugar
- Water
- Heavy cream
- Unsalted butter – Don’t use salted butter or you’ll end up with too much saltiness in the finished product.
- Light corn syrup – Light syrup has a mild, sweet flavor and no color.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt – There are two kinds of salt in this recipe. Regular salt is added to the caramel when you make it in a saucepan, then coarse salt is sprinkled over the top of the pie when it is setting. I tend to go a bit heavy with the salt on top of the pie. If you’re not as big a fan, just make this pie as salty as you like.
How to Make Salted Caramel Pecan Pie
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Make your pie dough. Fit the crust into 9-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough from the edges. For a simple fluted edge, press the knuckle of one finger into the rim of the crust while holding two fingers about a half inch apart on either side of your knuckle. Repeat around the entire edge of the crust.
- Prebake the crust. Line the crust with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs on all sides. Fill pan with pie weights (or dried beans). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are browned. Remove weights and lining. Cool completely.
- Place nuts in the baked pie crust. Set aside.
- Make the salted caramel. Place sugar and water in a medium heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns amber. Be sure to watch closely to prevent burning.
- Remove from heat and carefully add cream. (Mixture will bubble.) Stir until combined. Add butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir until combined and smooth.
- Pour caramel over nuts in pie crust. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Let the pie set. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then, refrigerate until set.
- Chill and serve. You don’t have to chill it per se, but the pie will slice more easily when chilled.
How to Store
I like to store this pie in the fridge, loosely covered with plastic wrap. It is much easier to slice when chilled since the salted caramel has all that gooey goodness going on. This pie will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If there’s any perceived negative to this pie, it’s that it can be a bit messy and gooey. Honestly, it’s so very good that no one will really care if the slices aren’t perfect. Don’t be surprised if you catch someone scraping every little bite out of the pan.
Get the Recipe:
Salted Caramel Pecan Pie
Yield8 to 10 servings
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
An easy homemade pie made with pecans and a simple salted caramel.
Ingredients
- pastry for a 9-inch pie
- 2 to 3 cups pecans or other nut
- 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Fit crust into 9-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough from the edges.
- For a simple fluted edge, press the knuckle of one finger into the rim of the crust while holding two fingers about a half inch apart on either side of your knuckle. Repeat around the entire edge of the crust.
- Line the crust with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs on all sides. Fill pan with pie weights (or dried beans).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are browned.
- Remove weights and lining. Cool completely.
- Place nuts in the baked pie crust.* Set aside.
- Place sugar and water in a medium heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat to medium-high and continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns amber. Be sure to watch closely to prevent burning.
- Remove from heat and carefully add cream. (Mixture will bubble.) Stir until combined. Add butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir until combined and smooth.
- Pour caramel over nuts in pie crust. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then, refrigerate until set.
- Pie will slice more easily when chilled but can be served at room temperature.
Notes
*For aesthetic purposes, you may want to reserve about 1/4 cup of nuts to top off the pie after the caramel has been added.
This recipe was originally developed in my continuing collaboration with Go Bold with Butter, where I am a paid contributor.
fall favorites, pecan pies, , sweet and salty, traditional crust pies
24 Comments »
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Lori October 30, 2014 @ 1:02 pm Reply
What a nice twist to a great pie, love Salted Caramel!
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Paola Avila October 30, 2014 @ 2:33 pm Reply
I love it… Is just what I am looking for, just yesterday received my new pie pans and was looking for something different to try, thanks!!! 😀
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Faye October 30, 2014 @ 4:41 pm Reply
This looks delicious!
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Becky October 31, 2014 @ 11:19 am Reply
Homemade salted caramel in a pecan pie!?! OMG that sounds heavenly!!
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Anita October 31, 2014 @ 1:08 pm Reply
Wow, that’s a perfect looking crust! Great pie for the coming holiday season!
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Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled October 31, 2014 @ 1:39 pm Reply
WOW, this pie is gorgeous! I might just have to add your recipe for this pie to my list of desserts to make for Thanksgiving! Pinned 🙂
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Meagan @ A Zesty Bite October 31, 2014 @ 1:53 pm Reply
What a gorgeous pecan pie.
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Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie October 31, 2014 @ 2:43 pm Reply
I don’t even have to tell you, but I’m going to anyway – if it’s not peanut butter you will always win me over with salted caramel.
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Cynthia/what a girl eats October 31, 2014 @ 2:56 pm Reply
This would be such a delicious addition to a holiday buffet!
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genevieve @ gratitude & greens October 31, 2014 @ 10:38 pm Reply
Pecan pie is one of my favourite pies! I like to make mine with bourbon, but salted caramel just takes it to a whole new level. Yum! Happy Halloween!
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Joanne November 1, 2014 @ 5:04 pm Reply
I already LOOOVVEEE pecan pie…but let’s be honest. I’d love it more with salted caramel. This is what fall is ALL ABOUT.
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Cynthia/What A Girl Eats November 3, 2014 @ 10:43 pm Reply
Everything about this pie looks delicious…Nuts, caramel..what else do you need?
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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) November 7, 2014 @ 3:23 pm Reply
OHMIGOSHHHH!!! Making this. For sure!!!
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Laura Dembowski November 8, 2014 @ 8:41 am Reply
What a great twist on traditional pecan pie! Caramel and pecans go so well together though I love the idea of using different nuts too.
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Diane November 20, 2014 @ 12:02 pm Reply
I actually made this pie and the caramel was a big fail. I have made caramel candies and sauces in the past and thought it odd the sugar to water ratio did not seem right. I made it twice and both times the caramel did not work. The pie crust however was very good. Wondering if something was wrong or if anyone else made this recipe and how it came out.
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Jennifer McHenry November 23, 2014 @ 8:09 pm Reply
Hi, Diane. I’m sorry to hear you had troubles. I’ve made this several times, and it’s worked well for me. If you have another caramel recipe you prefer using, you should be able to use that instead.
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Cheryl R January 27, 2015 @ 8:27 pm Reply
Diane, what did you end up doing for the caramel filling? I’m trying again as my first attempt didn’t come out so well either.
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Sherrie November 25, 2014 @ 7:50 pm Reply
Would this work on a chocolate cookie crumb crust?
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Jennifer McHenry November 25, 2014 @ 8:48 pm Reply
Hi, Sherrie. That should work just fine.
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Sherrie December 1, 2014 @ 9:30 pm Reply
It worked great! I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit – I only had a little sliver to take home for leftovers!
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Kim June 3, 2016 @ 1:59 pm Reply
I’ve tried this recipe twice & both were a total fail. I, too, think something is wrong with the sugar/water ratio. Neither time was I able to get the sugar to completely dissolve before turning the heat up to caramelize bispite adjusting my heat settings. Was this recipe tried on gas or electric.
Pictures should’ve been added in the step by step. Most recipe posts include this. That way we can see what each step looks like & know if we’re doing it wrong from the start instead of getting all the way through the pain staking process only to find that all we made was a mess…
This is a no go for me
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Amber November 25, 2016 @ 11:20 am Reply
I had problems with this recipe as well. Tried twice and a no go both times. Bummed it sounds like it would be a great piece if it came out right.
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Emily Leishman April 9, 2020 @ 8:32 pm Reply
This pie is the best pie I’ve ever had. So tasty, sweet, caramely, with the perfect crunch of the pecans. It was the popular with everyone!
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Jennifer McHenry April 10, 2020 @ 2:09 pm Reply
That’s wonderful to hear, Emily! I’m so glad you liked it.
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