Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie
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This bourbon caramel pecan pie is by far one of my favorite holiday desserts! It has buttery homemade pie crust, homemade bourbon caramel sauce, toasted pecans, and flaky salt. It’s cozy, rich, and delicious with whipped cream or ice cream. Definitely one of the best pies I’ve ever made!
Hello and welcome to my ultimate world of coziness. I have officially decorated for Christmas (oops) and invested in 3 new sweaters. Sad indie music is everywhere. There’s pecan pie! It’s total magic.
Anyways, before I enjoy Thanksgiving with my in-laws and jet off to Curacao for our honeymoon, I just had to share this recipe with you. At first, I was just going to make it for the holidays along with my pumpkin custard pie and caramel Dutch apple pie and not even blog it.
But I couldn’t because this pie is absurdly good. I started making a version of this recipe back when I was a pastry school student and I’ve been tweaking it ever since. But I’ve finally reached pie bliss and you deserve to have it at your holiday celebrations as well. So without further ado, here you go friends!
I am totally in love with this pie
We all know that I firmly live and die with Team Pie, so it’s hard to find one that truly impresses me. This, however, is not an issue with this recipe. Omg I think I could eat a slice of this pie every day for the rest of my life. It has everything. Bourbon. Caramel. Lots and lots of nuts. Flaky, buttery pie crust. I can’t!
- This pie is a great make-ahead situation so you can bake it the night before and then forget about it until it’s pie-and-coffee time.
- Even though it has a few steps, it’s actually easy to make. And it’s a relaxing little project if you want to turn on some Sufjan Stevens and zen out to dough crimping.
- It’s a huge crowd pleaser. And since it’s rich, you can actually get quite a few servings out of it.
Simple ingredients you’ll need
- Sugar – you’ll need white sugar for the caramel and dark (or light) brown sugar for the pie. No corn syrup here!
- Unsalted butter – make sure you have enough for the caramel sauce and pie filling.
- Heavy whipping cream – this will make the caramel sauce buttery and smooth.
- Bourbon – I like to use Frey Ranch but any will do! Dark rum would also be good.
- Pie dough – you can use homemade or store-bought but I personally think homemade is so much better! Here’s my go-to recipe with step-by-step instructions if you need some pie dough inspo.
- Pecans – obviously lol. You can get chopped pecans or whole pecans and chop them yourself.
- Eggs – pecan pie is actually a type of custard and the eggs are key for a thick, silky filling!
- Vanilla bean paste – I love vanilla bean paste because it has such a deep, vanilla flavor. You can totally also use extract though!
- Kosher salt – my personal fave is Morton’s Kosher salt to offset the sweetness.
No bourbon? You can leave out the bourbon if you do not want to use alcohol in this recipe.
Make the bourbon caramel
- Add the sugar to a heavy-bottom saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is melted and a deep amber color.
- Next, add the unsalted butter, whisking rapidly until combined.
- Add the whipping cream, bourbon, and Kosher salt and whisk until smooth. Immediately pour into a bowl and cool.
If your caramel separates, don’t stress! To keep it from separating in the first place, start with room temperature ingredients so the cold ingredients don’t shock the hot sugar. If your caramel sauce still separates, just place the pan back on medium-low heat and whisk it vigorously until the caramel smooths out and comes together.
Par-bake the crust
- Roll the pie dough into a 12” circle. Carefully press the dough in a 9” pie plate and crimp the edges.
- Next, line the pie crust with parchment paper. Fill the pie with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake the pie at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden-brown. Cool and remove the pie weights.
Start with a good homemade pie crust. I like homemade but a good store-bought version is fine too! Make sure it stays very cold so the layers are nice and flaky.
Stir the filling & bake
- First, whisk together the bourbon caramel sauce, brown sugar, eggs, unsalted butter, vanilla bean paste, and pecans.
- Then, brush the par-baked pie crust with egg wash and pour the filling into the crust. Arrange whole pecans into a concentric circle for prettiness.
- Finish by baking the pie until it’s just a little jiggly in the center. Cool completely for 1 hour at room temperature. Then, refrigerate for another 3-4 hours until set.
The pie is amazing on its own but I like serving it with a few extra toppings! Try drizzling the whole pie with extra caramel sauce and flaky salt. Then, serve the slices with vanilla ice cream, salted caramel gelato, or whipped cream. So good!
Checking for doneness
There is a fine line between perfect pecan pie and one that is over-baked. Since it’s a custard, over-baked pecan pie can taste eggy and have a lumpy texture.
To know when the pie is done, give it the jiggle test! Use an oven mitt to grip the edges of the pie plate and give it a gentle shake. It’s ready when the edges are set and the center has a small wobble (like Jell-O!) If the filling is flowing or liquid-y, keep baking. If it’s completely set, sadly it’s over-baked!
Tips for making the best pie
- Chop up the pecans for a smoother filling. If you like bigger chunks of nuts, arrange them on top (like in the photos) or mix some whole nuts into the chopped.
- Bake the pie on a hot sheet pan or pizza stone. Make sure it’s in the lower 1/3 of your oven! That will crisp up the bottom of the crust so you get a sturdy (never soggy) pie.
- Don’t over-bake the pie. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a filling that’s lumpy instead of velvety and rich. Be careful not to under-bake the pie though, or you’ll end up with a runny filling!
- This pie will make 8 large of 16 small servings. If you’re having a big dinner, you may be able to get away with 16 servings since the pie is really rich. I mean, for me, I want a big slice. But if you like smaller slices, do you!
Make-ahead & storage
This pie is super easy to make ahead. It needs a few hours to chill, so I actually recommend making it the night before to give it time to set up. It’s also way easier to slice when it’s chilled!
To store leftovers, just cover the top of the pie and let it sit on the counter for up to 2-3 days. You can also store it in the fridge for 2-3 days to make it a little easier to slice. After 3 days, the crust will start to get a bit soggy, so I recommend eating it before then.
If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!
Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
- 1 c sugar
- 6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 c heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 2 Tbs bourbon
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, more to taste
Pie Crust
- 1 9'' pie dough, homemade or store-bought
- 1 egg
Pecan Filling
- 2 c whole pecans
- 1 c bourbon caramel sauce + more for drizzling (recipe above)
- 1/2 c dark brown sugar, packed (or light brown sugar)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature + lightly whisked
- 1/4 c unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 Tbs vanilla extract)
- Flaky salt, for serving
- Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Equipment
- 9'' pie plate (metal or stoneware)
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights or dry beans
Instructions
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
- First, pour the sugar into a heavy-bottom sauce pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely melted and a deep amber color. The sugar will clump up first before it melts! Keep a close eye so it doesn't burn.
- Once the sugar is melted, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. It'll bubble and splatter quite a bit (that's what the heavy-bottom sauce pan is for!)
- Next, pour in the heavy whipping cream, bourbon, and the Kosher salt. Stir vigorously until you have a silky caramel. Taste and add more Kosher salt if desired.
- Immediately pour the caramel into a heat-proof bowl and cool completely.
Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll out the pie dough until it's about a 12'' round. Place the pie dough into a 9'' pie plate. Fold the edges of the dough and crimp. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
- Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. Evenly fill with pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake the crust for 15-17 minutes, until the pie dough is light golden-brown on the edges. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment with the pie weights/beans. Let the crust cool.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon of water until smooth. Brush the egg wash all over the bottom, sides, and edges of the pie crust.
Pecan Filling
- Lower the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium pan, toast the pecans just until they're fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Cool for a few minutes. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the pecans. Reserve 1 cup of whole pecans if you want the concentric design on top. If you want a smoother filling, roughly chop all of the pecans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the bourbon caramel sauce, dark brown sugar, whisked eggs, melted butter, vanilla bean paste, and chopped pecans just until the filling is smooth. Don't over-mix!
- Pour the filling into the par-baked crust. If you're doing a design on top, arrange the whole pecans in a concentric circle on top of the pie.
- Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes, just until the edges are set and the center is still a bit jiggly (like Jell-O). Bake for another 5 minutes, if necessary.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then, wrap the pie and let it cool in the fridge for 2-3 more hours.
- Remove the pie from the fridge and garnish with extra caramel sauce and flaky salt. Slice the chilled pie and re-warm in the microwave if desired. (You can also let it come up to room temperature for an hour on the counter). Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!
I’ve always been pretty happy with my pecan pies, until my son came home and told me that a “pie place” in downtown Seattle had a caramel pecan pie that was the best that he’s ever had.
He challenged me to make a Caramel pecan pie! your recipe is the best and the instructions were …well, easy as pie. 😀 thank you for sharing your recipe and talent!
Thank you so much, Rebecca! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. 🙂 It’s one of my all time faves!