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    Home

    Caramel Pecan Pie without Corn Syrup

    November 1, 2022 by Style Sweet 6 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This twist on the traditional pecan pie is made with caramel sauce instead of corn syrup. It's nutty, chewy, deeply caramelized, and full of brown sugar and vanilla flavors cradled in an all-butter, flaky crust.

    Replacing the corn syrup of a traditional pecan pie with caramel sauce adds so much extra flavor. It is bursting with brown sugar goodness that you and your guests will freak out over.

    Pecan pie with salted caramel on top.

    How to Make a Pecan Pie without corn syrup

    See the recipe card for full baking instructions.

    Crimping the edge of a pie crust

    Fit the pie dough into the pan and crimp the edges.

    A baked, empty pie shell

    Blind bake the pie crust until it feels dry to the touch and gently browned.

    Pouring filling into a pecan pie

    Place the pecans on the the bottom of baked pie crust then pour in the filling.

    a pecan pie before baking

    Make sure that all of the pecans are submerges and coated in the filling before baking.

    Hint: Bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. This will make it much easier to transport in and out of the oven, and you won't have to worry about spills.

    Quick Steps for Making Caramel Pecan Pie

    • Make the pie dough - the pie dough will need to chill at least 2 hours before baking
    • Roll out the pie dough
    • Blind bake the pie crust - bake the pie crust until lightly golden before adding the filling
    • Make the caramel sauce -the sauce needs to cool before making the filling.
    • Mix the pecan pie filling
    • Bake the pie
    • Cool - allow the pie to cool then chill in the refrigerator before serving

    Top Tip

    Remove the pie from the oven before the center of the filling completely sets. The edges should be slightly puffed but the center should have a tiny bit of wiggle to it (not waves of filling).

    A baked pecan pie with caramel sauce on top

    Ingredients in Caramel Pecan Pie

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe:

    Ingredients in a caramel pecan pie made without corn syrup
    • Blind baked pie crust - You can bake your own or use store-bought.
    • Pecans - No need for whole pecans, pecan pieces are fine.
    • Brown sugar - Either dark or light brown sugar add tons of flavor to the pie.
    • Unsalted butter - Divide the butter and use some for the caramel sauce and the rest in the pie filling.
    • Granulated sugar - Use white sugar for making the caramel sauce.
    • Heavy cream - Look for a heavy whipped cream that has 33 to 36% milk fat (MF) for the caramel sauce.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    A slice of pecan pie with whipped cream on top

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Fall in love with homemade caramel sauce, and you'll never need to buy it again! What is awesome about making caramel sauce at home is that you don't need a candy thermometer or any extra tools.

    Sugar starting to melt in a saucepan

    Begin cooking plain granulated sugar until it melts.

    Melted sugar that has caramelized in a saucepan

    Stir the sugar every so often so that it melts evenly into a dark golden color.

    Adding butter to caramel sauce

    Carefully add the butter and stir to melt.

    Stirring cream into caramel sauce

    Whisk in the cream before finishing with sea salt and vanilla.

    This caramel is made with just three ingredients: granulated sugar, heavy cream, and butter (plus salt and vanilla for flavor, if you want).

    Remember that the deeper the caramel in color, the more flavor will develop. If taken too far, the caramel will have a slight bitter, burnt taste.

    A slice of pecan pie without corn syrup

    Storage

    Cool the pie for up to 2 hours at room temperature then store in the refrigerator.

    To freeze, wrap well in plastic or foil then place the pie in a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Caramel sauce may be made in advance and stored in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. To make the filling, reheat until pourable but not hot.

    SUBSTITUTIONS

    Pecan pie is such a classic, but here are some substitutions to make it your own. 

    • Walnuts or Peanuts - swap pecans for walnut pieces or peanuts.
    • Oats - Have a nut allergy? Try this oat variation.
    • Corn Syrup - traditional pecan pie is prepared with corn syrup. Swap out the caramel sauce in the recipe for 1 cup light corn syrup.

    Supporting Articles

    How to Blind Bake Pie Crust

    How to Make Pie Dough By Hand

    A slice of pecan pie on a plate with swirls of caramel sauce

    Caramel Pecan Pie Recipe FAQs

    Do you need to refrigerate pecan pie?

    Yes. Pecan pie contain cooked eggs and should be refrigerated after it cools.

    What does pecan pie taste like?

    Pecan pie has a variety of textures from the crunchy nutty, chewy filling, and crisp crust. It tastes of brown sugar and nuts.

    Can I freeze pecan pie?

    Yes. After the pie completely cools, wrap it well in plastic or foil. Pop the pie into a zip-top bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

    When is pecan pie done baking?

    Pecan pie is ready to come out of the oven when the edges are puffed and set but this center has a slight jiggle if you shake the pan. The filling will continue to set as the pie cools.

    Pumpkin Coffee Cream Cheese Cake

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    More Pie Recipes to Try

    Apple Blueberry Pie

    Pumpkin Pie

    Banana Cream Pie

    No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

    Maple Sugar Pie

    Sweet Cherry Pie

    Please leave a star review if you loved this recipe! Make sure to share your recipes and tag me on Instagram @stylesweetdaily. 

    Recipe

    Pecan pie made without corn syrup with caramel swirled on top
    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Caramel Pecan Pie without Corn Syrup

    Take a twist on the traditional with this Caramel Pecan Pie!
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: apple pie, autumn, caramel, fall, holidays, pecan pie, thanksgiving
    Servings: 10

    Ingredients

    For the Caramel Sauce

    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 tea vanilla extract
    • pinch salt

    For the Pecan Pie

    • 1 blind baked pie crust
    • 2 cups chopped pecans
    • 3 large eggs
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
    • ½ teas salt
    • 1 teas vanilla extract
    • ¾ cup Caramel Sauce cooled
    • flaky salt for sprinkling
    • sweetened whipped cream for topping, optional

    Instructions

    To Make the Caramel Sauce

    • Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir intermittently with a wooden spoon or heat safe spatula until all of the sugar melts.
    • Cook the sugar until it turns amber in color.
    • Add the butter and immediately stir to combine. Be careful of splatters as the caramel may bubble up.
    • Remove from the heat. While whisking, slowly stir in the heavy cream.
    • Place the caramel back on the stove and bring back to a boil. Cook the caramel for about 1 minute.
    • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Transfer the caramel to a heat-safe container to cool

    To Make the Pecan Pie

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a baked pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet and add the chopped pecans to the bottom of the pie. Set aside.
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
    • Pour in the cooled caramel sauce and whisk to combine.
    • Pour the filling mixture over the top of the pecans. The pecans will float, so make sure to poke any exposed nuts into the filling to coat.
    • Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pie from the oven and tent with foil. Continue to bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The pie is done when the edges are puffed and set but there is still a slight jiggle to the center when gently shaked.
    • Cool the pie at room temperature then refrigerate until serving.
    • To serve, swirl on extra caramel sauce, sprinkle with flaky salt, or top with whipped cream.
    « How to Make Marzipan Pumpkins
    Snickerdoodle Bars with Cinnamon Icing »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tammy O

      November 02, 2022 at 2:55 pm

      5 stars
      Best pecan pie ever!!!! I should know I had A LOT lol

      Reply
    2. Trent

      November 02, 2022 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      This was fabulous. I’m definitely baking again for Thanksgiving

      Reply
    3. Jessica Wu

      November 02, 2022 at 11:21 pm

      5 stars
      Very clear instructions. Tasty recipe. Perfect post. Thank you so much!!!

      Reply
    4. Ally Morrison

      October 08, 2023 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      My dad loves pecan pie. Hands-down the best I've made him! The caramel makes it taste like a candy bar.

      Reply
    5. Casey

      November 08, 2023 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      Love this pie. Caramel has such a better flavor that corn syrup. Making it again for Thanksgiving.

      Reply
    6. Olivia

      November 16, 2023 at 9:11 pm

      5 stars
      You should definitely be treating yourself by adding caramel to pecan pie. It's so good!!! The best pecan pie I ever had.

      Reply

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