Introducing Praline Pumpkin Pie, AKA a new Thanksgiving must! Creamy pumpkin pie topped with crunchy, chewy brown sugar pecans for the perfect flavor and texture combination in every bite! Be the hero of Thanksgiving with this new twist on the comforting classics!
No Thanksgiving is complete without comforting, creamy pumpkin pie, or at least crazy popular Pumpkin Pie Dip. And no Thanksgiving is complete without nutty, brown sugar Pecan Pie. Every year, everyone has a favorite pie, and every year, multiple pies are made to appease everyone’s loyalties. But what if you could combine two favorites – would the pie become that much more delicious? The answer is a resounding yes! The answer is this Praline Pumpkin Pie.
To make this Praline Pumpkin Pie structurally sound and not too sweet, we can’t just pop one pie on top of the other. A traditional pumpkin pie isn’t sturdy enough to support an additional topping, so first we whisk pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves together in a medium saucepan then cook for 4 minutes. This additional 4 minute step is crucial, as it evaporates extra liquid in the pumpkin for a thicker, sturdier, more concentrated pumpkin filling.
Next, we remove the filling from the heat and whisk in in evaporated milk followed by eggs and vanilla. Finally, we pour our filling into our pie crust and bake for 40-50 minutes. We want the pie to be cracked around the edges (which will be covered by the topping), as the secret to the best pumpkin pie is a filling that is thoroughly set.
For the easy Praline Topping, we combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, vanilla and a small amount of corn syrup. We sprinkle this Topping over the Pumpkin Pie and bake another 20 minutes, just long enough for the pecans to roast and the topping to clump as the buttery browns sugar and corn syrup melt and coat the pecans. This super easy, simplified approach to the Praline adds a buttery, cinnamon, brown sugar crunch without all the work of boiling pecans with corn syrup for a sticky topping that may be too sweet when paired with Pumpkin Pie. This Praline Topping, however, is perfection.
With its creamy rich pumpkin custard base and crunchy brown sugar butter pecan topping, just one bite of this Praline Pumpkin Pie will conquer the great Thanksgiving table pie divide, and all will be united in Praline Pumpkin Pie love. Happy Pie Day!
Praline Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch pie crust *see note
PUMPKIN FILLING
- 15 ounces pure pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Praline Topping
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup may substitute light
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Pumpkin Filling
- Add pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves to a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and whisk in evaporated milk followed by eggs and vanilla. Pour filling into pie crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes – UNTIL pie is cracked around the edges and the center barely jiggles.
Praline Topping
- While pie is baking, add pecans, brown sugar and salt to a bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until evenly moistened.
- Sprinkle Topping evenly over filling then evenly sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Return pie to oven (you may need to cover edges of crust with foil) and bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours.
Make-Ahead
- Pie can be made and cooled 2 days ahead of time then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
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Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
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Press evenly into a 9" pie plate.
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Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before filling.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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Will this fabulous pie work with a regular pie crust or would it end up dry and burnt?
A regular pie crust will work just fine, you can cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie shield if it begins to brown too much.
What can I substitute can evaporated milk with?
Hi Ann, we have only made this recipe as listed so I can’t say for sure but you should be able to use half and half or heavy cream instead.
Can I use Oreo baking crumbs instead of graham wafer crumbs?
It will obviously change the flavour but I think that sounds like such a fun substitution, Anne!
Excellent! Would definitely make again.
Hi I’m making two of your pies right now as I comment, in the oven. I’m very curious. I’ve never made a pie that I’d have to heat up the filling, what does that do to the pie? I did it for both, just don’t know what’ll happen. let me know. the house smells like Christmas! Thank U for your time, love your recipes
Baking the pie cooks the filling so it will set and thicken.
The praline is perfect, the baking time was just a little too long for the pie.
With the 40-50 minute baking time (till done) Plus the additional 20 minutes to Brown and crisp the topping is it not over bake the pie?
The recipe is correct as written Dee. Enjoy!
Are you using a graham cracker crust? If not what kind?
For this recipe, we used a graham cracker crust Michelle. Enjoy!
As the pictures show the crust is a graham cracker crumb crust (not the crust recipe supplied)- do you have a recipe for the crust? Should the graham cracker crust be baked prior to putting the pumpkin filling in?
Hi Kelly, you can also use this no-bake graham cracker crust. They both turn out delicious.