Caramel Toffee Pumpkin Pie
I cannot remember a Thanksgiving (or Christmas) dessert table that was not graced with pumpkin pie in one form or another. When I was very young, I remember mom making her classic pumpkin pie and, of course, my maternal grandmother had her own version she served for holiday meals at her house and my paternal grandmother would often have a squash pie (which always seemed like splitting hairs to me since pumpkin is a squash). In my teenage years, mom started making a pumpkin toffee pie that was the inspiration for this recipe and my favorite way to enjoy pumpkin pie.
I think it was my first Thanksgiving in my own house when I asked mom to share her pumpkin toffee pie recipe with me. I felt like I had to have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, but the standard or classic pie had never been one of my favorites (I was always happy to leave the pumpkin pie to my younger brother). I remembered this recipe from my teenage years and that I much preferred it over the classic pie. Mom was always happy to share her recipes with me, so I started making her pumpkin toffee pie that year.
Over the years I’ve tried many different kinds of pumpkin pie: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie (a mashup of pumpkin and pecan pies), Eggnog Pumpkin Pie, Streusel Pumpkin Pie, and others for which I’ve long since forgotten the names. I always came back to the pumpkin toffee pie. There is just something about the rich, warm, caramel notes of the toffee combined with the slightly sweet, earthy tone of the pumpkin and the cozy warmth of the spices.
Initially, I was pretty faithful to the recipe mom originally shared with me, but over time I started making changes, some small and some not so small. Ultimately, I’ve ended up with a pie that is adapted from mom’s original recipe and Bravetart Butternut Pumpkin Pie Recipe. I’ve scaled the recipe to perfectly fit my 10 inch Nordic Ware covered pie pan (which is at the deeper end of standard pie plate measurements). I always use homemade pumpkin puree, specifically from Cinderella or Fairytale pumpkins (they have a very smooth, bright orange flesh that is similar to butternut squash in texture but a little less sweet and just a touch more earthy). I also make homemade sweetened condensed milk flavored with vanilla and cinnamon just for this pie (although you can use store bought without any problem, I like the additional flavor the homemade version brings). And finally, I decided to reduce the sugar to make room for caramel sauce instead which plays up the caramel notes from the toffee.
This pie is definitely a sweeter, richer version of pumpkin pie, but if you’d like to really take it over the top, serve it with a drizzle of caramel sauce, a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed toffee.
Caramel Toffee Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- Roll the pie crust dough out to about a 12" diameter. Gently fit the dough into a deep dish 9 1/2" – 10" pie plate. Trim any excess and crimp the edges.1 pie crust (9 1/2 -10 inch deep dish)
- Freeze the pie shell completely before baking. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Grease a piece of tinfoil and press the greased side down into the bottom and sides of the pie shell. Fill the foil lining with pie weights.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights, gently press down any areas that have bubbled up then bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Cool completely before filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F
- Beat the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, caramel topping, brown sugar, spices, and salt together in a large bowl.18 oz (510 g) pumpkin puree, 18 oz (510 g) sweetened condensed milk, 5 1/2 oz (156 g) homemade caramel sauce, 5 1/2 oz (156 g) brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) nutmeg, 1/4 tsp (¼ tsp) cloves, 3/4 tsp (¾ tsp) salt
- Add the vanilla, melted butter and eggs; beat until smooth.3/4 ounce (21 ml) vanilla, 3 tbsp (42 g) butter, 4 eggs
- Sprinkle crushed toffee over the bottom of the blind baked pie shell.1 cup (160 g) crushed toffee
- Pour your pumpkin mixture carefully over the toffee. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to make sure the mixture settles into the toffee and there are no bubbles. Smooth the top.
- Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes or until the edges are puffed and firm and the center has a slight wobble. If the crust is getting too dark, you can use a pie shield or foil to protect the edges.
- Remove the pie from the oven, cool completely and chill well before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Private Notes
Nutrition
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