Pumpkin Praline Pie
Full of pumpkin spice flavor, this Pumpkin Praline Pie also hides a delicious crunchy praline layer on the bottom. This scrumptious pie can be made ahead of time and will make a great addition to any Thanksgiving dessert table.
Pumpkin pie is a classic at Thanksgiving and this Pumpkin Praline Pie kicks regular pumpkin pie up a notch with a delicious crunchy pecan praline layer. A holiday must!
Making the pie shell and praline layer
- Pie Shell: Prepare your favorite single-crust pie shell for a shallow pie. I use this one. To ensure your pie doesn’t have a soggy bottom, par-bake (partially bake) the pie shell before making the filling. To do this, roll out and fit the pie dough into a pie dish. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Fork the bottom of the pie shell a few times with a fork. Crumple up a piece of parchment paper, un-crumple it and place it in the pie shell. Fill the pie shell with dried beans or ceramic pie weights. Bake the pie shell for about 20 minutes until it is starting to change color on the bottom and the edges are a light golden brown. Remove the pie shell from the oven and remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Set aside while you prepare the praline mixture.
- Praline Layer: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chopped pecans and melted butter.
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pie shell, while lightly pressing down. Set aside.
Making the filling and baking the pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well until everything is well combined. You can do this by hand with a whisk or use a hand mixer.
- Pour the filling over the praline layer in the pie shell.
- Spread the filling out evenly.
- Add foil around the edges of the pie shell. Bake the pie for 10 minutes on the lowest rack position in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake the pie for approximately 40 more minutes or until the pie is no longer jiggly in the center and transfer the pie to a cooling rack. Allow the pie to cool to lukewarm or room temperature before serving.
Pro tips for making this pie
- If using canned pumpkin puree, make sure it is actually PUREE not pumpkin pie filling. They are different. Pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sugar added to it. You want to add your own spices in this recipe.
- Not all brands of pumpkin puree are the same. I prefer Libby’s pumpkin puree over others. Libby’s is a thick rich filling and not watery at all. Other brands are okay, but Libby’s seems to be perfect in taste and texture.
- If you make your own homemade puree make sure to blot it if it’s too watery. Homemade puree will also be lighter in color than canned puree.
- Par-bake (partially bake) the pie shell to prevent a soggy bottom crust. See my directions on the recipe card. If you’re using a store-bought pie shell, it isn’t necessary to par-bake it first.
- Use a regular shallow pie dish. This isn’t a deep dish pie filling. Make a recipe for a single pie crust. If your recipe is for a double crust, simply wrap and freeze one half.
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before making the filling.
- If you want a shiny pie crust edge, feel free to brush the edges with an egg white.
- Don’t refrigerate the pie until it completely cools. Refrigerating a warm pie can cause cracks on the top and also cause condensation to form.
- Don’t over bake the pie. Over baking the pie will cause cracks to form on the top.
Frequently asked questions
Can I freeze pumpkin praline pie?
Yes! This pie freezes beautifully! Allow the pie to cool completely. Wrap it in one layer of plastic wrap and two layers of heavy foil or wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer safe bag or pie container. When ready to use, thaw the pie overnight in the refrigerator to thaw.
How do I keep this pie from cracking?
Don’t over bake the pie. Over baking a pie is what makes cracks form on top. Also, allow the pie to come to room temperature before refrigerating it. Refrigerating a warm pie causes cracks and also causes condensation to form on the top.
How do I store this pie?
Loosely cover the pie and refrigerate it. I suggest serving it within 2 days for best freshness.
Whipped Topping
Don’t forget the whipped topping. Whipped topping is a must for pumpkin pie and this homemade whipped topping takes 5 minutes to whip up. If you use whipped topping from a can that’s fine, but it’s sometimes hard to find the canned topping around the holidays and this homemade version is excellent.
This recipe calls for 3 simple ingredients…
- heavy whipping cream
- granulated sugar
- pure vanilla extract
More pumpkin pie recipes you might like…
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Pumpkin Praline Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Pie
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This scrumptious Pumpkin Praline Pie hides a delicious pecan praline layer on the bottom. A great addition to any Thanksgiving dessert table.
Ingredients
PASTRY SHELL
- 1 (9-inch) shallow pastry shell, partially prebaked
PRALINE LAYER
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
PIE FILLING
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sherry
TOPPING
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
PASTRY SHELL
- Prepare your favorite single-crust pie shell for a shallow pie. I use this one. To ensure your pie doesn’t have a soggy bottom, partially pre-bake the pie shell before making the filling. To do this, roll out and fit the pie dough into a pie dish. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Fork the bottom of the pie shell a few times with a fork. Crumple up a piece of parchment paper, un-crumple it and place it in the pie shell. Fill the pie shell with dried beans or ceramic pie weights. Bake the pie shell for about 20 minutes until it is starting to change color on the bottom and the edges are a light golden brown. Remove the pie shell from the oven and remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Set aside while you prepare the praline mixture.
PRALINE LAYER
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chopped pecans and melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pie shell, while lightly pressing down. Set aside.
PIE FILLING
- Preheat an oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well until everything is well combined. You can do this by hand with a whisk or use a hand mixer. Pour the filling over the praline layer in the pie shell and spread out evenly.
- Add foil around the edges of the pie shell. Bake the pie for 10 minutes on the lowest rack position in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake the pie for approximately 40 more minutes or until the pie is no longer jiggly in the center and transfer the pie to a cooling rack. Allow the pie to cool to lukewarm or room temperature before serving.
TOPPING
- Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, or use a hand mixer, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar followed by the vanilla, and continue beating until the whipping cream becomes thick and smooth.
- Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of each slice of pie and sprinkle with pecans.
Notes
- Total bake time includes partially pre-baking the pie shell.
- Prep time includes prepping the pie shell.