Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie

Decadent, rich and flavorful nutty pecan pie with a delightful accent of bourbon and caramel! Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and a warm cup of coffee!

Recipe Inspiration

We recently went to Madison, WI after going to visit with my 100 year old grandma. Now that we don’t live 1,000 miles away from family, we are able to make quick little day trips to visit those we love.

She recently moved out of her house due to some health issues and memory loss. She has always been as sharp as a tack until so recently, unfortunately that’s what age can do to you. Before becoming a stay at home mom, I worked as a Recreational Therapist with long-term care residents (specifically Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients). I literally loved every day of it. Old people and I go together like PB&J! I just love them.

My grandma remembered my kids, which was very heartwarming, especially because they are newer “memories”. But of course she slipped some during our visit, but my RT skills kicked in immediately and we had such a great visit keeping busy, talking about older memories and eating sweets…one of her favorite things to do! (I definitely inherited it!) *It’s her recipe I use for our Gingerbread Cookies!

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After our visit, we headed into the downtown of Madison and enjoyed the free Madison Zoo, checked out the Capitol Building and then ate at an amazing restaurant called Graze followed by coffee at Colectivo. There I enjoyed the most amazingly delicious beet walnut burger and hickory-nut bourbon caramel pie.

The hickory-nut bourbon caramel pie was so good that I decided I wanted to make it two days later for Easter. While I didn’t have the exact recipe, I found a recipe for bourbon pecan pie on another blog and then added in caramel sauce – which made it divine!

Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie Ingredients

• eggs – I prefer to use free-range eggs that are hormone free
• light corn syrup – I know this isn’t the most healthy sugar out there, but it’s really needed for pecan pies
• sugar – regular white, granulated sugar
• butter – melted and slightly cooled. I always cook and bake with salted cream butter
• vanilla extract
• bourbon whiskey – I honestly didn’t know what this was, so I had my hubby go to the liquor department of our local grocery store to buy this. I’ve since found that the brand I like most is Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey (this tastes really good mixed in with hot apple cider!)
• pecans – shelled, and chopped
• caramel sauce – you can definitely use store bought caramel sauce, it’s obviously way easier and just as delicious. However, I do have a recipe for Homemade Caramel Sauce that is out of this world!
• pie crusts – for this recipe I used store bought, already made pie crusts. When I’m under a time crunch, I will always use store bought pie crust, however, I always try to plan out my pie baking because my recipe for Julia Child’s Pastry Dough, Pie Crust Recipe (Pizza Dough, etc) just can’t be beat! I would strongly encourage you to make your own pie crust! It really doesn’t take a lot of time at all!

How To Make A Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie

The process is very easy and is a great pie for baking enthusiasts who don’t have a lot of experience working with pie dough or making homemade pies. *This recipe makes two 9″ pies.

Step 1: Begin by lining two 9″ pie dishes with the prepared pie crusts and place the pie dishes in the freezer while preparing the filling.

Step 2: In a medium sized mixing bowl, lightly whisk eggs. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the corn syrup, white granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and bourbon and mix until well combined. The batter will be thick and heavy.

Stir 3: Stir the chopped pecans into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients.

Step 4: Remove pie dish from the freezer and pour filling into the prepared pie crust. Drizzle the caramel sauce generously over the pecan filling.

Step 5: Place the pies on the center rack of the oven and bake for 60 to 65 minutes. To check the doneness of the pie, insert a toothpick or a thin knife blade into the center of the pie. If the toothpick or knife comes out clean (no runny batter stuck to it), then the pie is cooked and can be removed from the oven.

Step 6: Remove pies from the oven and place on a wired cooking rack. Allow the pies to cool before serving. Optional: Top each slice of pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

I honestly hadn’t intended to make 2 pies, but the pre-made pie crusts my hubby bought were rather shallow and I had enough pie filling for two! It actually worked out fantastic because we delivered one of the pies to elderly neighbors across the street who were celebrating Easter with their family!

I actually liked the pie on the thinner side rather than super thick because it allowed for it to cook faster but also make the inside not too gooey…do you know what I mean? Ever have a pie not be fully cooked in the middle? I’m not really a fan.

We served ours with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and it was simply perfect! The crisp crust, the chewy pecans and caramel and the cool, rich ice cream honestly made for the perfect pie!

My whole family enjoyed this pie, even the kids! We all gained a healthful amount of weight from it! lol

FAQ

How to store pecan pie?

Store pecan pie in the pie plate wrapped with plastic wrap or remove pie from pie plate and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to reheat pecan pie?

If your pie has been stored in the refrigerator, you will likely want to heat it up before eating. Simply remove the plastic wrap from the pie plate or place the pie slices on an oven-save dish. Heat in a 325°F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the desired temperature is reached.

How far in advance can pecan pie be made?

I would recommend only baking this pie one day in advance if you plan to eat it “fresh”.

Should the crust for pecan pie be par-baked?

Par-baked or blind baked means that the pie crust was baked first in the oven without any of the filling. For this particular recipe, you do not need to par-bake/blind bake the pie crusts.

What if the edges of my pie start to burn?

If the edges of your pie start to burn before the middle of the pie has fully cooked, remove the pie from the oven. Cut thin strips of aluminum foil and wrap the edges of the pie crust. Return the pie to the oven and bake until the center is cooked thoroughly.

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