This freezer-friendly and make-ahead pecan praline pumpkin pie combines my tried-and-true flaky pie crust, smooth and spiced pumpkin pie filling, and a sweet/salty crunchy pecan topping. It’s salted pecan pie meets pumpkin pie—in the best way possible! Use my helpful video tutorial to walk you through each step.
As far as Thanksgiving desserts go, pumpkin pie is an icon. And this pecan praline pumpkin pie is a fun twist on my traditional pumpkin pie recipe. I won’t call this rendition an “upgrade” since you can’t mess with perfection, but the crunchy praline topping definitely adds a tasty contrast to the smooth and spiced filling below. If you ever craved a little crunch with your pie, this recipe is for you.
For another fun twist on the classic, try chai pumpkin meringue pie next!
3 Parts to Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie
- Pie Crust
- Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Pecan Praline Topping
For the ultimate finishing touch, I recommend topping this pecan pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of sea salt. The crunchy salt helps cut the praline’s sweetness and whipped cream is ALWAYS a good idea with pie. Agreed?
Partially Blind Bake the Pie Crust
Like my traditional pumpkin pie recipe, today’s version includes partially blind-baking the pie crust which means that we are pre-baking the crust before adding the filling. Do you know how to blind bake pie crust? Let’s review:
- Make pie dough ahead of time, then refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to make the pie. Pie crust must chill for at least 2 hours before rolling out. You can use my favorite pie crust or my all butter pie crust recipe. I prefer the shortening/butter blend in my pie crust because the shortening promises that prized flaky texture. If needed, you can use a graham cracker crust or the gingersnap crust from this pumpkin swirl cheesecake instead. See recipe note.
- Roll the dough out, then fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Crimp or flute the edges. My trick to beautiful edges—don’t trim the excess pie dough. See step 2 in the recipe below and my full tutorial on how to crimp and flute pie crust.
- Chill the shaped pie crust for at least 30 minutes. This prevents shrinking. Remember that pie dough must be cold when it hits the oven. You can chill the shaped crust before or after you fill with pie weights (next step).
- Fill with pie weights. As the pie dough bakes, its fat will melt. The melting fat causes the pie crust to shrink down the sides of the pie dish. To prevent the pie dough from completely losing its shape, weigh it down with pie weights. Carefully line the pie dough with parchment paper first, then pour in pie weights or even dry beans. (Note: 2 packs of these pie weights are needed.)
- Bake until the edges are relatively set, about 10 minutes.
- Remove pie weights + parchment paper, then dock the crust, add a little egg wash around the edges, and bake for a little longer.
Some recipes, like my coconut cream pie and banana cream pie, require a fully blind baked pie crust because the filling doesn’t go into the oven. With this pecan pumpkin pie, however, we’re only partially pre-baking it. (Which is even easier!)
Pumpkin Pie Filling + Secret Ingredient
If you’ve made my beloved pumpkin pie recipe before, you know how good this filling is! To make room for the pecan praline topping, I reduced some of the ingredients so the filling doesn’t overflow. Instead of 3 eggs, we’ll use 2. I also reduced the sugar and liquids, too. This recipe uses an entire can of pumpkin, which is always convenient. I kept the spice amount the same, so we’re getting extra spice flavor in each bite. And you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here—see recipe Note.
Speaking of spices, I add a pinch of fresh ground black pepper to pumpkin pie filling. I got this tip from King Arthur Baking and pumpkin pies are NEVER the same without it. The black pepper brings out the pumpkin pie spice flavors and no one ever realizes it’s hiding in there. (They’ll just ask you why your pie is so good!)
Don’t Forget the Egg Wash
You don’t have to wait for the partially blind baked pie crust to cool down before pouring in the filling—it can still be warm! To prevent a pale and lackluster crust, brush the partially blind baked pie crust with egg wash. Egg wash, a mixture of egg and milk, promises a golden sheen on the edges of your pie.
Pie Crust Shield: Do you notice the edges of your pie crust browning too quickly? Sometimes the crust edges are finished baking before the filling. A pie crust shield helps prevent over-browning. (I link to my favorite one in the recipe notes below.) You can also use aluminum foil. Fold a 12-inch piece of aluminum foil in half, then cut a semi-circle out from the folded edge. Unfold the foil to reveal a circle. Remove the cooking pie from the oven, then carefully place the foil on top so the center is exposed and edges are covered. Return pie to the oven.
Unlike in this pecan pie cheesecake where the topping is spooned over the finished dessert, we bake today’s topping right on the pie.
To start, let’s almost fully bake the pie before we add the praline topping. Why? First, the topping would burn if it’s in the oven that long and second, we could risk under-baking the filling if it’s hiding under the topping the whole time.
Pumpkin Pie Praline Topping Ingredients
As the pie bakes, make the 3 ingredient praline topping. You need:
- Chopped Pecans: This is a pecan praline topping, which is reminiscent of my favorite pecan pie filling and the topping on my sweet potato casserole. If you don’t like pecans, feel free to substitute with chopped walnuts or pistachios. Or instead of using 1 cup of chopped pecans, try 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup pepitas. Yum!
- Brown Sugar: Praline is the mixture of cooked sugar and nuts, so we can’t have a praline topping without sugar! I recommend brown sugar, which pairs with the brown sugar in the pumpkin pie filling.
- Honey: We need a sticky liquid sugar for this praline topping. The honey cooks and melts down, creating a delectable sticky crunch. If needed, you can substitute the honey with light corn syrup or even maple syrup.
Top the pie with the praline topping, then return to the oven for about 15 more minutes.
How to Make Ahead + Freeze Praline Pumpkin Pie
Pecan praline pumpkin pie is perfect for entertaining because (conveniently!) it needs to cool completely before serving. I always make pumpkin pie the day ahead of time, let it cool, cover it with aluminum foil, and refrigerate overnight. You can bring to room temperature before serving or serve cold. And with whipped cream, of course.
Freezing: You can also freeze the baked and cooled pie. If freezing, I recommend baking your pie in a disposable aluminum pie dish because its thin weight will help prevent ice crystals from forming on your pie. Cool the baked pie completely, then wrap the whole thing—pan included—in plastic wrap or Press & Seal, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. This is how to freeze cakes, too. Freeze for up to 3 months, then keep pie in the wrapping and thaw in the refrigerator before topping with whipped cream and serving.
- You can also freeze the semi-baked pie before adding the praline topping. To maintain the praline topping’s crisp texture, this is what I recommend. Follow the recipe below through step 7, cool the pie, follow the freezing and thawing instructions above, then bring the pie to room temperature. Continue with step 8 in the recipe below. This way your praline topping is fresh!
I honestly don’t know which is the best: the crunchy sweet/salty topping, the creamy pumpkin filling, or the flaky pie crust. But who has to pick favorites? If you’re looking for more inspiration for your Thanksgiving dessert table, here are all of my favorite Thanksgiving pies.
See Your Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pies!
So many of you have tried this recipe. Feel free to email or share your recipe photos on social media.
PrintPecan Praline Pumpkin Pie
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours, 10 minutes (includes pie crust)
- Yield: one 9-inch pie
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This pecan praline pumpkin pie combines flaky pie crust, smooth and spiced pumpkin pie filling, and a sweet/salty crunchy pecan topping. For recipe success, read my recipe notes and watch the helpful video tutorial above before you begin.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 unbaked Buttery Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
- egg wash for pie crust: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream
Filling
- one 15oz can (about 2 cups; 425g) pumpkin puree*
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves*
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup (160ml)Â heavy cream*
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk*
Praline Topping
- 1 cup (130g) finely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey*
- for garnish: sea salt and whipped cream
Instructions
- For best success, read the recipe in full before beginning.
- Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making pecan praline pumpkin pie. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks of chilled dough (use the 2nd pie crust for another recipe!). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. You can see me do this in the video tutorial above or in my detailed how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial.Â
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Pre-bake the crust: Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) Make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. Brush edges lightly with egg wash. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to create steam vents and return crust (without weights) to the oven for 7–8 more minutes or until the bottom is *just* starting to brown. (Review this how to par-bake pie crust page if you need extra help with this par-baking step.)
- Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, cream, and milk together in a large bowl until completely combined and smooth. If desired, you can use an electric mixer for this step.
- Pour filling into warm crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. It can still be a little sticky in the very center on top, just as long as it no longer jiggles when you lightly tap the pan. During bake time, if you find the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, apply a pie crust shield or a ring of aluminum foil to protect it.
- Topping: Remove pie from the oven and add the topping. I like to make the topping as the pie bakes so I have it ready. Using a fork, mix the pecans and brown sugar together. Drizzle in the honey and mix until combined. Spoon on top of the pie, then *very* gently press it down with a spoon or fork so it sticks on the filling.
- Return pie to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Use a pie crust shield to protect the crust from over-browning, if needed.
- Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely, at least 3-4 hours. If not serving right away, cover cooled pie and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Serve room temperature or cold with a sprinkle of sea salt and whipped cream. I used Ateco 849 piping tip for the whipped cream, but you can just use a spoon to top each slice with a dollop.
- Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: See post above for detailed make-ahead and freezing instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Rolling Pin |Â 9-inch Pie Dish | Parchment Paper | Pie Weights | Pastry Brush | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pie Crust Shield | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) |Â Ateco 849 Piping Tip
- Pie Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use. If using store-bought pie dough, you still need to pre-bake it. If needed, you can use a graham cracker crust or gingersnap crust instead of traditional pie crust. Pre-bake the cookie crust at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes. No need for pie weights if using a cookie crust.
- Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin is best in this pumpkin pie recipe. If using fresh pumpkin puree, lightly blot it before adding to remove some moisture. The bake time may be longer.
- Spices: Instead of ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper, you can use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Be sure to still add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
- Heavy Cream & Milk: Do not substitute a lower fat milk– the fat in whole milk is needed. Feel free to use 1 cup of half-and-half instead of heavy cream + whole milk.
- Honey: If needed, you can substitute the honey in the praline topping with light corn syrup or even maple syrup.
Amazing recipe! It was a hit for thanksgiving. I was so disappointed when there were no leftovers! I also made mine with gluten-free crust because I have celiac disease. Still turned out great and no one could tell the difference. Definitely making this again!
I was unsure how I’d like the addition of pecan praline on pumpkin pie, but it turned out delicious!! I love the added flavor and texture from the topping.
A great pie that we all enjoyed on Thanksgiving. We had people who do not like pumpkin just devour this pie. It was wonderful.
Have to admit that we did not add enough water to the dough so it was pretty flat and dry but we are determined to conquer the pie dough recipe.
Sally you did it again! I used to not be a pumpkin fan but your crumb cake pumpkin muffins changed my mind…I was excited to have a crunch with my pumpkin pie since I love varying textures. This pie was the perfect addition to our thanksgiving dessert table. Thank you!!
This was so delicious and is a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie
Made this pie with a gingersnap crust, out of this world delicious. My dad is a huge pecan pie fan and he loved this pie. Will be making this again and again.
This recipe was super delicious, and I am sure I will be making it again. My crust was a little short so there was no top crust but my husband says he preferred it this way because of the way the brown sugar and honey sort of candied on the side crust. Sally’s flaky buttery pie crust was easy to make and baked up beautifully. I am usually a little pumpkin pie with my cool whip/whipped cream kind of girl, but this didn’t need it. It was delicious just as it was. It was the perfect pumpkin pie! Thanks Sally for another wonderful recipe.
I can’t say enough about this pie. With plenty of pumpkin pie recipes out there, this one takes pumpkin pie to the next level. The pecans add a nice texture and really make this pie sing. Sally’s instructions and video are easy to follow and don’t disappoint. Thank you Sally for another amazing recipe. This is will now be on our Thanksgiving (desert) table every year!!
This is such a delicious recipe! Adding,that pecan topping to the pumpkin pie may have just bumped this up to my favorite Thanksgiving dessert!
Challenge completed! Had his today for Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it!! I loved the amount of spice to it- It was perfect! The pecan topping was the perfect crunch on top! (Instagram name: aniac25)
This recipe was a huge hit!! Everyone loved it! The 3 textures were delicious.
Loved this pie! It is spicy and creamy and the crunchy, chewy topping is the right amount of sweetness! I highly recommend it if you want something different than plain pumpkin pie.
My husbands tradition every year is to make pumpkin pie, so this year I convinced him to try this recipe. He made it with my stepdaughters help, and it came out very good! I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I did like it a lot!
Very easy and beautiful to make. I used the flaky crust(which is going to be my new go to crust for pies) the crust came out very beautiful and easy to roll. I usually have a hard time with crust. The usually crumble when i roll them. This one did not. The pumpkin pie cooked within 50 minutes and looked so yummy. I cant wait to dig in and try it. I made it for thanksgiving dinner. Very easy and quick to make once the crust is ready. I will be making this again.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s been a huge hit with myself and my whole family. It’s absolutely delicious!! I will definitely be making this again.
I love this recipe because it is a mash up of two favorite pies. The combination of pumpkin and pecan praline creates a winning recipe!
Challenge complete! The filling and the topping were simple to assemble and straightforward, but boy did I struggle with the crust. I seemed to be a bit short of dough and didn’t have enough for the tall boarder. I took another ball of dough from the freezer and used cutouts to make a nice edge on my crust. After reading some reviews, I used my Pyrex deep dish pan and it was a perfect fit. I made the pie for an auction so unfortunately I didn’t get to taste it, but I know it’s excellent because all of Sally’s recipes are.
My coworkers and I loved the pie (as did my cat who snuck a bite when I didn’t get the pie put away fast enough, whoops). Made a wonderful treat during some long nights at work!
Thanks to your monthly baking challenge, I now have another way to connect with my sister who is off in another state at grad school.
Thank you for the fun and delicious challenge!
Delicious! Thank you for the detailed recipe and video. Very helpful.
What a fun recipe to make! I made as several small pies in a mini cheesecake pan and loved the way the layers looked! I felt the recipe was a little too sweet for my personal preference, so I would cut some sugar next time. I also used a graham cracker crust, so that added sugar was my call. But otherwise, the flavor was lovely, the textures were perfect and the result was loved by all! Thanks Sally.
1. Your pie crust is always a winner!
2. What a delicious and easy filling!
3. I never would have thought to put praline on top!
What a wonderful pie for the holiday season. And a sneaky way to convert pumpkin-pie-haters. 😉 Thanks, Sally!
Okay, I do NOT like pumpkin (or as my dad would say, punkin) pie. However, this one is excellent! The spices are spot on and the praline is a perfect compliment. I needed just a bit more to coat the pecans so actually added a it of agave nectar as well. Fresh, homespun honey from bees that pollinate mesquite trees didnt hurt the flavor……
Fantastic recipe! The pecans with brown sugar on top add a delicious crunch and a more exciting flavor than plain pumpkin pie! This recipe was the perfect “compromise” pie as I originally couldn’t decide between making a pecan or a pumpkin pie for a gathering.
Hi Sally,
I made this pie for friendsgiving and it was delicious. I also made your coconut cream pie it was also delicious. Thanks for the recipes.
Amber
First ever pumpkin pie for me and it couldn’t have been more delicious, we just devoured it! Thank you Sally 😀
Husband loved this! I used the gingerbread crust. Great addition!
I’ve never had authentic American pumpkin pie so I don’t have a comparison but by my Irish cake standards this pie is out of this world. Love love love it, if this recipe doesn’t convert pumpkin pie critics, nothing will. Thank you Sally
This is hands down the best pumpkin pie recipe EVER. I don’t love pumpkin pie, but I do love this. Being short on time today, I used a graham cracker crust, and added a little salt to the praline. Delicious! Thanks for another great recipe, Sally!
scrumdiddlyumptious!!!
I would love to make this for a get together, but I am short on time. If using a store bought crust, would you recommend the traditional or deep dish size? I definitely plan on attempting your homemade crust in the near future, though! I love your recipes!
Hi Amanda, I use a 9×2 inch pie dish which would be considered deep dish!