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 other fun twists on the classic, try chai pumpkin meringue pie or pumpkin hand pies 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 flaky 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.
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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Pecan 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) 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: flaky 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.
- 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 | 9-inch Pie Dish | Parchment Paper | Pie Weights | Pastry Brush | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pie Crust Shield | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 849 Piping Tip | Flaky Sea Salt
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi! I love your recipes because they are so thorough. I used your buttery flaky crust recipe and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few days before using. I got the aluminum pie pan in the size suggested and lined the pie crust with it, blind baked as directed, etc. However…. when I actually got to putting in the filling I still have about 1/3 of the filling left over! There was simply no way I could put it all in the crust without overfilling. Not sure what I did wrong or if the pan is actually smaller than I thought it was? Anyway I have extra crust on hand so I guess I will bake and freeze some mini pies lol!
I have to use Carnations Almond Cooking milk for my spouse’s lactose intolerance. It’s perfect in pies. But since I normally don’t use whole milk, I’ll try Lactaid whole milk plus the almond cream. Hope it works! This sounds a notch above traditional pumpkin pie.
So delicious. I used date honey in the topping. I will definitely make this again.
I made this recipe this weekend – a special request for my future mother-in-law’s birthday dessert! This pie is pretty easy to make and so tasty! I love the combination of pecan praline with the pumpkin pie – it just adds that extra layer of flavor and a little bit of crunch.
I’m wondering how this would be with sweet potato filling? Isn’t it strange how families are different? We never have pumpkin pie.
Hi Leigh, Yes, using sweet potato in place of pumpkin would be just fine. You’ll want to boil and mash them as we do with this sweet potato pie.
WOWWW!!! Absolutely the best pie I’ve ever tasted! You were right, Sally, the black pepper was a game changer! I made it for my boyfriend and he loves it so much that I was lucky to get a slice haha- thank you so much Sally! Your delicious recipes continue to bring joy in my life every day 🙂
Perfect! I made with the all butter crust. Also I only had 1 egg on hand and it was fine. Directions are exact and the flavor is outstanding. Made it for Samhain celebration. This is a keeper. FYI, clocks in at 575 calories per slice (8 slices) without whipped cream topping. It’s worth it!
A very nice recipe to change up from the traditional pumpkin pie!
Pumpkin and pecan are so good together! This pie was creamy and crunchy and perfectly sweet!
Hi Sally. I am not a huge fan of pie (I know, blasphemy!), but I needed something to make to bring to work for Pi day. Even I, hater of pie, found this one to be quite tasty. Thanks for sharing!
Hello again. I made two of these and froze one of them. The praline on the one I ate fresh was amazing — great crunch. The frozen one? It wasn’t so much a praline anymore but rather chopped pecans mixed with brown sugar. It was still good and had I not tasted the fresh one I wouldn’t have been any the wiser. However, because I did taste the fresh one, I wouldn’t freeze this pie again. If you have any other recommendations around freezing and still preserving the integrity of the pie, please let me know. Thanks.
I love this recipe. I will never eat plain old pumpkin pie again!
This pie was amazing! Everyone loved it! The honey I used for the topping was kind of crystallized and I was so paranoid that my topping mixture seemed too dry so I added just a splash of maple syrup to it. It turned out totally perfect! I made it a day ahead and kept it at room temp. Oh and P.S. now I’m dying to try your “regular” pumpkin pie recipe because the pumpkin part tasted and smelled SO GOOD!!!! (Not that I tried any raw pie filling;) and you were so right about the pepper! Excellent, excellent recipe!!! I didn’t want just a plain old pumpkin pie and this was just perfect! Thank you so much!
My daughter made this pie, and I loved it so much that I asked for this recipe, and am giving it to a good friend in my garden villa condo group, and the manager at my bank!
I absolutely LOVE this pie! So much so that I made 3! The praline topping puts the amazing pumpkin pie over the top. Can’t wait to make it again for Thanksgiving next year!
I’d never baked a pie before I found this recipe. I was so worried I’d mess up the pie crust but I followed your instructions exactly and the whole thing turned out great. It looked so official with the rest of Thanksgiving dinner and tasted incredible with sweetened whipped cream!
Made this for thanksgiving! It was a nice twist on pumpkin. I forgot to use parchment paper when I put rice in the dough as weight, and ended up having to throw out my home made dough thankfully, I bought pre made dough just in case! Turned out fine, but would’ve been better with the home made dough of course.
The smooth and creamy filling pairs beautifully with the sweet and crunchy pecan topping. I made the pie four days ahead and kept in the freezer. I added the topping on the day of serving and used maple syrup instead of honey. I might have to make this for Christmas too!
Loved this very simple pie! I got many compliments from it!
I made this for thanksgiving and it came out great! It was easy to make and I loved the praline/pumpkin pairing. I made mine 2 days in advance and refrigerated it, I served it cold and think it was better cold than at room temp. I will definitely make this again!
My daughter and I made this for Thanksgiving. She accidentally used 2/3 whole milk and 1/3 heavy cream. She was worried that she ruined it, but it turned out just fine! I haven’t made a pumpkin pie in years, and the addition of pecans is perfect.
To be honest, I used a different recipe for the pumpkin filling, but I did top it with your praline topping using walnuts instead of pecans, and maple syrup in place of the honey. It really put the pie over the top. My husband can’t stop raving about it, and he actually is not a big sweets eater. What was interesting to me was that on the day I made this, the praline topping tasted almost too sweet (approximately 8 hours after I had pulled the pie out of the oven), but after sitting out at cool room temperature overnight, the topping was less sweet, and was just right. Thanks, Sally!
This pie was the best of both worlds! We love pumpkin pie and pecan pie so the two combined was so yummy! I love the creamy pie filling and the sugary crunch of the praline. The crust was super flaky, but obviously I need to perfect my crimping skills. I don’t make pie crust very often so I’m not very good at it. :0) Super recipe and everyone loved it!!
So yummy! My husband (not a sweets guy) even said it was his favorite part of the whole thanksgiving meal!
Love this Praline Pumpkin Pie! The pecan praline topping goes so well with the pumpkin and the spices in the filling are so flavorful. The best pumpkin pie I ever made. Thank you Sally for sharing your recipe
It was super rich!! Thanks for a fun combo recipe.
This Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie is out of this world! Although how can you go wrong combining the two best pies together?! 5 stars!
Everyone’s favorite pie was the Praline Pumpkin pie W/ your buttery crust on Thanksgiving! I ran out of almonds and had to use walnuts…I was worried, but it tasted Fantastic! I love everything about this recipe. So tasty and easy to make. I even used a butternut squash that had been cross breed with a pumpkin! Absolutely fabulous!Thank you so much for sharing your Talents!! Nowhere near as pretty as yours, but yummy, nevertheless!
This pie turned out beautifully! Everyone loved it for Thanksgiving dessert this year 🙂 It was the perfect twist on traditional pumpkin pie!
How can I ever go back to regular pumpkin pie, Sally?! This was so good. We had a great night making this pie and eating it the next day. I wasn’t sure about the pecans as I expected them to be liquidy going on top (whereas they are more like a crumble) but it turned out perfect.
Thank you!
I always like to try new recipes for the holidays and this one was a big hit with the family. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! I have never been a fan of pumpkin pie, but this was great! Our guests brought cheesecake and the two were an amazing pair! I did have issues with my crust shrinking while blind bakingz and I had some butter leak out. I’m guessing my butter just wasn’t incorporated well enough. Any other thoughts or suggestions? Thank you for another great recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jeannie! For shrinking crusts refrigeration is key. Before or after you fill with pie weights, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a good 30 minutes. (freezer is best) That’s always my #1 tip for blind baking. In a glass pyrex dish, it’s totally fine. I do it all the time.
Hubby said this was the best pumpkin pie he’s ever had!! SO good!
Made this delicious pie for Thanksgiving! My family loved it! We have a new Thanksgiving pie tradition! Thanks Sally! Love your website and recipes! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!