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Salted Caramel Pecan Pie – The Best Pecan Pie Ever

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This salted caramel pecan pie recipe is a wonderful twist of the classic version and is sure to get oohs and aaahs. Soon to be your family favorite!

salted caramel pecan pie in blue stoneware pie dish

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Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

If you like pecan pie then you’ll love this version. With just a simple addition to the classic pecan pie recipe it will have a salty, caramel, almost butterscotch taste.

I’ve been baking pecan pies for more than 30 years and came up with this variation several years ago. I’ll never go back to the original. And even if I wanted to, my family would revolt.

Where it all began

It all started when my husband and I took a weekend trip to The Buckhorn Inn, our favorite Bed and Breakfast in the nearby Smoky Mountains. Here’s the view from the dining room. All the views are amazing.

Buckhorn Inn, Gatlinburg, TN dining room table with mountain view

The inn is completely charming and their food is heavenly, but that’s not exactly where the idea for this recipe came from. 

While we were there we did a little touristy shopping and sightseeing, including a visit to the Ole Smoky Moonshine distillery. We did a tasting of their products. It was mostly moonshine, which was fun and is a what they’re famous for, but it also included their Tennessee distilled Salty Caramel Whiskey. 

Oh. My. Goodness. 

It tastes and smells like butterscotch with a kick and we bought some of it along with a few other flavors of moonshine to share with our family and friends (Apple Pie, Margarita, Eggnog, & Blueberry). 

Yes, their marketing ploys worked well on us!

ole smoky salty caramel whiskey bottles

Flash forward to when I was preparing to bake my annual holiday pecan pies and wanting to tweak the recipe a bit. For years I added rum and it makes a really good pie. A couple of years ago made Jack Daniels pecan pie and it was really good, too.

But neither of them can hold a candle to the version I made with the Salty Caramel Whiskey

Overheard at one of our family gatherings where the pie was served:

“Oh my God. This is the best pie I’ve ever eaten.”

“The only thing you need to bring from now on is this pie!” (directed at me)

And several more Oh-my-God’s were also overheard.

So I guess my family gives it a giant thumbs up, and that’s a big compliment since we all love to cook (and eat).

salted caramel pecan pie

Here’s the recipe I used, which is adapted from my 31-year-old Southern Living cookbook

salty-caramel-pecan-pie-in-blue-pie-dish

Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

Yield: 1 pie
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Pecan pie lovers will go nuts over this pie. It's a slight twist on the original and has a flavor that will have you asking for a second piece. It will soon be your family's favorite!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted (I always use salted butter)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pastry shell (or you can make your own or use refrigerated pie crust)
  • 1 to 1 1/4 cups pecan halves *I highly recommend Georgia pecans. It’s worth the extra expense*
  • 3 tablespoons Ole Smoky Salty Caramel Whiskey

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves (about 20 minutes).
  3. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes
  4. Add eggs slowly, whisking as you add them
  5. Add vanilla, Salty caramel whiskey, and salt to mixture
  6. Pour filling into unbaked pastry shell and top with pecan halves.
  7. Bake at 325 for 50 to 55 minutes.
  8. Serve warm or cold.
  9. Pie can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. But it probably won't last that long.

Notes

To prevent the edges of the crust from overbaking, use this protector that has over 7500 positive reviews: Pie Crust Shield

Oven temperatures can vary so your pie may need additional baking time. If the center of the pie jiggles when you wiggle it, continue baking the pie for 5 minute intervals until there's no jiggling. (technical terms, of course)

For a beautiful presentation, serve your pie in this pie pan that has nearly 1500 5 star reviews: Stoneware Pie Pan

For convenience, these pies can be baked ahead of time and frozen. Be sure to wrap the pie securely with plastic wrap and foil. Store in a gallon size freezer bag.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 546Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 264mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 2gSugar: 62gProtein: 6g


Let me know if you try it and what you think about it. 

Note – if you’re not able to find the Ole Smoky Salted Caramel locally or just don’t have time to search for it, it’s available online here.

More favorite classic dessert recipes:

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6 Comments

  1. This sounds awesome. Thinking about using Salty Caramel in my rum cake recipe instead of rum, how do you think that will work?

    1. It will work great. I added rum to mine for years but changed to the salty caramel whiskey about 4 years ago and have never looked back!

  2. We did not like this, WE LOVED THIS PECAN PIE – THE BEST EVER! I made 2 last night. The next morning I enjoyed it with fresh coffee. Oh so yummy!

    1. I’m so happy to hear this! It’s been our favorite for years and I’m glad you loved it. Thanks for commenting and letting me know. 🙂

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