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Easy Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie with Salted Caramel

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This Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie with Salted Caramel Drizzle takes everything you love about classic pumpkin pie and turns it up a notch. The nutty, toasty flavor from the brown butter paired with warm pumpkin spices creates a deeper, richer dessert, finished with a gorgeous salty-sweet caramel drizzle.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 3–4 tablespoons ice water
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (for browning)
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup evaporated milk (or heavy cream for extra richness)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for caramel)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (for caramel)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream, room temperature (for caramel)
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (plus more for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Make the Pie Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter pieces. Drizzle in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Turn it out onto a floured surface, shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Brown the Butter: Place the ½ cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula. The butter will foam, then bubble, then turn golden. When you see brown specks forming at the bottom and the butter smells nutty, remove from heat immediately. Pour into a heat-safe bowl to stop the cooking. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Blind Bake the Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to your pie dish, crimp the edges, and prick the bottom with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake for another 5 minutes until the bottom looks dry and lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Make the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Slowly stream in the cooled brown butter while whisking continuously. Finally, whisk in the evaporated milk until fully combined.
  5. Bake the Pie: Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 35-45 minutes more. The pie is done when the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent them with foil strips.
  6. Make the Salted Caramel: While the pie cools, make the caramel. In a clean, heavy-bottomed saucepan, spread the sugar in an even layer over medium heat. Don’t stir — just swirl the pan occasionally. The sugar will melt and turn amber. When it reaches a deep copper color, remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter pieces. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking. Add the flaky sea salt. Let cool for 5 minutes before drizzling.
  7. Assemble and Cool: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack — about 2 hours. Drizzle the salted caramel over the top in a zigzag pattern. Sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt if desired. For clean slices, refrigerate the pie for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Don’t rush the brown butter; use medium heat and stay close. Room temperature ingredients matter — set eggs and evaporated milk out 30 minutes before starting. Let the pie rest overnight for best flavor. Use a serrated knife for clean slices. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter and coconut milk/cream.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter pumpkin pie, salted caramel pumpkin pie, easy pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving dessert, fall dessert, pumpkin pie recipe

Find it online: https://sparklechew.com/easy-brown-butter-pumpkin-pie-with-salted-caramel/