This Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie combines creamy, warmly spiced pumpkin custard with a crunchy maple pecan praline topping and an easy graham cracker crust. Baked in a 7-inch pie pan, it's a smaller Thanksgiving pie with all the best parts of pumpkin and pecan pie in every bite!
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Quick Recipe Summary ✨
Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie: Creamy, warmly spiced pumpkin custard topped with crunchy maple pecan praline in an easy graham cracker crust.
Pumpkin pie meets pecan pie: The smooth pumpkin filling and crisp, nutty topping bring two classic Thanksgiving flavors together in every slice.
Prep Time: 30 minutes • Bake Time: About 50 minutes • Cooling Time: 1 hour • Total Time: About 2 hours 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: ⭐⭐ Easy. The pumpkin filling is cooked briefly on the stove before baking, with tips included for smoothly incorporating the eggs.
Yield: 6 to 8 small slices from a 7-inch pie • Make-ahead: Up to 2 days • Storage: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
👉 Follow the detailed instructions and troubleshooting tips below for a praline pumpkin pie with a creamy pumpkin custard, crisp graham cracker crust, and crunchy pecan praline topping!
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Why this recipe works
- Cooked pumpkin filling: Reduces excess moisture for a creamy, sturdy custard
- Par-baked graham cracker crust: Stays crisp under the pumpkin filling
- Praline added near the end: Keeps the pecans crunchy
- Maple syrup in the topping: Adds caramel-like depth to the pecans and warm spices
Some decisions are easy. Some are hard.
Take choosing Fall pies, for example. Are you a pecan pie person or a pumpkin pie person? (Whoa, try saying that three times fast!) I love both types of these classic Thanksgiving pies and have a hard time choosing between the two.
What do I do? Here's my solution: Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie. And if I'm baking for two, making a mini pie helps with portion control (trust me, it's hard to stop when there's a delicious pie in the house!).
This pie is full of warm pumpkin spice, with toasted praline pecans adding sweetness and crunch and a graham cracker crust bringing subtle molasses notes. Add a dollop of whipped cream, and it's truly better than the sum of its parts.
If you're interested in other variations of traditional Thanksgiving desserts, try my Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie (made without corn syrup), Southern Brown Sugar Pie (it's like pecan pie without the pecans), Sourdough Spice Cake, or a Sourdough Pumpkin Cake. And don't forget to make pumpkin scones for breakfast, or dress up your favorite fruit pie with a lattice crust.
Let's not forget my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. My father-in-law won't let me in the door at Thanksgiving unless I promise to bring him one, and that's upwards of 40 years now.
So rest assured that you don't have to choose between pumpkin pie and pecan pie - make a Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie and be satisfied with both!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie recipe:
Ingredient Notes
This Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie has three basic parts: a graham cracker crust, the pumpkin custard filling, and the pecan praline topping.
Element 1: Pumpkin custard filling
Pumpkin purée: Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling generally contains sugar, spices, and other additives. Using pure pumpkin purée allows you to better control the sweetness and spiciness of your pie filling to your preferences.
Spices: Use warm baking spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. A pinch of black pepper is included in the custard to add a little "zing" of heat. Don't worry, it's subtle but effective.
Element 2: Pecan praline topping
Pecans: Make sure the pecans are finely chopped - you don't want big pieces of nuts on a small pie.
Maple syrup: Like with my Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie, this praline topping uses a robust maple syrup to really bring flavor to the topping. You can replace the maple syrup with golden syrup for a less robust flavor, or use corn syrup (which doesn't add any flavoring to the topping, just sweetness).
Element 3: Graham cracker crust
Usually the pie crust for pumpkin pie is a standard pastry pie crust. However, since we're using a graham cracker crust, only 3 ingredients are needed: graham crackers, sugar, and butter.
If you prefer, you can replace the graham cracker crust with a homemade pie crust (using using a 6:4:2 recipe ratio of flour, butter, and water for a half a single crust pie) or use a store bought pie crust.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie
Step 1: Make the pie crust
Prepare a graham cracker crust by mixing together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture firmly into a 7-inch pie pan (a pastry dough tart tamper can help this process). Par-bake it at 350˚F for 8 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven and set aside while you make the filling.
If you're using pastry pie dough, par-bake the crust at 375˚F before filling it (see these instructions on how to par-bake pie dough without beans or pie weights).
Step 2: Make the pumpkin custard
Cooking the pumpkin purée with the brown sugar and spices removes some excess moisture before the custard goes into the crust. It also concentrates the pumpkin flavor and helps create a sturdy filling that can support the pecan praline topping.
Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, cloves, and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened (photo 1).
Allow the mixture to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk the heavy cream and milk into the pumpkin mixture, mixing well. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes more.
If the pumpkin mixture is just warm, stir in the eggs and vanilla extract (photo 2). Make sure the egg is thoroughly whisked into the pumpkin custard - you don't want areas of unincorporated eggs in the custard.
Temper in the eggs if necessary
If the pumpkin mixture is still too warm after stirring in the milk and heavy cream, temper the eggs by slowly whisking a small amount of the warm pumpkin mixture into the eggs, then whisk the warmed egg mixture back into the remaining pumpkin mixture. This will ensure the pumpkin custard is well mixed and there are no bits of scrambled eggs.
Pour the pumpkin filling into the pie pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center barely jiggles (photo 3).
You can also use a digital thermometer to check that the center of the pie has reached between 170 to 175˚F (77 to 80˚C) for the perfect set.
How to tell when pumpkin pie is done
When baking a custard pie (just like egg custard), trust your eyes rather than the timer. If the center jiggles too much when gently jostled, continue baking in 5-minute increments.
You'll know the pie is done when:
- The center jiggles like gelatin
- The edges are set
- The surface is smooth without cracks
- A thermometer reads between 170 to 175°F (77 to 80˚C)
Step 3: Make the pecan praline topping
While pie is baking, stir together the pecans, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup and the vanilla extract and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened (photo 4).
Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.
Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the praline topping is set and the center of the pie still has a slight jiggle (photo 5).
Transfer pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature - if you like a cool pumpkin pie, cover and chill completely. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Cover and store any leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (if you have leftovers, that is!).
Make-ahead instructions: This pie can be made 2 days ahead of time, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before serving, or serve it chilled if that's your preference.
Yield Notes
This mini pecan praline pumpkin pie is rich, so you can get 6 to 8 small, yet satisfying, slices.
Troubleshooting tips
To ensure your pumpkin filling is successful, you need to make sure the custard is well mixed. That is, making sure the eggs are thoroughly whisked into pumpkin custard before baking.
I made this mistake the first time I made this pie by not whisking the beaten eggs into the cooked pumpkin mixture well enough. This caused bits of cooked egg to be noticeable in the pie before the topping went on.
Don't be like me - temper in the eggs if the custard mixture is still hot, and thoroughly mix them in!
Here are some other issues you might encounter when making a Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie:
- Filling is cracked: The pie was likely overbaked. Remove it when the center still has a slight jiggle - the custard will continue to set as it cools.
- Filling isn't set: Give the pie a few more minutes in the oven. The edges should be set while the very center barely jiggles.
- Pecan topping is too coarse: Finely chop the pecans so the praline is easy to slice and stays proportional to the smaller pie.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
Oh, the dreaded soggy bottom! The best way to avoid it is to par bake your crust before adding in the pumpkin filling. If you're using a graham cracker crust, bake it at 350˚F for 8 minutes. If you're using pastry pie dough, par-bake the crust at 375˚F before filling it (see these instructions on how to par-bake pie dough without beans or pie weights).
If you're serving a larger crowd, make a full-sized pie - just double the ingredient amounts and use a 9-inch pie pan. If you want a standard pastry shell, use the 9 : 6 : 3 recipe ratio for a single crust pie, par-baking the crust so you don't get a soggy bottom.
Pecan pralines are a traditional Southern candy that combines pecans with caramelized sugar. For this pie, brown sugar and maple syrup coat the chopped pecans, creating a sweet, crunchy topping as the pie finishes baking.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
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Recipe
Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- ½ recipe graham cracker pie crust, see Recipe Notes
For the pumpkin custard filling
- 1 cup pumpkin purée, (½ 15-ounce can), NOT pumpkin pie filling, see Recipe Notes
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch black pepper, finely ground
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the pecan praline topping
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- pinch kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons pure maple syrup, robust flavor, see Recipe Notes
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To finish
- whipped cream, lightly sweetened, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Prepare the pie crust: Prepare a graham cracker crust by mixing together ¾ cup (75 grams) of graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2½ tablespoons of melted butter. Press the crumb mixture firmly into a 7-inch pie pan (a pastry dough tart tamper can help this process). Par bake it for 8 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven and set aside while you make the filling.
- Make the pumpkin custard filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the 1 cup pumpkin purée, ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Whisk the ⅓ cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons milk into the pumpkin mixture, mixing well. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes more.
- If the pumpkin mixture is just warm, stir in 1 large egg and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Make sure the egg is thoroughly whisked into the pumpkin custard - you don't want areas of unincorporated eggs in the custard.If the pumpkin mixture is still too warm after stirring in the milk and heavy cream and cooling, temper the eggs by slowly whisking a small amount of the warm pumpkin mixture into the eggs, then whisk the warmed egg mixture back into the remaining pumpkin mixture. This will ensure the pumpkin custard is well mixed and there are no bits of scrambled eggs.
- Pour the pumpkin filling into the pie pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center barely jiggles.
- Make the pecan praline topping: While pie is baking, stir together the ½ cup pecans, 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar and a pinch kosher salt in a small bowl. Add the 1½ teaspoons pure maple syrup and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened.
- Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the praline topping is set and the center of the pie still has a slight jiggle.
- Transfer pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature - if you like a cool pumpkin pie, cover and chill completely. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream (if desired), and enjoy!
- Storage instructions: Cover and store any leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (if you have leftovers, that is!).
- Make-ahead instructions: This pie can be made 2 days ahead of time, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before serving, or serve it chilled if that's your preference.
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