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caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian

Pumpkin pie is, without a doubt, my favorite type of pie. I always, and still do, greatly anticipated Thanksgiving because that meant there would be pumpkin pie for dessert. Luckily, I grew up in a family of pumpkin pie lovers so Thanksgiving was not the only time we would have pumpkin pie each year. I have a very distinct memory of visiting my Great Grandpa Frank’s house one afternoon and arriving just as he pulled a pumpkin pie out of the oven. Even though I prefer chilled pumpkin pie, I’ll never forget eating a warm slice of pie on a fall afternoon with him.

Now that you’ve taken a trip down memory lane with me, let’s talk about this caramel pumpkin pie! I always have a hard time straying from traditional Thanksgiving recipes because I fear that they won’t be as good as the original version. I had seen this recipe for caramel pumpkin pie many years ago, but never wanted to go without my traditional version until a couple of years ago. Once I tasted this pie for the first time, I knew my Thanksgiving menu would be forever changed. I should never have doubted the combination of caramel and pumpkin, especially for someone (a.k.a. me) who loves caramel more than any other sweet!

caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian

Surprisingly, this pie isn’t as sweet as you may expect. The caramel adds most of the sweetness, as well as lots of toasty flavors, so there is only a little bit of added sugar to the filling. The pumpkin spices really shine as well, but they aren’t so strong as to overpower the caramel or pumpkin flavors. I did add more spices than the original recipe, so if you prefer a more mildly spiced pumpkin pie, check out the notes section. Just to make this pie even easier, I decided to try this out with my mom’s oatmeal pie crust recipe and it is phenomenal. It’s kind of like having a cookie as the crust to your pumpkin pie filling. How can that not be good?!? Plus, it’s made in a food processor in a matter of seconds and there is no rolling required. Thanksgiving baking just got a whole lot easier!

caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian

If you love caramel and pumpkin as much as I do, please don’t hesitate to try this twist on a great classic for Thanksgiving this year. This pie has become our new tradition, especially since my husband specifically requested it this year, and I hope it can become yours too! Wishing you all a fun, blessed and happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are!

caramel pumpkin pie | confections of a dietitian