As mentioned above, there are short cuts. While from scratch is my preferred method, sometimes you want something that comes together extra quickly and easily. The first short cut is to use a store bought pie crust. Obviously, the pecan aspect is important for celebrating pecan pie day, and Diamond Nuts has a ready made pecan pie crust available at most grocery stores.

Caramel sauce is basically cooked sugar and cream, but it can be a bit fussy and it takes a few extra minutes. Feel free to grab a jar of caramel sauce at the store. You will need a total of about 1 cup of caramel sauce if you want to add some to the top of the pie.

I like having some larger pieces of nuts in my pie crust. When making the crust I start with graham cracker, sugar, and 1/2 of the pecans. Once these are blended to a fine texture I add the other 1/2 cup pecans and mix a bit more before adding the melted butter. This allows for a few larger pieces.

To up the pecan quotient, I've topped the pie with pecans. The pecans are good plain, but I liked them even more with a little extra sugar. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet and toss in 1/2 cup pecans. Once the pecans are coated, add 2 Tablespoons of sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the nuts have a toasty aroma. Pour the nuts out onto a piece of waxed paper to cool. As they cool, they develop a crunchy toffee like coating which is super yummy and addictive. I used some of the whole pecans as garnish, and I chopped some sugared pecans into a sprinkle. There will be extra that you can eat as is, or use as a topping for ice cream.

While I made this to celebrate the nuts, this pie is really good without them. Use a standard graham cracker, or even Oreo crust for a yummy caramel no-bake cheesecake.

As always, you want regular, full fat cream cheese for this dessert. Reduced fat or spreadable cream cheeses just won't cut it. Also, bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing. This will give you the smoothest possible blend.

Cool Creamy Caramel Pecan Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Name: Cool Creamy Caramel Pecan Pie with Chocolate Ganache
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: PT-489065H24M56S
Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients: 1 sleeve graham crackers; 1/2 cup melted butter; 1 cup pecans; 2 Tablespoons sugar; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 3/4 cup chocolate chips; 8 oz cream cheese; 3/4 cup caramel sauce; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped; pecans, melted or shaved chocolate, caramel sauce, sweetened whipped cream

Cool Creamy Caramel Pecan Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A cool and creamy caramel pie with a graham cracker pecan crust and a layer of chocolate ganache, topped with sweet whipped cream, caramel, chocolate, and pecans.

Author: Darla McVay
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes plus chilling
Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Category: pie
Cuisine: dessert

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Crust:

1 sleeve graham crackers

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup pecans

2 Tablespoons sugar

For the Ganache Layer:

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup chocolate chips

For the Caramel Layer:

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup caramel sauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Optional Garnishes:

pecans, melted or shaved chocolate, caramel sauce, sweetened whipped cream

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the Crust: In a food processor, crush 1 sleeve of graham crackers and 1 cup pecans with 2 Tablespoons of sugar to fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix to combine. Press into a 9″ pie plate and either bake at 350 for 8 minutes, or freeze for 10-15 minutes to set the crust.

For the Ganache: Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in the microwave until hot. My microwave heats this in about 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup chocolate chips and swirl the bowl so liquid covers the chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes to melt and then stir the chocolate until smooth. Spread the ganache onto the bottom of the pie crust. Allow the ganache to cool before adding the next layer.

For the Caramel Filling: In a medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form then set aside. In a large bowl, mix room temperature cream cheese to fluffy. Add 3/4 cup caramel sauce, vanilla, and mix until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream that was set aside. Spoon the caramel mix over the ganache and spread gently. Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours before adding any garnishes. The pie is best served after chilling for 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, chocolate, caramel, and pecans.

Notes

For homemade caramel sauce: Place 1 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a sauce pan. Stir to make sure sugar is wet. Cook sugar over medium high heat. As the sugar becomes golden brown at the edges of the pan, swirl the pan to even out the color. When a nice caramel color has been reached, add 2 Tablespoons of butter and stir as the butter melts. To this caramel mix, carefully add 3/4 cup heavy cream, watching out for steam and splattering. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add optional flaky sea salt.

For whipped cream garnish: mix 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1 teaspoon sugar until stiff peaks form.

Keywords: caramel, pecan, no-bake, cheesecake, chocolate ganache

Find it online: https://justdessertsbakehouse.com/cool-creamy-caramel-pecan-pie-with-chocolate-ganache/