It’s pumpkin season! As you savor your pumpkin spice latte and make your pumpkin soup, don’t forget to top things off with the quintessential fall dessert: pumpkin pie. We could have kept it unadorned for a classic look, but instead, we opted for decadence with bourbon caramel topping. Even better? You’ve got options! This sauce is only one of four recipes for elevating a store-bought pie with home-made flavor!
Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Caramel Topping
What You’ll Need:
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼–½ teaspoon Kosher salt (depending on salt preference)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup bourbon (optional)
- Pumpkin pie, homemade or store bought
- Gold dragées, for decoration or roasted pepitas
What You’ll Do:
- In a large saucepan over medium, heat the sugar, butter and salt until the butter melts and the sugar darkens around the edges, 3–4 minutes.
- Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the cream until well combined (some sugar will seize at first). Let the mixture simmer until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in the bourbon and simmer until the mixture is just below the soft-ball stage (200–225°F) on a candy thermometer, another 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it rest for 1 minute before pouring it on top of the pie, tilting to spread the caramel to the crust.
- Let the caramel set for 5 minutes; then sprinkle on gold dragées or pepitas. Let pie chill for 1 hour before serving.
