This Double Decker Pumpkin Caramel Pie is so good that it has been a pie contest blue ribbon winner!
This recipe was first shared nine years ago when I made it for a pie contest. The recipe was originally created by Rachael Ray. I probably cut it out of her magazine. It’s an excellent pie recipe… so completely delicious and totally decadent. I include some tips and tricks in this post for making this Double Decker Pumpkin Caramel Pie successful. Read on!
The Pie Contest:
Here’s the back-story. Every year around this time, the community we used to live in had a small Harvest Festival, complete with hay rides, Kettle Corn, potato sack races, bratwurst with sauerkraut, those annoying body tattoos, and a pie bake-off/chili cook-off. My son and I always entered the pie contest. It was fun to sit around and talk about what we’d each like to bake. I usually had the kiddo enter into the “other” pies category while I tackled a fruit pie. Competing in the same category as your child is never a good idea. This particular year, however, I competed with my kid. I entered a Double Decker Pumpkin Caramel Pie.
There is a simple crushed Oreo crust, and it’s baked for a short time. Then that crust is filled with a simple pumpkin custard and baked some more. Refrigerated overnight, the caramel whipped cream layer is added the next day. Where’s the caramel? It’s melted with cream and then it’s whipped into freshly whipped cream to create the best-tasting whipped cream EVER.
About the caramel whipped cream:
You’re going to melt caramels for this recipe and combine them with a little bit of heavy whipping cream. Buy the KRAFT caramels… you know… the ones you unwrap. You’ll need 28 of them. Once the caramels are melted and combined with the cream… then you’re going to let that mixture cool completely. Once cooled, it can be beaten into freshly whipped cream. If the caramel mixture is warm, it will melted the whipped cream. So it’s KEY that it’s completely cooled before combining the two. That caramel whipped cream is SO DELICIOUS!!
There it is in all its glory. Adding chocolate shavings on top makes it prettier. This is most definitely a pumpkin pie you should consider baking for Thanksgiving.
Slices of this pie… are simply delicious. That crust, that pumpkin layer and that caramel whipped cream make this Pumpkin Caramel Pie a totally unique pumpkin pie recipe.
Back to the harvest festival: there was of course a pie EATING contest too. Chocolate cream pie. My boy competed as the reigning champ from the previous year. He wasn’t able to shove the pie into his nose mouth quickly enough at this one. Maybe the caramel apple, bratwurst and churro he ate prior to competing had something to do with his inability to perform.
It was so fun that the Pumpkin Caramel Pie took first place in the pie contest. I had entered that darn pie contest eight years in a row and finally I brought home the prize. I’d say it was about time. But this pie was surely worthy of taking it. My boy scored with his pie too: 3rd place for his S’Mores Pie.
Here are a few more pie recipes that you might like to try:
- Apple Slab Pie
- Cranberry Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
Double Decker Pumpkin Caramel Pie
Recipe Details
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 25 Oreos, crushed into crumbs (need 2 cups)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
PUMPKIN LAYER:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- One 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
CARAMEL LAYER:
- 28 caramels, unwrapped
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
TOPPING:
- 1 to 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, for grating
Instructions
PREPARE THE CRUST:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir the Oreo crumbs and butter until combined. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan; freeze until set (15 minutes). Bake for 10 minutes; let cool.
PREPARE THE PUMPKIN LAYER:
- Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together the 3 eggs, 1 cup cream, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and salt until just combined. Pour into the cooled pie shell and bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. When you shake the pan, the filling should no longer be jiggly. Let the pie cool at room temperature slightly, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
PREPARE THE CARAMEL LAYER:
- In a glass bowl, microwave the caramels with 1/2 cup cream until melted, 2 to 3 minutes- adding 1 minute increments, if needed, if they are still not completely melted. Stir until smooth, then let cool to room temperature. The caramel mixture must be COMPLETELY COOLED before adding to the whipped cream in the next step.
- Using an electric mixer, whip the remaining 1 1/4 cups cream until soft peaks form. Drizzle in the cooled caramel and beat until well blended. Spoon the caramel whipped cream on top of the pumpkin filling and refrigerate until completely chilled.
ADD THE TOPPING:
- Before serving, coarsely grate the chocolate on top of the pie.
Notes
- *If your pie cracks on the surface while baking, don't worry about it- you'll be covering that up with the caramel whipped cream!
- *Don't have any pumpkin pie spice? Make your own by mixing equal parts of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.
- *Stick toothpicks in the top of any leftover pie before you cover with plastic wrap (keep stored in the refrigerator).
Nutrition
“In a bowl, microwave the caramels with 1/2 cup cream until melted, 2 to 3 minutes- adding 1 minute increments, if needed, if they are still not completely melted. Stir until smooth, then let cool to room temperature.”
how many and what kind caramels ? they are not listed in the ingredients.
yes, they are listed there… 28 caramels. Just buy the KRAFT brand of caramels and unwrap them.
I just made the pie as apart of my thanksgiving day desserts. It came out great!!!!! Sadly, I’m the only one in my family that eats pumpkin pie. I loved every piece the crust, pie, and whipping. My mom really like the crust and caramel whip cream. The only thing I would change is for a little extra sugar in the pie…since I have a sweet tooth. The whip cream came out wonderfully. I know some people mentioned problems with the cream being runny, but mine came out nice and fluffy. I have the hand held mixer, but I melted the caramel whisked it together with the heavy cream…added in a little sugar and vanilla extract. After I mixed together, I placed the bowl in the freezer for about 5 mintues or so then took it out. I turned my mixer on to the whip setting and after a couple mintues the whip cream came out great. Will do the recipe again.
This was the first pie I’ve ever made. I made it for thanksgiving and everyone who disdains my veggie cooking ate it all up. Sooooo good.
This pie was AMAZING!!!! Thanks for the recipe, it will be a tradition to make at Thanksgiving every year at my house!
How Great! First place and you get to eat such a mouth watering treat!
*drools* This is on my Thanksgiving menu already!
I always scrape the oreos clean from the creme, afraid that it will stick, burn, or make the crust fall apart. I guess I will try them whole next time.
this sounds just divine – congrats on the big wins to both you + your son!
Made this on Sunday during football. Good- was interesting w/the chocolate crust and pumpkin pie filling. No caramels to be had at the store so I had to improvise (used bullseyes I had on hand)….which added an interesting taste… Neighbors son, 6, LOVED THIS PIE!!!
First place! Woot! My Smudge can’t wait til Thanksgiving for a pumpkin pie so its on the list for the weekend. Thank you for ending her incessant pleas. No really, thank you.
Thanks for sharing the recipe with us! I will definitely be making this instead of regular pumpkin pie this year for Thanksgiving and I’m sure my family will love it.
YUM!!! can’t wait to try
CONGRATS!!! i can definitely see why it took first place.
I will definitely be making this pie soon. So many tasty components to it who wouldn’t crown it first place?!?!
Congrats on you BLUE RIBBON PIE!!!!! yeah!!!! Looks like a fun little festival!
OH MY this looks GOOOOOD! Hello Fall!
Sounds amazing! I love fall!
Lovely pie – congrats on winning first place!! 🙂
I’ve been craving a caramel *something* lately and this looks totally awesome! And congrats on first place 🙂
Wow! Can’t wait to try it!! Thank you as always for sharing your recipes 🙂
Sounds so up my type of pie alley…although I know I would have found somewhere for a bit of bourbon; I can’t seem to help myself with pumpkin pie; they are soooo good together.
I just read the ingredients list…no kidding you took 1st place! YUM!
Just wanted to drop a comment to say that I REALLY enjoy RecipeGirl! The website design is *superb* and you are a very entertaining writer. 🙂 Keep these wonderful recipes coming and great job – my own little recipe blog has a long way to go in becoming as fantastic as yours.
This looks like a pumpkin-chocolate combination that cannot disappoint! Congrats on your first place win. Just might try this out this year for Thanksgiving!
Now I know what I’m taking to Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks. Looks delicious!
Wow! I’ve never liked pumpkin as a veggie but with the Oreo crust and caramel whip frosting my oh my it sounds so good. Congratulations!
Congratulations to you both!!
I’ve never been a pumpkin pie fan, but I’m thinking this may be the way to go this year.
Thanks, Lori!
Oh Lori that is awesome.
Congrats!
What an amazing pie! Good combo too!
Yay!! What a fabulous pie, I can see why it took first place 🙂 Love the fun photos here 🙂
It looks like a first place recipe!!
This looks like it is more than deserving of that first prize ribbon! Yum!
Yahoo, congrats! Glad those judges finally came to their senses! A well-deserving family of winners! Will look forward to the winning mystery recipe on your son’s page later this week. Your pie looks amazing, printing if off to add to my special Recipe Girl binder o’successes! (Now that I’ve started hoarding cans of pumpkin in anticipation of the alleged upcoming shortage, I think I can spare a can for this luscious pie). Thanks, Lori
You’re welcome! And so happy to hear that there is a Recipe Girl binder of successes! 🙂
Congratulations on your win! It looks decadent and delicious!
Congrats on the first place prize! Love the idea of caramel whipped cream…will definitely have to try that 🙂
Love it!
Congratulations! This sounds amazing – especially that whipped cream!
Congrats on 1st place!! The pie looks amazing 🙂
I need to make this! Congrats on 1st place! It looks like its a winner I can’t wait to try it.
you took first!! woohoo! i can’t wait to see RB’s pie too. this sounds so delicious and unique… i’m definitely wishing i was a pie judge.
Yum on this pie! Pumpkin pie is a favorite of mine and I love the caramel whipped cream. Congrats on your win:-)
Congrats on 1st place and they were clearly blind or without tastebuds in years 2004-2010. Glad they finally came to their senses. It looks incredible!
This sounds dreamy. Love this!
That pie sounds amazing! I love the kicked up version of pumpkin pie.
The pie looks delicious, I’m not surprised that it scooped first place!