Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does Costco put in their pumpkin pie? ›

It says it contains: pumpkin, sugar, water, eggs, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), canola and/or soybean oil, nonfat milk, corn syrup, contains 2% or less of the following: salt, spices, corn sugar, mono & diglycerides, modified food starch.

On the flip side, leaving out most of the sugar creates a beautiful flavor profile. Using one-third of the amount of called-for sugar resulted in a more pumpkin-forward flavor. Though it didn't have much sugar in the batter, the pie still tasted somewhat sweet.

In pastry-making, it helps cut the oily mouthfeel of buttery doughs and encourages browning. But mostly, salt is about making things more delicious. It's the key to waking up flavors, creating balance and making desserts totally crave-worthy, giving everything that little edge that makes you take one more bite.

Two possible problems here: First, it could be that you aren't processing your pumpkin filling sufficiently. I recommend spinning it in a food processor until it's completely smooth, or even using a standing blender with a plunger for more blending power (just make sure it doesn't overheat while blending).

How Costco Keeps Its Pumpkin Pie So Cheap. In their book, David and Susan disclose that Costco's pumpkin pies are only semi-homemade, which helps cut down on costs.

Caramel sauce is the instant upgrade that will make your pie feel truly indulgent. Whether you make your own or go for store-bought, heat the sauce and drizzle it warm over the pie just before serving. What makes this so special is the way the warmth of the sauce contrasts with the room-temperature or chilled pie.

During my testing of pumpkin pies, I tried lots of different milk options – heavy whipping cream, regular milk (I used 2% in my testing), sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Ultimately, I found heavy whipping cream to be the best. It produced the creamiest pie in my opinion.

As the name suggests, sweetened condensed milk makes the pie sweeter and gives it a denser, creamier texture. Evaporated milk, on the other hand, yields a lighter, airier result. Evaporated milk isn't sweetened either, which is why you can't simply swap one thickener for the other.

For better pumpkin pie, refrigerate the filling overnight

To that end, we've found that refrigerating pumpkin pie filling overnight before using it not only enhances the spices' flavors, but also mellows them. Any “sharp edges” disappear, and you're left with a smooth meld of complementary flavors.

Can you make a pie crust with salted butter? YES! I do, all the time. Unsalted butter works too, however I prefer it to be saltier tasting because it compliments sweet pie filling so well!

What is done on the bottom crust before adding the pie filling? ›

Partially bake a pie crust if your crust needs longer in the oven than the pie filling, such as brownie pie or quiche. And if you want an extra-crisp pie crust for your apple pie, you can partially blind bake the crust before adding the filling.

Have you ever noticed that some recipes call for using unsalted butter as well as adding salt? Without the added salt in the unsalted butter, the pure sweet cream taste comes through and you can add the exact amount of salt you want in the recipe.

Often, blind-baking solves this problem. If you're making a single crust custard-filled pie, like a pumpkin pie, bake the pie dough first before adding filling to allow some of the moisture in the crust to evaporate. You can also totally blind-bake fruit pies.

While a wobbly, runny pie is a telltale sign that a pumpkin pie is undercooked, an overcooked pumpkin pie is a bit harder to spot. When you've overcooked a pumpkin pie, you may see: The filling separating from the crust. The filling has visible cracks.

Note that if your test determines an undercooked pumpkin pie, return it to the oven and bake a few minutes longer before testing it again.

Some pumpkin pies that you pick up from the grocery store may contain preservatives—check the label or ask a bakery employee to be sure. The Costco pumpkin pie, for example, does not contain any preservatives. Though these pies may last longer, experts recommend that you refrigerate them when you bring them home.

Store-bought pumpkin pie mix (sometimes labeled "pumpkin pie filling") is a shortcut for making homemade pumpkin pie. It contains puréed pumpkin plus added spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. It also contains sugar and other chemical additives.

Costco's pumpkin pie slice only has 2.6 grams of saturated fat, which is just 13% of the recommended daily allowance, according to the USDA's 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. One nutritional aspect of this seasonal treat that may be a little excessive is the sugar content.