Caramel Pear Pie

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4.72 from 7 votes

This Caramel Pear Pie combines juicy pears, rich caramel, and a flaky crust for a simple yet showstopping fall dessert.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Dough Making (includes letting it rest for 2 hrs)3 10

Total Time4 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Lisa Killian

Ingredients

Flakey pie crust:

1 ⅔ cups flour plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
1 tbs sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup cold water

Caramel pear filling:

10 Bosc Pears peeled large , cored, and diced (I like to use firm pears)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
Pinch salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup Caramel Sauce plus more for drizzling
1 tbs lemon juice
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water

Instructions

Make Homemade Pie Crust

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
1 ⅔ cups flour , ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tbs sugar
Cut butter into large cubes. Emphasis on large. I recommend cutting each stick into four chunks and then each chunk into four more chunks. Then place the butter chunks in the flour mixture and toss to coat with flour.
1 cup unsalted butter
Once tossed, smash each chunk of butter between your fingertips. Smash each flat, then move on to the next chunk. You don’t need to cut the butter in because you want the butter to stay in large chunks.
Once each chunk is smashed, using a spatula, stir in the water. Stir the dough until it forms a sticky ball. You will need to use the side of the bowl to bring the dough together.
½ cup cold water
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few more times to finish bringing the dough together. Place the dough back into the bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes- you want to keep the dough cold and the butter from melting.
Roll out the dough on the floured surface (adding more when needed), into a large rectangle (roughly 12x10 inches). Make sure to flip the dough, add more flour if sticking, and don’t hesitate to put it back in the fridge if the butter starts melting and sticking.
Fold the 10-inch sides to the center of the rectangle, then fold the other ends together like closing a book. Cut in half and then refrigerate both halves for 10 minutes.
Bring out one piece of dough and roll it into a circle large enough to fit your pie plate. Place in your pie plate, pressing into the corners, and then cut the extra dough that hangs over the edge using scissors—dust off any extra flour.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to relax for at least 2 hours in the fridge or overnight.
Take the second piece of dough and roll it out into a large rectangle. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs.

How to Make Caramel Pear Pie:

Adjust oven rack to the lowest position in the oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
In a large pot, add the peeled, cored, and sliced pears, the white sugar, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to mix well.
10 Bosc Pears peeled, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, Pinch salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Precook the pears over medium-high heat, covered for 15-20 minutes until the pears are easily pierced with a fork. Stirring occasionally. The pears will release a lot of juice during this time, and that is what you want.
Once done cooking, place all pears and juice in a lined baking sheet and let cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
Once at room temperature, drain the pears and place them in your prepared pie crust (after it has rested).
Combine the caramel sauce and lemon juice in a small bowl, then pour it over the pears.
½ cup Caramel Sauce, 1 tbs lemon juice
Remove your rectangular piece of pie dough and cut it into strips. Weave a lattice as the top pie crust, then press the ends into the bottom pie crust.
Whisk together the egg white plus 1 teaspoon of water. Then brush that over the entire lattice.
1 egg white, 1 teaspoon water
Place the pie on a baking sheet and then bake for 25 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake for another 25 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust. If parts start to get dark golden-brown cover those places with foil.
Once the pie is done baking, let it cool on a wire rack for 2 ½-3 hrs.
When serving, drizzle with extra caramel sauce and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks

*You can use homemade caramel sauce or store-bought. I’ve used both and find that using store-bought tends to make the filling a little watery, but nothing too bad.
*If you use store-bought caramel sauce, get at least 16 oz so you have some for the filling and some extra to drizzle on top when you eat it.
*Precooking the pears should remove much of the excess liquid that would otherwise make the pie really soupy.
* Depending on how underripe or firm your pears are, the cooking time on the stove will vary.

Nutrition