Salted Caramel Turtle Pie is life changing; how did I ever live without this? The combination of salty pretzels, caramel, pecans and chocolate ganache is so dang good. Every bite has a bit of salty and sweet which in turn creates the perfectly balanced indulgent dessert pie.
At the starting gate we will tackle the salted caramel. To keep the consistency spot on I used the following method of creating Dulce de Leche (click here for full instructions). The unopened can of sweetened condensed milk needs to be covered with water in a saucepan and boiled for 3 hours. It’s truly worth the extra time! There are no worries about scorching caramel or caramel that doesn’t thicken properly. This method is foolproof and it’s the creamiest caramel I have ever had. No turtle pie should go without some luscious dulce de leche.
To pan roast the pecans I toss them in dry, non-coated skillet on medium-high on the stove-top for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly as they are heated through to keep from scorching. This extra little step deepens the flavor of the pecans. Cool the pecans and caramel and then stir them all together with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Just look at this slice of pie that awaits you:
On to the crushing of the pretzels for the crust:
As pretzels are quite brittle, I go “old school” when crushing them. Place the pretzels into a large plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Yes, I agree that a food processor would be easier, but you do not want the pretzels completely powdered. I have underestimated the power of the food processor with pretzels more than once. Pulsing in the food processor a few quick seconds should work. However, I personally have greater success with the rolling pin method. The pretzel crust will taste much better if there are recognizable bits of pretzels in it.
If you are curious about other pies made with a pretzel crust, Frozen Margarita Pie and Banoffee Pie are my other two favorites.
5-ounce bag of pretzels will make one 9-pie crust. With every bite the salt-sweet ratio is nearly perfection; one does not overpower the other. I wish I had thought of using pretzels for crusts when I was kid making my first pies.
For the last step on this path to this beautiful pie endeavor is the chocolate ganache. It’s simply high quality dark chocolate chips and heavy cream. Click here for picture instructions for chocolate ganache. It truly is as simple as it sounds. For garnish I used cocoa nibs as another un-sweetened component; talk about heavenly deliciousness.
Refrigerate the pie for about 2 to 3 hours before serving. Your biggest decision will be who is going to get the last slice. Getting the last slice can be a heated competition at our house. Let the pie slice games begin.
Salted Caramel Turtle Pie
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust – one 9-inch pie crust
- 1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels (5 ounce bag pretzels) (see note below for gluten free option)
- 3 tablespoons pure cane sugar
- 7 tablespoons melted butter
Filling & Topping:
- 1 can dulce de leche 1 can unopened sweetened condensed milk boiled in pan of water for 3 hours (see above link for detailed instructions)
- 1 cup chopped and pan roasted pecans
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups high quality dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet or darker)
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cocoa nibs (optional) for garnish
Instructions
Pretzel Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar with the crushed pretzels and using a fork stir in the melted butter.
- Press the crust mixture into a pie plate, using a custard cup to help press the sides and bottom. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Cool before using.
Filling & Topping
- Remove the label and place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan that has room for water to be at least 1 to 2 inches taller than the can of milk.
- Set burner on high to bring the water to a boil. Once boiling turn down the heat to medium/medium-high keeping it at a low boil for 3 hours. You may need to add hot water once or twice to keep water level above the can. Pour in extra hot water slowly to keep the boil going.
- Once you remove the can from the water let it cool at room temp before attempting to open. The sweetened condensed milk is now transformed into luscious creamy amber color caramel.
- For the ganache, place the chocolate chips in deep glass or metal mixing bowl, set aside.
- In saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat cream with the vanilla until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips to cover completely.
- Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to melt chocolate. Whisk by hand until fully incorporated, glossy & smooth. (Do not refrigerate before pouring onto pie.)
Assembly:
- Stir the cooled dulce de leche together with the pan roasted pecans and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spread into the cooled pretzel crust.
- Pour the prepared chocolate ganache over the salted caramel filling and add garnish. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Notes
This looks delicious! My niece requested this pie for Thanksgiving. I was wondering how far in advance it is OK to make. If I make it on Wednesday, would the crust be soggy the next day?
No, the crust should not be soggy at all. It’s great to make a day ahead and it will hold up for at least 2 to 3 days after!
This looks amazing! They have canned dulce de leche in my store next to the sweetened condensed milk. Have you ever tried this? Do you think it would work?
I just bought a can of the dulce de leche, it is pourable, not spreadable. However, I have 2 more cans that I am testing today to see how firm it is after 1 hour of boiling. It could cut down the process by a couple of hours, which would be great! I will get back to you this evening!
I boiled 2 unopened cans of the Nestle Dulce de Leche, one for 1 hour and one for 2 hours. The one boilded for 2 hours really needed another 30 minutes, so NO, it does NOT save time. DRATS!
How many days in advance can I bake this pie?
I made this pie yesterday and it was delicious!!!!!!! My company loved it!!!
Nicely done! Hooray. Now they are going to ask you to make all the company desserts!