Name: Salted Caramel Pie
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 h 40 min
Total time: 15 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs; 4 tbsp butter, melted; 1 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar; 2 cans sweetened condensed milk; Salt; 2 cups raspberries; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1/4 cup water; 5 egg whites; 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

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This salted caramel pie is decanted, rich, and makes the perfect addition to a holiday dessert table! The richness of the caramel is perfectly balanced with raspberry preserves, and the toasted Swiss meringue adds softness to each bite.

What is Maillard reaction?

Making caramel by baking sweetened condensed milk is called Maillard reaction. This chemical reaction happens when milk is heated and the proteins start reacting with the sugars - creating a darker brown color and different flavor! When the sweetened condensed milk is being baked you might notice some small clumps while stirring - these are nothing to worry about and will smooth out when the caramel cools!

How to make salted caramel pie?

To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a medium baking dish in a large baking dish, and fill the large dish with water. Pour the sweetened condensed milk in the medium dish and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover both dishes with foil and bake for 2-3 hours until golden brown and thickened, occasionally stirring. Meanwhile in a small pot over medium low heat, cook the raspberries with the 1/4 water and 1/4 cup sugar for about 30-40 minutes until almost all the liquid has boiled off. Then fold in the cornstarch and set aside to cool. Make the crust by placing the graham crackers, melted butter, and 2 tbsp sugar in a food processor and pulse until even texture. Press the crust firmly against a pie dish and bake for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Spread the raspberry preserves evenly on the crust and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Once the caramel has cooled to room temperature, spread it evenly on the pie. Oil plastic wrap and cover the pie, then refrigerate over night. In a small pot, bring 1” of water to boil and turn the heat down to medium. Add egg whites and 1 cup of sugar in a large mixing bowl and put it over the simmering water. Whisk constantly until 160 degrees (or until sugar isn’t grainy between fingers), then remove from heat and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes. Then fold in a pinch of salt and vanilla bean paste. Spread the Swiss meringue evenly over the pie and use a kitchen torch to toast it. Serve immediately.

Tips

Press the graham cracker crust firmly against the pie dish so it doesn’t crumble when cut.
Be sure to oil the plastic wrap before covering the pie with it - this will prevent it from sticking to the caramel.
Refrigerate for minimum of 8 hours for the pie to set. Pipe Swiss meringue and toast it with a kitchen torch when ready to serve.