Is Claire Saffitz’s Famous Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie Worth the Hype? I Tried It and Found Out

Published on November 16, 2025

There are some classic Thanksgiving recipes I don’t mess with. After experimenting with a few variations of stuffing, for instance, I realized that—for me, at least—it doesn’t get better than my own family’s classic recipe. When it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, however, all bets are off. I love to try new riffs on old standbys, like a pumpkin pie with pistachio cookie crust or a chocolate-pumpkin tart, or mix things up with a tart cranberry pie.

When I saw Claire Saffitz’s recipe for a caramelized honey pumpkin pie in her cookbook Dessert Person, I knew I had to try it. As Claire writes, there are thousands of pumpkin pie recipes out there, but this one in particular features “a filling that set firmly into a custard and used strong flavors to balance out the vegetal quality of the pumpkin.” After trying it for myself, I agree with Claire—I’d happily eat it on any occasion.

How to Make Claire Saffitz’s Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie

Claire’s recipe starts with her flaky all-butter pie dough. The recipe is a bit time-intensive, but her she walks you through the process step by step in incredible detail. Here's how to make it.

1. Make the crust. In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt together. Add cold cubes of butter to the flour mixture and use your fingers to flatten and work them into small pieces. Slowly drizzle in ice water, tossing with a fork to combine. Using your hands, toss the mixture to bring it together and knead a few times. Pat the dough into a square or rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours. After chilling, let the dough sit on the counter for 5 minutes, then unwrap and transfer to a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, beat the dough to make it more pliable, then roll out into a rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap again and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
2. Parbake the crust. When ready to bake the crust, let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then use a rolling pin to beat it again to make it more pliable. Roll dough out into a 13-inch round that’s about 1/8-inch thick and transfer to a 9-inch glass pie pan. Tuck overhanging dough under and press firmly around the rim to seal, then crimp crust or press a fork around the rim. Freeze crust for about 10 minutes, then prick the bottom with a fork and line with foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice and bake at 425°F until the edge of the crust is set and starting to brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights, reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes more.
3. Make the filling. In a small saucepan, brown the butter for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add honey, stirring to combine. Return saucepan to medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook, swirling often, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stream in heavy cream, stirring constantly, then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, then add brown sugar and whisk for about 1 minute. Whisk in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves, then slowly stream in honey mixture, whisking constantly.
4.  Assemble and bake. Pour filling into parbaked crust and carefully transfer to oven. Bake until filling is set and puffed around the edges and the center still wobbles gently, about 45 to 60 minutes.
5. Cool and serve. Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon to prop the door open. Let the pie cool completely in the oven to avoid cracks on the surface, then slice into wedges and top with fresh whipped cream.

Tips for Making Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie

• If you use the recipe linked above, note that it mistakenly calls for an additional cup of heavy cream—the recipe in Dessert Person calls for just ¾ cup of heavy cream. You can also measure out 6 ounces or 170 grams of heavy cream, but if you use 1 ¾ cups, your filling will be much too liquidy.
• Claire recommends a strongly flavored, dark-hued honey, which will stand out better against the pumpkin. That said, avoid buckwheat or chestnut honey, which she says are too intense.
• While making your own pumpkin puree might sound like a fun project, Claire says it’s not worth the effort. She recommends Libby’s pumpkin puree, which she says is lower in moisture and will produce a smooth, flavorful pie.
• If you have any pumpkin pie filling leftover, Claire suggests baking it separately in a small ramekin. That way, you can sample the filling before cutting into the pie.
• Claire’s recipe for all-butter pie dough is a bit more involved than most. If you’re short on time, make it ahead—the dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days or transferred to a plastic bag and frozen for up to 2 months.
• When it comes to pie pans, Claire prefers glass, which makes it easier to see how the bottom crust is browning.

The Verdict on Claire Saffitz’s Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie

I won’t beat around the bush: This is a pretty time-intensive recipe. But if the idea of making your own pie dough intimidates you, Claire’s recipe holds your hand through the process, offering details at every step of the way. The pie dough in particular is much more involved than your classic pie dough, though I think it’s worth the extra time investment, as it yields an incredibly flaky, buttery crust.

If you love baking projects, this is a perfect one to try this Thanksgiving. The browned butter and caramelized honey are both much easier to make than they sound, and they perfectly balance the pumpkin flavor in the filling. If you have a little extra time on your hands and want to wow your Thanksgiving guests, this just might be the pie for you.