O’Charley’s Caramel Pie
O’Charley’s caramel pie is one of those desserts people keep talking about long after the restaurant meal is over. It features a creamy dulce de leche filling set in a buttery graham cracker crust, finished with a cloud of whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, and crunchy chopped pecans. This easy copycat recipe captures every layer of that signature sweetness using just seven simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store. The filling comes together in minutes, and then the refrigerator does the rest.
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O’Charley’s caramel pie is a no-fuss dessert that delivers far more than its short ingredient list suggests. The filling is built on dulce de leche, a Latin American milk-based caramel with a smooth, toffee-flavored depth that’s slightly less sweet than traditional American caramel. When folded together with Cool Whip, it becomes a light, mousse-like filling that sets beautifully in the refrigerator.
The graham cracker crust gets a quick egg wash and a short bake before the filling goes in. This step creates a firmer, crispier crust that holds up against the creamy filling without turning soggy, even after a full day in the fridge.
O’Charley’s Caramel Pie Recipe – Ingredients You Will Need
This ooey-gooey caramel pie is made with just a few simple ingredients, as follows:
- Graham cracker crust – Provides the crisp, buttery base that holds the caramel filling in shape.
- Egg – Used as an egg wash to seal the crust surface and keep it from going soggy.
- Dulce de leche – The star of the filling, delivering rich toffee-flavored sweetness and a thick, creamy texture.
- Cool Whip whipped topping – Folded into the dulce de leche to create a light, mousse-like filling that sets firmly when chilled.
- Canned aerosol whipped topping – Used to garnish the finished pie just before serving.
- Pecans – Roughly chopped and scattered on top for crunch and a nutty contrast to the sweet filling.
- Mini chocolate chips – Sprinkled over the whipped topping for a touch of chocolate and a pop of color.
How to Make O’Charley’s Caramel Pie
This O’Charley’s Caramel Pie recipe is not difficult to make. Here are the steps in brief:
- Beat an egg in a small bowl. Brush the beaten egg over the pie crust, covering it fully.
- Bake the pie crust at 375°F for 5 to 6 minutes. Cool the pie completely before proceeding.
- Combine dulce de leche with Cool Whip in a large bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust and smooth out the top.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Garnish with whipped topping and sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped pecans on top.
How to Serve Ooey-Gooey Caramel Pie
A piece of O’Charley’s Caramel Pie is perfect for enjoying with your coffee or tea and also makes a deliciously sweet dessert for your favorite dinner entrées.
Plus, it tastes really great with some tart apple slices or apple chips.
How to Make Dulce de Leche
If you can’t find dulce de leche at the store, you can make it with cans of sweetened condensed milk.
Here’s how to make dulce de leche on the stovetop:
- Peel the label off the cans. Do not open the cans.
- Place the cans upright in a large pot and cover them completely with cold water.
- Slowly bring the water to a rolling boil and boil the cans for 3 hours.
- Check the water level as it is boiling and make sure it always covers the cans. Add hot water as needed.
- Use tongs to lift the cans out of the boiling water.
- Allow the cans to cool for at least 1 hour before opening them.
Warning: When you are boiling the cans is not the time to leave the house! Keep an eye on the pot and make sure the water level doesn’t drop. If the cans get exposed, they can explode! Yes, for real – and you’ll end up with a huge cleanup or even remodeling!!
Here’s how to make dulce de leche in a crock pot or slow cooker:
- Peel the label off the cans.
- Place the cans in the crock pot.
- Cover the cans with at least 2 inches of water.
- Cook it on low for 8 hours.
- Use tongs to lift the cans out of the crock pot.
- Allow the cans to cool for at least 1 hour before opening it.
Please don’t even think about opening a hot can! You must wait until the cans are fully cooled. Why? Because hot dulce de leche under pressure will spray and burn you and might even hit your ceiling!
Note: If you are shopping in a hurry, make sure you grab sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. These two products look identical and are usually located on the same shelf.
How to Use Dulce de Leche
There’re endless ways to make use of this sweet concoction, for instance:
- Add it to your coffee.
- Make dulce de leche and Ritz Cracker snack bites. Salty and sweet, these little treats are perfect for your afternoon tea!
- Tastes great with apple slices.
- Use as a filling for crepes.
- Add it to cakes and brownies.
- Add it to your apple pie filling for a wonderful apple-caramel pie.
- Use it as a quick caramel cream frosting.
- Drizzle it over ice cream, especially chocolate ice cream.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Freezer Storage: Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Add fresh garnishes after thawing, not before freezing.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store covered in the pie dish or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The crust stays crisp for the first 2 days and softens slightly after that, though the flavor remains excellent.
- Reheating Method: This pie is served cold and does not require reheating. Add the whipped topping garnish, chocolate chips, and pecans only to slices you plan to serve immediately, not to the whole pie before storing.
More O’Charley’s Copycat Recipes
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- Caramel Apple Dip
- Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
- Caramel Apple Martini
- Caramel Iced Coffee
- Caramel Macchiato
- Homemade Caramel Popcorn
- Chocolate Caramel Cake
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O’Charley’s Caramel Pie
Ingredients
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 9-inch graham cracker crust
- 3 13.4-ounce cans dulce de leche
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed to room temperature
- 1 cup canned whipped topping to garnish
- 1/4 cup chocolate morsels to garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Brush the pie crust with the beaten egg, covering fully, and bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely before proceeding.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dulce de leche with the thawed whipped topping and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the pie crust, smoothing and flattening the top of the pie. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, garnish with the canned whipped topping, chocolate morsels, and chopped pecans. Best served chilled.
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