Caramel Apple Pie

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5 from 8 votes

Traditional apple pie is sweetened with creamy caramel for a wonderful twist on the classic favorite.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, caramel, pie

Servings:

Calories: 423kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the Caramel Sauce:

½ cup water
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon flake sea salt, or ¼ teaspoon table salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract

For the Pie:

1 recipe for our Double Crust Pastry (see link in notes)
8 cups peeled cooking apples sliced (about 3 pounds, or 7 to 8 medium apples)
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
juice of ½ a lemon, about 1 tablespoon
1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk, for brushing on the pie before baking
Coarse sugar for sprinkling top before baking
Ice cream and caramel sauce for serving, if desired

Instructions

To make the Caramel Sauce:

Measure the cream and have it ready when needed.
Combine the water, granulated sugar and salt in a medium, heavy bottom, deep saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the simple syrup until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cook without stirring until the syrup is light honey colored. Be sure to carefully shake and swirl the pan as needed to ensure even caramelization of the syrup. Don’t walk away from the pan, once it starts to color, it can turn dark quickly.
Carefully add the cream and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Allow the mixture to cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste. Set aside while preparing the pie. The caramel can be made ahead of time, stored in a jar and refrigerated until needed. Warm the caramel slightly at 50% power in the microwave before adding to the pie.

To make the pie:

Whisk together the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, then sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture. Toss with a spatula to combine. Set aside while rolling out the pastry dough.
Preheat oven to 375°F. If using our pastry recipe, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to roll out. Roll out half the dough on a heavily floured, clean work surface to a 12-inch circle. Gently fit the pastry dough into a deep dish 9-inch pie plate taking care not to stretch the dough. Trim the edges of the dough leaving a 1-inch overhang.
Fill the pastry with the apple mixture, pressing down gently on the apples to form a domed pie. Drizzle 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the apples. Retain the remaining caramel sauce to drizzled over individual slices of pie when served.
Roll out the remaining disc of pastry dough and fit over the apples in a lattice pattern or any design you desire. Trim the dough to match the bottom pastry overhang. Dampen the edges with a wet finger to moisten and press to seal. Flute the edges in a decorative pattern.
Lightly brush the entire top of the pie with the egg and milk mixture using a soft pastry or BBQ brush. Discard the remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar then place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake the pie for 60-75 minutes or until golden brown with a bubbling filling. If the crust is over-browning during baking, tent with foil.
Cool completely before serving so the juices will not run out when sliced. If you don’t mind a juicy slice of pie, serve slightly warm. Great topped with a scoop of ice cream and drizzled with additional caramel sauce.

Notes

I prefer to use a combination of apples in my pies but recommend at least half are Granny Smith apples.
Substitute pre-made refrigerated pie crust if desired.
Substitute store-bought caramel sauce if desired (note I have not tested this recipe using jarred caramel sauce)
Try our Perfect Pie Crust in 3 easy steps - found HERE.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition