This caramel apple pie features thinly sliced tart and sweet apples tossed in a quick caramel sauce and nestled in an easy, flaky homemade crust.
Apple pie on a crisp fall day is hard to beat. The scent of apples and cinnamon is comforting, and making the pie — rolling the dough, layering the apples, and finishing a lattice top — is as satisfying as eating it. Serve warm slices with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel for the best results. This Caramel Apple Pie is straightforward to prepare and full of classic fall flavor.
Below is a clear guide to making the pie from scratch, including a flaky pie crust. If you prefer, a store-bought crust works fine too. Follow these steps for a tall, well-structured pie with a tender crust and a saucy apple filling.
How to Make Caramel Apple Pie
Start with the dough.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and pinch it into the flour with your fingers until you have flat, pea-sized pieces. Stir in ice water with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together; it may be crumbly at first. Gather it with your hands until it holds its shape. Divide into two equal portions, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Make the Caramel Apple Filling
Fill a large bowl with water and the juice from half a lemon. Peel and core the apples, placing them in the lemon water as you work to prevent browning. When all apples are peeled, drain and slice them thinly (about 1/8″). Place the sliced apples in a colander set over the empty bowl. Toss with the remaining lemon juice and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Let sit for about 20 minutes so the apples release their juices. Reserve 1/4 cup of the collected apple juices and chill the apples while you make the caramel.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the reserved apple juices and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2–3 minutes until the sugars dissolve and the mixture is glossy. Remove from heat and pour the caramel over the chilled apple slices; toss to coat and set aside.
Assembly & Baking
Remove the dough from the fridge. On a floured surface, roll one portion into a 12″ circle and fit it into a pie pan, crimping the edges as desired. Brush the surface with a beaten egg white and refrigerate the shell while you prepare the top.
Roll the second dough portion into a roughly 10″ x 10″ square and cut into 9–10 strips about 1″ wide. Chill the strips on a cookie sheet.
Pack the sliced apples into the chilled pie shell rather than dumping them in; placing them carefully, tightly stacked, creates a tall, neat pie that holds its shape when sliced. Pour any remaining caramel sauce over the filled pie.
Weave a lattice top with the chilled dough strips and trim the edges. Brush with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water) and sprinkle with turbinado sugar for a pleasant crunch. Freeze the assembled pie briefly while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F. Protect the crust edge with foil to prevent over-browning and continue baking at 350°F for an additional 50–55 minutes, until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Let the pie cool enough to set before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and extra caramel if desired.
Caramel Apple Pie
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- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min
- Total Time: 2 hrs 10 minutes, + chill time
- Yield: 1 Apple Pie
Description
Perfectly tart and sweet apples sliced thin and tossed in a quick caramel sauce, then tucked into an easy, flaky, homemade crust.
Ingredients
For Pie Crust
- 2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
- 1 TBSP Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 1/4 C Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed (about 2 1/2 sticks)
- 1/3 C Ice Water, plus extra if needed
- 1 Large Egg + 1 Egg White
For the Caramel Apple Filling
- 2 Large Granny Smith apples
- 3 Large Honeycrisp apples
- 1 Lemon
- 1/2 C Unsalted Butter
- 2 TBSP All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 C Apple juices (from the sliced apples)
- 2 TBSP Water
- 1/2 C Granulated Sugar + 2 TBSP (divided)
- 1/2 C Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and pinch into the flour until you have flat pea-sized pieces. Stir in ice water and bring the dough together; add an extra teaspoon of ice water at a time if too dry. Divide the dough in half, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the Caramel Apple Filling
- Fill a large bowl halfway with water and the juice from half a lemon. Peel and core the apples, placing them in the lemon water as you go. Drain and slice the apples about 1/8″ thick. Place slices in a colander over the empty bowl.
- Toss the sliced apples with the remaining lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit 20 minutes to release juices. Reserve 1/4 cup of the collected juices and chill the apples.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes. While whisking, add the reserved apple juices and water, then stir in granulated and brown sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2–3 minutes until smooth.
- Remove from heat, pour the caramel over the chilled apple slices, and toss to combine. Set aside.
Assembly & Baking
- Roll one dough half into a 12″ circle and fit into a pie dish. Crimp the edges and brush with egg white. Chill the shell. Roll the second half into a 10″ square and cut into 9–10 one-inch strips; chill the strips.
- Pack the apples tightly into the chilled pie shell, stacking slices to create height. Pour any remaining caramel over the apples.
- Weave a lattice top with the dough strips, trim the edges, and brush with egg wash (1 egg + 2 TBSP water). Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Freeze the assembled pie briefly while preheating the oven.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F. Protect the crust edge with foil and continue baking 50–55 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden. Cool before slicing and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Store pie at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to one week.
If you liked this recipe, try Apple Cider Donuts and Apple Pie Blondies for more apple-forward treats.