Caramel Apple Pie
Caramel apple pie is a decadent treat that combines crisp apples and a creamy, caramel sauce in a flaky crust, and tops it all with a crunchy crumble topping.
Ingredients
Pie Filling
- 9 inch unbaked pie crust store-bought or use our homemade pie crust recipe
- 6 cups peeled cored and thinly sliced Granny Smith or Pippin apples about 6 to 7 apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 dash salt
- 30 soft caramel candies about 1 cup
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup salted butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the unbaked pie crust in the freezer while you prepare the pie filling.
- As you peel, core, and slice the apples, toss them into a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over them.
- Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup flour, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and a dash of salt to the apple mixture. Stir well to combine.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine unwrapped caramels and heavy whipping cream. Heat for 30 seconds, stir, and heat for 30 seconds longer. Stir the mixture until it is combined and smooth. Heat for additional 15-second increments if needed to melt the caramel completely.
- Stir ⅓ cup of the caramel mixture into the apple mixture. Reserve the remaining caramel to drizzle over the top of the baked pie.
- Mound apple mixture into the chilled pie crust. Dot small pieces of the 2 tablespoons of butter over the top of the apples. Set aside.
- Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the crumble topping in a small bowl. Add pieces of butter (½ cup) into the crumble mixture. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until small clumps form.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples.
- Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes. After 15 to 20 minutes, check the pie for browning. When the top and crust of the pie are browned, cover the entire pie with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven when the apple filling is bubbling, and the topping and crust are browned.
- Allow the pie to cool completely.
- Drizzle pie with reserved caramel sauce (reheat as needed). Cut and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
PRO TIP: If you are using a store-bought crust, I'd recommend placing the foil pie pan into a 9-inch pie plate for extra stability.
PRO TIP: When the warm caramel sauce is mixed with the cold apple filling, it tends to clump up a little bit. That is no problem. It will melt into the apples as the pie cooks.
PRO TIP: Place your pie dish on a baking sheet to transfer to and from the oven, so you don't end up having the filling bubble over and make a mess of your oven.
PRO TIP: The pie filling needs to bubble up, and the apples should be tender for the pie to be done cooking. If it doesn’t cook all the way, the filling will not set firm. Cooling the pie completely (or for at least a few hours) will also make it easier to slice without the filling running all over the place.