Making a delicious, homemade caramel apple pie can be surprisingly easy. It's almost easier than picking one up from the corner bakery. With the right technique, even a beginner can bake their own delicious apple pie with homemade pie crust and caramel sauce.
Table of Content
Almost every year we make apple pie for Thanksgiving and serve it with vanilla ice cream and caramel topping. So, this is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert if you want to add a little to that classic. I highly recommend homemade caramel. Not only does it take just five minutes to make, but it is also finger-licking delicious. After all, who can resist caramel! Right?
Why make this apple pie?
- This is a wonderful but simple recipe for a fantastic-tasting caramel apple pie. What's more, it's easy! The recipe is easy to follow and designed for anyone who has never cooked anything before.
- And most of the ingredients are easy to find or simple pantry staples.
- Of course, I am making everything homemade from the double pie crust dough to a homemade caramel sauce. But you can also go semi-homemade using ready-to-use pastry and store-bought caramel sauce.
- Unlike traditional apple pie, in this one, we use a lattice crust which looks pretty and is super simple and easy to make.
- The best part is, that you can make this ahead of time. So, it is the perfect dessert to make for festive occasions or when entertaining. Make it ahead so you can concentrate on the cooking on the day of.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Apples - What are the best apples for apple pie? I like to use tart apples such as Granny Smith apples for this pie because they hold their shape well even after they are cooked soft and tender. In addition, they are tart, not sweet, which works beautifully with the sweetness in the pastry and filling. You can also use pink lady, Cripps Pink apples, Braeburn, or Gala when they are in season.
- Sugar - You can use all white sugar. And yet, I like the hint of caramel the molasses in the brown sugar adds to the apples.
- Spice - I've used cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger. You can also use a pinch of allspice or ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice.
- Butter - The butter adds a wonderful rich flavor to the apples. So, I highly recommend using it.
- Lemon juice - While granny smith apples are sour, we need a little lemon juice to keep the apples from oxidizing as well as to cut into the sweetness of the pie.
- Caramel - It takes only 5 to 7 minutes to make your own homemade caramel or butterscotch sauce. So, if possible, I highly recommend making your own.
How to make caramel apple pie
Caramel sauce
- In a heavy-bottom and deep medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup. With the heat on medium, bring the sugar to a boil. Shake the pan slowly guiding the distribution of heat. As the bubbles get smaller the color of the sugar starts to turn amber.
Pro tip - It is important to keep the heat to medium or medium-low to prevent burning. We want caramelized sugar, not burnt sugar. - The sugar should now be a deep amber color. Next, add the butter followed by the cream. Take it off the heat so it does not overflow or overheat in the pan. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Cool for a few minutes in the pan. Then, pour it into a mason jar or storage bowl.
Pro tip - The sauce will thicken as it cools. So it is best to make this a few hours if not a day ahead of time.
Double pie crust
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, and butter. Pulse for 30 seconds until bread crumb consistency. You can also use a bowl and pastry blender.
Pro tip - A flaky pie crust must have a good combination of small and big pieces of butter. So, don't pulse too long. - Add the chilled water through the feeder. Pulse another 30 to 40 seconds until almost combined.
Pro tip - The dough should still look crumbly but when you squish a little with your fingers it should shape into a ball. - Invert the crumbly mixture on a clean work surface. Gather it all into a ball without kneading.
Pro tip - We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough so we avoid kneading. - Divide into two – more for the bottom crust, and less for the top crust (see video). Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Pro tip - You can keep these in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. - Dust the work surface with flour. Open the larger disc for the bottom and roll carefully. Use your 9-inch pie pan as a guide to see how big you need it.
Pro tip - If you find the crust is breaking around the edges too much, it means that it is too hard to roll. Leave it to rest on the counter for just 7 to 10 minutes. Then, roll again, and press the broken edges together with your fingertips. - To transfer the dough to the pan without breaking, fold the pastry in half, then into quarters. Then, place it on the pie pan and unfold.
Pro tip - Alternatively, you can roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll it over the pie pan (folding in quarters is easier for newbies). - Gently fit it to the pie pan especially on the bottom edges with light hands. Place the lined pie in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Pro tip - You need about an inch more than the edge of your pie pan so you can trim the excess dough.
Apple pie filling
- Preheat oven at 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6
- Peel, core, and chop apples into thin slices about ⅛ inch. Large chunks will not fit in the pie and make a very chunky apple pie filling.
Pro tip - Use a bowl of water with lemon juice and drop each peeled apple into it. This will prevent them from oxidizing and give you enough working time. - Add all the sliced apples to a large bowl with lemon juice and toss to combine well. Then, add the spices, salt, and sugars followed by the flour, and combine well.
Pro tip - The pie filling must be made just before baking to prevent the apples from releasing too many juices while sitting on the counter.
Assemble
- Pour half the apple pie filling into the chilled pie crust. Top with ¼ cup caramel sauce, followed by the remaining apple pie filling and more ¼ cup caramel sauce.
Pro tip - The filling will look like a lot but it will cook down so make sure to pile it up high. Save the remaining caramel sauce to serve with the finished pie. - Roll the top crust - Dust the work surface with flour. Open the smaller disc of shortcrust pastry for the top of the pie and roll it larger than the pie pan (about 12 inches).
Pro tip - Use your pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it plus extra for crimping.
- Lattice pie crust - Using a ruler cut into ¾-inch strips.
- Lay six strips over the pie, equally spaced from each other.
- Carefully fold every other strip. Then, lay another strip perpendicular to them.
- Unfold the strips back over the perpendicular strips.
- Next, take the parallel strips running underneath the perpendicular strips and fold them over the perpendicular strips.
- Place another strip perpendicular to the parallel strips and unfold the strips back over the new perpendicular strips.
- Continue with this process until you have done the first half. Then, do the same on the second half of the pie.
Pro tip - It sounds complicated but if you watch the video it really is easy peasy.
- Cut excess edges - dampen the edges of the strips if necessary so they stick to each other. Then, cut off excess strips using clean kitchen scissors.
Pro tip - Use water to dampen the edges and make sure they stick. Otherwise, they can break easily when cutting the pie. - Brush the lattice crust with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Coarse sugar adds a nice crunch but can be omitted. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that may overflow.
Pro tip - For the egg wash, combine the egg and water. Then, use a pastry brush to brush it on the pastry.
Bake
- Bake at 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4 and cook another 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
Pro tip - After 20 to 25 minutes, cover edges loosely with foil or pie shield to prevent the top crust from becoming too dark. You want lovely golden brown that is not too dark. - Serve warm or at room temperature on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and additional caramel topping. You can also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, or some pastry cream.
Tips for Success
- Keep the pie crust cold at all times, starting with the ingredients. Chill the pie dough until firm enough to roll.
- Use the right apples for the pie - in this case, we used Granny Smith or similar.
- If the apple pie filling is not ready, place the lined pie pan and top crust in the fridge.
- Make the apple pie filling just before you are going to bake it. The longer the apple pie sits outside the more juices it will release. These will make the bottom pie crust soggy.
- Cut the apples into thin slices so there will be less shrinkage. (they still shrink but big chucks make a flat pie).
- Add spice to your apple pie, but do not over-spice it. Let the apples shine through and not be drowned with the strong flavors of cinnamon or ginger.
- Cook the pie on high for a short time. This will prevent the crust from shrinking. Then lower the heat and cook longer so the apples become tender.
- Let the pie rest so the juices will cool in between the apple slices not flow down to the bottom. (See my tips to making an apple pie with no pool of juices at the bottom).
Troubleshooting
- My pastry is breaking - there are two reasons this can happend.
- Either when it is not chilled properly which makes the butter too soft to roll or
- when the pastry is chilled so hard that the butter breaks when rolling.
- Too many juices at the bottom of my pie - The secret is to let the juices have time to settle where they are. If you cut into the pie while it's hot, those juices will flow to the bottom of the pie and you will have a big pool of juices at the bottom. If you cut it warm you will have fewer juices at the bottom and if you cut it at room temperature you will have no juices. I recommend, making the pie a day ahead of time.
- Apple pie filling is too mushy- this can happen if you choose the wrong or rather apple that becomes soft when cooked. Use apple like Granny Smith for best results.
- My crust is not getting any color - this can happen if the oven is too low or there is something blocking direct heat to the pie.
More apple pie recipes
How long with this caramel apple pie keep?
This pie will keep at room temperature for about 2 days. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to a week if wrapped well.
What apples are best for apple pie?
You want a moist apple pie with slices of apples, not apple sauce. Of course, that means that you want to use nice juicy apples. Some apples, like MacIntosh apples, become mushy when cooked and turn into apple sauce. Granny Smith apples stay firm even after they have been cooked. The added advantage with granny smith is that they are sour and work best to cut into the sugar. So use nice frim apples.
Should you cook apples before making an apple pie?
Not, necessarily. This pie does need a long time for baking which is just enough so the apples are soft but not mush. Precooking the apples would make the apple pie filling very soft and mushy similar to a puree. This is perfect because the apples are soft but they still hold their shape.
Printable Recipe
Caramel Apple Pie
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 374kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 12 servings
Description
Making a delicious, homemade caramel apple pie can be surprisingly easy. It's almost easier than picking one up from the corner bakery. With the right technique, even a beginner can bake their own delicious apple pie with homemade pie crust and caramel sauce.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Homemade caramel sauce (up to 4 days ahead)
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar (white)
- 3 tablespoon Water
- 2 tablespoon Corn syrup (or honey)
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) Butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream (32 to 38% fat)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Double pie crust (up to 4 days aehad)
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose four
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter (unsalted, chilled, cubed)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 6 tablespoon (90 ml) Water (chilled)
Apple pie filling
- 2 lb (900 g) Apples (peel, cored, and sliced about ⅛ inch (see video).)
- ½ cup (110 g) Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg (fresh grated)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) Butter (unsalted - chilled and cubed)
Egg wash
- 1 Egg white
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 2 tablespoon Sugar (for sprinkling (optional) )
Instructions
Caramel sauce
- In a heavy-bottom and deep medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup. With the heat on medium, bring the sugar to a boil. Shake the pan slowly guiding the distribution of heat. As the bubbles get smaller the color of the sugar starts to turn amber. Pro tip - It is important to keep the heat to medium or medium-low to prevent burning. We want caramelized sugar, not burnt sugar.
- The sugar should now be a deep amber color. Add the butter followed by the cream. Take it off the heat so it does not over-flow or overheat in the pan. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Cool for a few minutes in the pan. Then, pour into a mason jar or storage bowl.Pro tip - The sauce will thicken as it cools so it is best to make this a few hours if not a day ahead of time.
Double pie crust
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, and butter. Pulse for 30 seconds until bread crumb consistency. You can also use a bowl and pastry blender.Pro tip - A flaky pie crust must have a good combination of small and big pieces of butter. So, don't pulse too long.
- Add the chilled water through the feeder. Pulse another 30 to 40 seconds until almost combined. Pro tip - The dough should still look crumbly but when you squish a little with your fingers it should shape into a ball.
- Invert the crumbly mixture on a clean work surface. Gather it all into a ball without kneading. Pro tip - We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough so we avoid kneading.
- Divide into two – more for the bottom crust, less for the top crust (see video). Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.Pro tip - You can keep these in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Dust the work surface with flour. Open the larger disc for the bottom and roll carefully. Use your 9-inch pie pan as a guide to see how big you need it.Pro tip - If you find the crust is breaking around the edges too much, it means that it is too hard to roll. Leave it to rest on the counter for just 7 to 10 minutes. Then, roll again, press the broken edges together with your fingertips.
- To transfer the dough to the pan without breaking, fold the pastry in half, then into quarters. Then, place it on the pie pan and unfold. Pro tip - Alternatively, you can roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll it over the pie pan (folding in quarters is easier for newbies).
- Gently fit it to the pie pan especially in the bottom edges with light hands. Place the lined pie in the fridge while you prepare the filling. Pro tip - You need about an inch more than the edge of your pie pan so you can trim the excess dough.
Apple pie filling
- Preheat oven at 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6
- Peel, core, and chop apples into thin slices about ⅛ inch. Large chunks will not fit in the pie and make a very chunky apple pie filling.Pro tip - Use a bowl of water with lemon juice and drop each peeled apple into it. This will prevent them from oxidizing and give you enough working time.
- Add all the sliced apples to a large mixing bowl with lemon juice and toss to combine well. Then, add the spices, salt, and sugars followed by the flour and combine well. Pro tip - The pie filling must be made just before baking to prevent the apples from releasing too many juices while sitting on the counter.
Assemble
- Pour half the apple pie filling in the chilled pie crust. Top with ¼ cup caramel sauce, followed by the remaining apple pie filling and more ¼ cup caramel sauce. Pro tip - The filling will look like a lot but it will cook down so make sure to pile it up high. Save the remaining caramel sauce to serve with the finished pie.
- Roll the top crust - Dust the work surface with flour. Open the smaller disc of shortcrust pastry for the top of the pie and roll it larger than the pie pan (about 12 inches).Pro tip - Use your pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it plus extra for crimping.
- Lattice pie crust - Using a ruler cut into ¾-inch strips. 1. Lay six strips over the pie, equally spaced from each other. 2. Carefully fold every other strip. Then, lay another strip perpendicular to them.3. Unfold the strips back over the perpendicular strips.4. Next, take the parallel strips running underneath the perpendicular strips and fold them over the perpendicular strips. 5. Place another strip perpendicular to the parallel strips and unfold the strips back over the new perpendicular strips.6. Continue with this process until you have done the first half. Then, do the same on the second half of the pie. Pro tip - It sounds complicated but if you watch the video it really is easy peasy.
- Cut excess edges - dampen the edges of the strips if necessary so they stick to each other. Then, cut off excess strips using clean kitchen scissors. Pro tip - Use water to dampen the edges and make sure they stick. Otherwise, they can break easily when cutting the pie.
- Brush the lattice crust with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Coarse sugar adds a nice crunch but can be omitted. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that may overflow.Pro tip - For the egg wash, combine the egg and water. Then, use a pastry brush to brush it on the pastry.
Bake
- Bake at 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4 and cook another 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Pro tip - After 20 to 25 minutes, cover edges loosely with foil or pie shield to prevent the top crust from becoming too dark. You want lovely golden brown that is not too dark.
- Serve warm or room temperature on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and additional caramel topping. You can also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, or some pastry cream.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Keep the pie crust cold at all times, starting with the ingredients. Chill the pie dough until firm enough to roll.
- Use the right apples for the pie - in this case, we used Granny Smith or similar.
- If the apple pie filling is not ready, place the lined pie pan and top crust in the fridge.
- Make the apple pie filling just before you are going to bake it. The longer the apple pie sits outside the more juices it will release. These will make the bottom pie crust soggy.
- Cut the apples into thin slices so there will be less shrinkage. (they still shrink but big chucks make a flat pie).
- Add spice to your apple pie, but do not over-spice it. Let the apples shine through and not be drowned with the strong flavors of cinnamon or ginger.
- Cook the pie on high for a short time. This will prevent the crust from shrinking. Then lower the heat and cook longer so the apples become tender.
- Let the pie rest so the juices will cool in between the apple slices not flow down to the bottom.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 374- kcalCarbohydrates: 51- gProtein: 4- gFat: 18- gSaturated Fat: 11- gCholesterol: 46- mgSodium: 308- mgPotassium: 141- mgFiber: 3- gSugar: 24- gVitamin A: 582- IUVitamin C: 5- mgCalcium: 22- mgIron: 2- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Megan
Absolutely delicious! The caramel really makes the pie! I’m not even a huge apple pie fan and I’m making this for the 2nd time today. I use store bought crusts because I’m lazy, but follow the recipe to the T otherwise. Thank you!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Megan.
Susan
What a delicious food blog to stumble upon!!! Your recipes look divine! I will be trying some of them soon! Thank-you!!!