Caramel Apple Pie

This caramel apple pie is a classic made even better with the addition of homemade caramel sauce. The apples are jam-packed into a flaky pie crust and baked until soft and juicy, coated in gooey caramel. After baking, more caramel sauce is added so every slice has plenty of caramel throughout

Apple choice and slice thickness

This pie works best with a mix of apples rather than a single variety. I use a firm and tangy apple like Granny Smith for structure, and a sweeter apple such as Braeburn, Jazz, or Pink Lady for flavor. The firmer apples hold their shape as the pie bakes, while the sweeter ones soften and fill up the gaps. It gives a great balance in texture. Apple pie is baked for a really long time so apples that hold their shape matter here. You don’t want any varieties that turn to mush.

I slice the apples thinly, about 3 to 4 mm thick. Thin slices cook evenly in a tightly packed pie and settle together as they soften. This stops a gappy pie. If you cut thicker wedges, they can cook unevenly, even when the juices are reduced, and can leave gaps once the piehas cooled. With thinner slices, the apples layer really cleanly and shrink less, and creates a filling that slices neatly.

Why you should macerate apples for pie

I have been macerating fruit for my pies for years, but this caramel apple pie was one of my older recipes that had not been updated yet. When I first made it back in 2022, I let the apples release their juices in the oven. The flavour was good, but the filling baked up looser, with more sauce and noticeable shrinkage as the apples softened.

With the maceration method, the apples juices are reduced before baking. That concentrated liquid is mixed back through the fruit with caramel, so the filling goes into the oven already cooked. The apples bake evenly, hold their shape, and the pie stays full and structured once sliced.

Method

1. Peel and core the apples, add to a bowl and squeeze over lemon juice and sugar. Let them sit to release their juices.

1. Drain the juice from the apples and add it to a saucepan. Simmer gently until slightly thickened.

1. Add the caramel sauce to the saucepan and stir together.

1. Toss the apples in flour and spice, then add over the caramel sauce.

1. Pile the apples high into a 9-inch pie crust. It will be very full.

1. Top with a lattice crust. Lift the edge of the bottom crust slightly and tuck the ends of the lattice strips underneath it.

1. Top with egg wash and bake until deep golden brown and bubbling.

1. Let the pie cool, then pipe in extra caramel sauce top with flaky salt.

1. Serve with ice cream and more caramel.

Serving and storage

Let the pie cool completely before slicing. This allows the caramel apple filling to set and gives cleaner slices. You can make it the day before too, and let it cool at room temperature overnight.

Store at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerate for longer storage.

Caramel Apple Pie

Elien Lewis

This caramel apple pie recipe makes a perfectly sweet and spiced apple pie.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Pies

Cuisine American

Servings 9 inch pie

Calories 318 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 1 double unbaked pie crust

Filling

• 1.4 kg apples around 8-9 apples
• 100 g granulated sugar
• ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
• 100 g caramel sauce
• 20 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping

• 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
• Flaky salt optional
• Caramel sauce

Instructions

 

• Peel and core the apples. Use a sharp knife to slice the apples into equal ⅛ inch (3-4mm) slices. 1.4 kg apples, 100 g granulated sugar, ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
• Add the apple slices to a large bowl and add the lemon juice and sugar. Toss together to coat, then let them macerate for an hour at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one portion of pie crust into a 12-inch circle and drape it over a 9-inch pie pan, leaving an overhang. Place this in the fridge while you continue the apples. 1 double unbaked pie crust
• Balance a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and drain the apples from their juices, collecting all the liquid. Place the apples back in the bowl and set aside.
• Pour the juices into a small saucepan placed over medium heat and simmer until reduced by about half and just slightly syrupy, still pourable. Stir through the caramel sauce until combined. 100 g caramel sauce
• To the apples in the bowl add the spices, vanilla and flour, then pour over the apple caramel sauce and toss to coat. 20 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Add the apples to the prepared pie dish. You can mound the apples up a bit in the middle of the pie to make them fit.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the second disc of pastry into a 12-inch circle. You can drape this second layer over the pie, or create a lattice pie crust. If you're not making a lattice top, add 2-3 slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape when baking.
• Cut off the uneven excess dough overhang. Leave enough overhang so you can roll and pinch together the top crust and bottom crust of the pie. Flute the edges of the pastry with your fingers.
• Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water. 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
• Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the pie with egg wash.
• Bake the pie at 425°F/220°C for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F/180°C and continue baking for a further 55-65 minutes until the apples are soft and the filling is bubbling.
• If the pie crust is browning too much at the end, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
• Let the pie cool down for at least 4 hours before slicing. Once the pie has cooled, I pipe a little extra caramel into the lattice gaps before serving and sprinkle with some flaky salt. Caramel sauce, Flaky salt
• Serve with extra caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Apple choice

Use a mix of apples rather than a single variety. A firm apple like Granny Smith gives structure, while a sweeter apple such as Braeburn, Jazz, or Pink Lady adds flavour. Avoid apples that break down quickly, as this pie bakes for a long time.

Slice thickness 

Slice the apples thinly, around 3 to 4 mm thick. Thin slices cook evenly in a tightly packed pie and settle together as they soften, which helps prevent gaps once the pie cools.

Do not skip macerating

Macerating the apples first is what controls moisture and prevents shrinkage. If the apples go straight into the pie raw, the filling will bake up looser and can pull away from the crust as it cools.

Filling the pie

This pie can be filled generously. Mound the apples slightly in the centre. The filling will settle but should not collapse.

Bake until bubbling

The pie is done when the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling in several places. Bubbling is what activates the starch and allows the filling to set.

Cooling time

Let the pie cool completely before slicing. The filling continues to set as it cools and will cut cleanly once fully cold.

Storage

The baked pie keeps at room temperature for up to 24 hours or refrigerated for up to 4 days. Rewarm slices gently before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 289mgFiber: 6gSugar: 36g

Keyword apple, apple pie, caramel apple pie, caramel sauce

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