The Best Caramel Apple Pie

This silky, creamy Caramel Apple Pie is one of our longstanding family favorites. It is made from a delicious spiced, buttery homemade apple filling, and can be made with one of our scratch pie crusts or you can use your favorite pre-made pastry crust for a quicker version. This is perfect to enjoy with a hot mug of hot cocoa, a glass of sparkling sangria, or one of our best fall cocktails.

Homemade caramel apple pie takes a traditional apple pie and brings it into a luscious and indulgent pastry that everyone loves. Top it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with velvety caramel sauce. It is a staple dessert for our family during the holidays, and presents a wonderful way to use up your fresh apple crop.

Looking for a modern, edgy twist to put on the traditional apple pie? Use this recipe to make your own caramel apple slab pie. Tray bakes are always popular during the holiday season. It makes for a creative and easy to serve dessert at a large event or gathering.

What makes the best pie crust?

Pie crust is a very simple pastry dough that can be made with only a few ingredients, or you can go for a rich and complex pastry dough by incorpoorating ingredients such as soughdough starter for a robust flavor punch. We have a wonderful soughdough pie crust recipe if that interests you, or you can follow the recipe as directed and make our tasty coconut oil pie crust.

These coconut oil crusts are the best tasting, and looking pie crusts. The pie crusts come out flaky and flavorful with a very easy dough to work with. One of the challenges of pie crust is learning how to work with it, without it falling apart. Coconut oil provides a very stable option while delivering a subtle flavor that works beautifully for sweet baked goods.

Coconut oil pie crust tips

• Work this crust at room temperature with melted coconut oil. Coconut oil with become challenging to work with if in it’s solid form. Use melted coconut oil for a smooth and mixable consistency that will blend with the dough beautifully.
• Mind the amount of water you use. Too much water will dissolve the crust around it’s edges and make it too sticky to work with easily. Too little water and the dough will be crumbly and fall apart.

Should you blind bake a crust for apple pie?

No matter the crust that you choose to use, you do not need to pre-bake or blind bake the crust for your caramel apple pie. Pre-baking pie crust is only necessary for recipes like fruit pies, meringue pies, or cream pies that will not be baked.

Caramel Apple Pie recipe tips

For the very best flavor, presentation, and ease of baking we are sharing some of our tips and tricks.

• Reach for the best baking apples. Honeycrisp, Grannysmith, Fuji, and other slightly tart and crisp apples are best for use in baked goods. They will balance the other sweet ingredients, and the crisp texture will hold up in the baking process.
• Once you have your apple sliced put them in a bowl of lemon water. This will keep the sliced apple from turning brown which happens when they are exposed to the air. Be careful not to use too much lemon juice or it can affect the flavor of the pie.
• Nuts can be incorpoorated into the filling if desired. Have a hankering for caramel pecan apple pie? Chop them up and incorpoorate them into the filling for a delicious addition. Caramel apple pie with pecans is always a welcomed dessert.
• Keep the crust chilled for the easiest handling. Pie crusts are notoriously delicate and susceptible to breaking, tearing, and melting apart due to the use of butter and oils. Keep the crust chilled until you are ready to use it.
• Dress the crust with an egg wash and sanding sugar for a beautiful presentation. Nothing says holidays like sparkle. An egg wash will create a beautiful shine on the pie crust, and sanding sugar will not only add extra sweetness; it will also present a gorgeous shimmer.
• Make extra crust for holiday and seasonal cutouts. Everyone enjoys crust cutouts and the visual enhancement that they bring. You can see that we chose to make this pie with a cutout top crust for a beautiful seasonal look.

Making the pie

Place the apple slices into a bowl with a tablespoon of lemon juice to avoid the apple slices turning brown. When all the apples are properly cut and sliced immediately put them into a larger mixing bowl to build the filling.

Sprinkle one tablespoon vanilla over the drained apples. Mix the filling ingredients together and pour over the apples. Stir until all of the sliced apples are coated and a rich syrup forms. Set the filling aside and prepare you crust.

Our coconut oil pie crust recipe makes enough for a single two crust 9 inch pie. If you are using a larger pie plate, or a very deep pie plate you will need to double the recipe.

For easy handling and rolling out the dough for the pie crust; roll it between 2 pieces of oiled parchment paper. It comes off the parchment easily and the dough won’t stick to the rolling pin! Roll into a circle 2 inches wider than the circumference of your pie plate.

How to place your crust in the pie plate

• Remove the top layer of parchment paper
• Put your hand under the bottom parchment and invert into your other hand
• Carefully place the crust into the pie plate so it is centered
• Carefully peel the edges of the dough off the parchment, then peel the parchment back. Keep the parchment fold close to the dough, as you pull

Next, add your prepared filling, then place the top crust

• Cover the apple filling with thin slices of firm butter
• Following the instructions above, invert the second crust and place top crust over the filling
• Flute the edges, cutting any excess off to prevent burnt edges
• Using a sharp knife make several thin slits across the top of the crust. This allows air to escape which will help the pie bake better, and prevent bubbles in the top crust
• Whisk an egg white with a bit of water and brush it lightly on the top crust
• Sprinkle large grain sanding sugar over the egg washed crust

If you prefer to make your top crust out of cutouts that is also a beautiful and fun option. Simply cut out the designs using whatever shapes and themes you desire. Arrange them as you like, brush with the egg wash and dust with sugar for a sparkling finish. Cutouts are such a fun way to finish this caramel apple pie.

How can I make my caramel apple pie standout?

Apple pie is an American staple for a reason. Well loved for it’s familiar, comforting flavors and place in our hearts and homes. Here are some ideas for how you can dress it up while keeping the traditional flavors and presentation that we all know and love.

• Bringing intensity by adding a bit of ginger, cardemom and similar spices will enhance and deepen the flavor
• Mix and match the apples you use by bringing in different flavors
• Dust the top crust with a cinnamon sugar mixture
• Add extra caramel sauce for an indulgent and delicious addition
• Bring the dance of sweet and salty to the forefront by adding extra salt
• Add a unique twist of flavor and texture by using a struesel topping instead of a top crust
• Make it a toffee apple pie
• Finish with a salted pecan crumble

Delicious recipe any way you choose to create it! Serve this pie at room temperature for best cutting. Cut and enjoy this pie at room temperature, or warmed.

Be sure to check out these other delicious pie recipes!

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