There are three parts to this pie. It’s just like my deep dish apple pie, but towers high with salted caramel inside and on top. First, we have the buttery flaky pie crust, then the cinnamon-spiced apples, and finally the salted caramel. Let’s discuss the crust first.
Pie crust can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s made with a few simple ingredients. Flour, salt, cold water, and fat. You can make pie crust with shortening or with butter. Why shortening? Shortening aids in creating flakiness. Flaky, tender, melt-in-your mouth crust. Butter imparts unparalleled, impeccable flavor. Nothing beats butter.
However, my pie crust uses both. The best of both worlds. Flaky, tender, buttery pie crust made from shortening AND butter. It’s nothing new – tons of folks do it this way. And it’s the way I like it.
Make the apple filling as the dough is chilling. Fresh lemon juice, apples, flour, spices, and sugar. We suggest using a variety of apples. I used Pink Ladies (sweet) and Granny Smiths (tart). You get more complex flavor in each bite using a combo.
What Type of Apples Are Best for Pie?
It’s best to use a variety of apples in apple pie. Just like when we make apple cake, I recommend using half tart and half sweet. I love tart Granny Smith apples paired with a sweet variety such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jazz, and/or Fuji.
Next, add the pie filling to the dough. You may think – “there is way too much filling, it won’t fit!” But it will.
Make the salted caramel. Pour 1/2 cup of salted caramel over the apples:
Take the remaining chilled dough ball out of the refrigerator. Roll it out into a 12 inch diameter. We made a lattice pie crust for the top. You can chose the kind of crust style that you want. Any other style requires you to cut several ventilation slits on the crust top. Just go with lattice. It’s pretty even if you mess it up.
Before baking, brush the top with an egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. (Looks like salt, but we promise it’s coarse sugar!) This is exactly how we finish off blueberry pie too!
You will love this updated version of the traditional classic! It’s comparable to eating giant caramel apples, but with a buttery flaky crust thrown on top. We served ours with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream because there’s always room for ice cream, right? It’s one of our favorite Thanksgiving pies, but there is no reason to wait until fall’s harvest to make your new favorite apple pie.
More Apple Pie
- Homemade Apple Pie with Chai Spices
- Apple Pie Bars (with salted caramel!)
- Apple Crumble Pie
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
- Baked Apples
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Classic lattice-topped apple pie bubbling with salted caramel and gooey, cinnamon apples.
Ingredients
- Homemade Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- homemade salted caramel
- 8 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (10 cups or about 1.25kg total)*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice OR ground cloves (either are fine)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the salted caramel. You can do this as you wait for the pie dough to chill.
- Next, make the apple filling as the dough is still chilling: Place apple slices into a very large bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, flour, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gently toss to combine. Set aside.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard.
- Fill the pie crust with the apples. There are a lot of apples, but pile them tightly and very high. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the salted caramel, reserving the rest for topping.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any filling juices.
- Make the lattice crust: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough out, 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut 16 strips 1/2 inch wide. We always use a clean measuring tape or ruler as a guide to assure the lines are straight. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Using a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang. Crimp the edges of the dough with a fork or your fingers.
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake the pie for 25 minutes; then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Note for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling’s juices are bubbling, 35-45 more minutes. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.
- Cool pie for 4 hours before serving. Drizzle the pie with the extra caramel sauce to serve. This apple pie is best served on the same day, but it can be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The pie crust dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Best Apples to Use: Firmer apples are ideal for baking. Avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of tart and sweet apples such as tart Granny Smith (in my opinion, this is the best overall apple for baking) and a sweet variety like Honeycrisp, Jazz, Fuji, or Pink Lady.
- Aluminum Foil Pie Crust Shield: You can purchase a pie crust shield or make one from aluminum foil. Cut a 14-inch square of aluminum foil. Fold in half. Cut out a 5-inch semi-circle on the folded edge. Unfold. Carefully fit the aluminum foil over the pie crust edges, securing down on the sides as best you can (careful, the pie is hot!), leaving the center of the pie exposed.
Keywords: salted caramel apple pie, apple pie
Absolute novice baker… I LOVE this website. I always get comments about how great I am at making muffins, pies and truffles. Your tips and explanations make it so easy to bake like a pro. My wife is impressed because I make my own crust and Carmel and it comes out sooo good!
★★★★★
So happy to hear this, Shane! Thank you so much for making our recipes.
Hi Sally! Would the pie turn out the same if I left out the caramel sauce?
Hi Rachel, feel free to omit the caramel sauce or try this deep dish apple pie instead. Enjoy!
I love you recipes! I’ve made your deep dish apple pie as well as a few others. I plan to make this for Christmas as apple is a family favorite but every time I make the apple my filling comes out dry – I scoop the apples in as recommended – maybe I need to add more of the liquid? I even considered cooking the compote on the stove top to ensure a thick filling and par baking the crust – have you ever tried this? Your help is appreciated!
★★★★★
Hi Katelyn, try using the liquid, too. I’ve done that more and more recently. Also, if you can use extra juicy apples (like honeycrisp), that helps too.
Hi Sally! I’m planning on making this for Christmas and I was just wondering what happens if I don’t let the pie cool for 4 hours after baking it? Thanks
Hi Elly, allowing the pie to cool for 4 hours lets the filling set up as it cools. It will be runny and the pieces won’t hold their shape if served right away.
I’ve been making this for years. No need to look elsewhere, this is my favorite. I reduce the cinnamon to half a teaspoon because my dad is highly sensitive to cinnamon, among other things.
★★★★★
I’d like to try baking this recipe in some 5-inch disposable aluminum pie tins to make small apple pies. Should I make any adjustments to the filling ingredients, temperature, or bake time? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jessica, the bake time will be different (we’re unsure of the exact time), but temperature and filling ingredients (although less in each pie) will be the same!
Do you blind bake the crust for this recipe?
There isn’t a need to because the pie bakes for so long.
Hello I just wanted to make sure that I can make the pie completely then freeze it to serve it at a later date. Like 2 weeks later?
Hi Emma, Absolutely! See the recipe notes for make ahead and freezing instructions.
Great looking recipe! Anyone have a guess as to how long it should bake if I made this as individual canning jar lid pies?
★★★★★
Pastry lattice was great, filling tasted amazing but literally soup when I cut it open ♀️ Followed the recipe to the letter and discarded the liquid that appeared after prepping the filling. Still had to take a cup of liquid out of pie dish once it was cooked and bottom was obviously super soft. I cooked it for closer to 60 mins. I only used Honey Crisp apples. Any ideas on how to prevent this soup next time? ♀️
★★★★
Hi Jade, thank you for trying this recipe. Extend the bake time if you try this recipe again, about another 10-15 minutes. Tent the pie with aluminum foil if the top is browning quickly. It sounds like the pie simply needed longer to cook through.
Hi, is it possible to prep the apples and the crust 3 days before asambling the pie and baking it? Won’t the apple oxide and be all brown?
Hi Katherine, we don’t recommend making the filling ahead of time, but see recipe notes for make ahead options for the pie crust.
Hi sally! I have sort of a difficult set of questions??
I really want to make a rose apple tart, (I have looked at many recipes, but can’t find one I like) because I like the design. And I want to put your salted caramel as a base, before lining up the apples, can I do that??
And should I use shortcrust pastry or pie crust for this tart? (I know traditionally shortcrust is used in tarts, but maybe a pie crust so it can support the caramel layer??)
And whatever pastry I choose, how long should I blind bake it? Should I use weights, or can I just perforate with a fork?
Big thank you in advance!
Hi Amanda, we haven’t tried this, but it sounds amazing! If you want to use a traditional pie crust, follow these directions on how to blind bake a pie crust. If you want to make a shortbread tart crust, you could try this one or this one. Please let us know how it turns out!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to bake this pie. I am doing it for a special occasion… my question is this… can I make this a deep dish pie? My pie plate is 2 3/4″. How would I adjust the recipe? Please help!
★★★★★
Hi Tiffany, You might want to try our deep dish apple pie recipe. We hope you enjoy it!
I had some issues with my lattice sticking to the caramel as I was laying it down, I put a layer of apples over the caramel now! Great pie Sally:)
I’ve never made a good apple pie before now. My son loves apple pie and for his birthday we ordered a caramel apple pie from a fancy pie shop in town. He wanted apple pie for Thanksgiving, but I know that short notice holiday ordering from the same shop was out of the question. I tried this and it was AMAZING! Can’t wait to make it again. Store was out of Granny Smith, so I used a mix of Honey Crisp and Pink Lady.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
I love your website and recipes! Well done!
How do I prevent the bottom crust from being soggy?
Thank you,
Leanne
★★★★★
Hi Leanne! Sometimes a soggy crust means the pie simply needed to be baked for longer. And make sure to discard extra juices from the apple mixture. Hope these tips help!
Hi there! Our family loves warm pie – is it ok to heat it up in the oven a bit after it cools? THANK YOU!
Yes, definitely!
Have been making lattice crust for the last 50 years. Easy, peasy, until I watched a Great British Baking show and the test was to bake a lattice pie. Only 1 person in the 11/12 people made it correctly. You can’t imagine what they did. Make one on a plastic sheet with dough laid on top of each other with no weaving and tried sliding it on. Well, that really didn’t work. I have always taken it for granted but apparently only in the US is it standard.
Is it possible to prep the entire pie the day before (filling inside the crust and lattice completed entirely) and refrigerate until the next day to serve? Or will get soggy overnight? Thank you!
Hi Staci, For the best crust we recommend baking this pie after it’s assembled. You can certainly prep the filling the day before (since you have to prep the pie crust in advance anyway) and just assemble the day of baking (if doing this, discard any excess juices that accumulate in the bottom of the bowl of apple filling).
I made this and it was absolutely fantastic.
Now , I have to ask you something : Have you ever made Tarte Tatin ?
Because I think of you as my baking teacher, everything I’ve made from your website is great. But I cannot make a good tarte tatin, so I need you to help me. ( either you are laughing or thinking ” geez , will these people just be happy with what I already do …. ) But I just want to know. Thx Sally.
Hi Surati, we don’t have a tried and true Tarte Tatin recipe, but our Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake is a similar concept – let us know if you give it a try!
Mine looked great when I first pulled it out, but now it sunk bad in the middle. Why is this?
Hi Jerry, Did your crust deflate, or did your filling just shrink? For the top crust, if you are doing a solid top instead of lattice, be sure that there are plenty of vents for the steam to escape as you bake. If the filling shrunk too much, take a look at the types of apples you are using and how they are cut. We like to use a variety of firm/crisp apples (not softer apples like Macintosh) and try to make uniform slices. Aim for about 1/4 inch thick slices. If the apple slices are too thin, they’ll just pack themselves down when cooked. I hope this helps!
We used a Bobs Mills gluten free pie crust mix and it apparently doesn’t brown as much. Cooked 30 min at 400 and then 45 min at 325, apples seemed to be uniformly softened but no juice coming up through vents even with the 1/2C salted Carmel. Should I have baked it longer ?
Hi Donna, we usually look for juices and caramel bubbling up to ensure the liquid has thickened, but your pie may be OK if the apples are softened through!
Amazing!!!! Perfect delicious and beautiful!!!
★★★★★
I made this for my husband’s birthday. It was delicious and so beautiful! I used a different pie crust recipe because I didn’t want to buy shortening. I also left off the egg white and sugar crystals, and the top crust still looked amazing.
★★★★★
Hi, Sally. I’m so excited to try your recipes. I prepared the apple filling for the salted caramel apple pie earlier. When I was ready to assemble, there’s pretty much liquid in the bowl. Should I leave the liquid out or pour it into the pie crust with the apples?
Thank you so much.
Hi Jewel, it’s typically best to spoon the apple filling into the pie crust and discard the leftover juices so that the pie crust does not become too soggy.
Can I used Sugar in the Raw for the optional decorative touch on top?
★★★★★
Definitely!
Delicious pie! Mine turned out great.
★★★★★
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
I just have a question.. If I cook my pie for longer than the 40-50 minutes, is there chance the caramel sauce will burn?
I usually cook my pies for a lot longer to get the bottom crust hardened.. Thank you so much! Really excited to make this for Easter dinner. 🙂
Hi Lisa, It’s unlikely that the caramel will burn inside the filling of this pie. Feel free to add more bake time to produce the texture you’re looking for!
Hi Sally! Really excited to make this! Would this pie turn out alright if I use a pie dish that’s 1.5 inches deep?
Hoping for quick response , thank you.
Hi Anusha! A 2 inch deep pie dish is best, you may have a little extra filling with your slightly more shallow dish, just be careful not to overfill. Enjoy!