You will love this updated version of a classic: salted caramel apple pie. It has all of the flavor you love from caramel apples, with the added bonus of a buttery, flaky pie crust. It’s always one of the top-rated Thanksgiving pies on my website, but you don’t need to wait for a special holiday to make it. Top each slice with vanilla ice cream for a dessert that dreams are made of!
This is one of the first pie recipes I originally published on my website, back in 2013. And it’s still one of my absolute favorites! I make it every Thanksgiving, along with pumpkin pie.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- Cinnamon-spiced apples
- Extra extra apple filling (pile it high!)
- Buttery, flaky golden pie crust
- Sweet, salty, gooey salted caramel (need I say more?)
- Tastes amazing with vanilla ice cream
There are 3 parts to this pie. It’s pretty similar to my regular apple pie, but with salted caramel inside and on top. (The most flavorful addition!) First, we have the buttery, flaky pie crust, then the cinnamon-spiced apples, and finally the salted caramel. Let’s start with the crust. Have you ever made pie dough from scratch before?
Start With Quality Pie Dough
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. Why butter? Butter imparts unparalleled, impeccable flavor. Nothing beats butter when it comes to flavor!
My favorite pie crust recipe uses both, for the best of both worlds. Flaky, tender, buttery pie crust made from shortening AND butter. And if you’re looking for an all-butter pie dough, here is my favorite recipe for all-butter pie crust.
Each of these pie dough recipe posts includes a helpful video tutorial, step-by-step photos, and lots of troubleshooting tips.
#1 Pie Crust Success Tip
Keep the pie dough cold whenever you aren’t working with it. Leave the pie dough in the refrigerator while you make the apple filling.
Best Filling Ingredients to Use & Why
- Apples: You need about 8 large apples. 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, or Fuji. You get more complex flavor in each bite when you use a combo.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten the apple pie filling. You don’t need too much, because you will also be adding the sweetness of the salted caramel.
- Lemon: A squeeze of lemon is crucial in apple pies. Not enough to taste the lemon, but just enough to prevent the apples from browning and to keep the flavor bright. (Apple pies can taste a little flat without it.) For these reasons, I also use lemon in my apple cinnamon babka recipe.
- Flour: Flour thickens the pie filling, turning the juices into a gooey filling that sets up, for a perfectly sliceable pie. I don’t use cornstarch here, flour is my top choice. I prefer cornstarch for berry pies, like this blueberry pie.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add unparalleled flavor. For added warmth, add some allspice or cloves. You can really use either; they’re like a cozy hug for your tastebuds. 😉
- Salted Caramel: You can use store-bought caramel sauce or you can make this popular homemade salted caramel sauce. I recommend homemade; my recipe is salty, sweet, and irresistibly buttery. You make it on the stove with only 4 simple ingredients, and 2 of those ingredients are also used in the filling and the crust (sugar and butter). No candy thermometer required, and you can make the caramel in advance, or while your pie dough is chilling.
By the way, here is a complete list of the best apples for baking.
These Step-by-Step Photos Will Help
My pie crust recipe makes enough dough for a double-crusted pie. Start by rolling out your bottom pie crust (about 12 inches in diameter) and fitting it into a 9-inch pie dish.
Next, add the apple filling to the crust. You may think, “There is way too much filling, it won’t fit!” But it will, I promise. Pile it high.
Now pour about 1/2 cup of salted caramel over the apples.
Take the remaining chilled pie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll it out into a 12- to 14-inch-diameter circle. I like to make a lattice pie crust for the top. I used 18 strips of pie dough to lattice and they were about 1/2—3/4 inch thick… 9 strips going each way. Crimp the pie crust edges with a fork, to seal in all that caramel-apple goodness.
Before baking, brush the top with an egg wash, for that golden sheen, then sprinkle with coarse sugar, for a little sparkle and crunch. This is exactly how I finish off blueberry pie, too!
Other Topping Options
Of course, you can use thicker strips like I used for this peach pie, or a combination of thick and thin strips like I used on this cherry pie. You could also try something extra decorative by learning How to Braid Pie Crust or following my Pie Crust Designs Tutorial.
Or… feel free to skip the top crust entirely (save the other half of the pie dough for a pumpkin pie!) and use the oat streusel topping from this blueberry crumble pie or the crumb topping from this apple crumble pie. I often like to mix this recipe with that topping!
Once the pie filling is bubbling, and the crust is golden brown, the pie is done. Wait for the pie to cool completely, and then you can slice and serve. As always, you can serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and since you’ll have some leftover, add a drizzle of salted caramel on top. These are the *chef’s kiss* perfect finishing touches to your salted caramel apple pie.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Success Tips
- Uniform Apple Slices: Do your best to cut the apple slices to be all the same thickness. Why? You don’t want some thick solid apples and some thin mushy apples. You want them all to bake into a deliciously soft-yet-crisp texture. Aim for about 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Cold Pie Dough: Keep all of the pie dough you aren’t directly working with in the refrigerator. Warm or room-temperature pie dough is impossible to roll and handle.
- Make-Ahead Salted Caramel: You can make the salted caramel in advance, and refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then heat it up before using. After refrigerating, the caramel will be cold and solid, so you’ll need to warm it up to bring it back to a liquid consistency you can pour over the pie.
Recommended Tools
Be sure to check out my top 10 best pie baking tools, but here are a few specific tools I recommend for making this salted caramel apple pie:
- Vegetable Peeler or Johnny Apple Peeler
- Rolling Pin
- 9-inch Pie Dish
- Kitchen Shears
- Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter
- Pastry Brush
- Pie Crust Shield… or make your own—here’s how: 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 dish is hot!), leaving the center of the pie exposed.
- An Instant Read Thermometer is optional but helpful for using the internal temperature to determine when the pie is done baking. The internal temperature should be around 200°F (93°C) when done.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours (includes pie crust)
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Gooey cinnamon-spiced and salted caramel-infused apples join my buttery flaky pie crust to make this absolutely incredible apple pie variation. I love this salted caramel apple pie with a classic lattice top, but you can try the oat streusel from this blueberry crumble pie or the crumb topping from my apple crumble pie. Bake and cool the pie completely, and then top with even more salted caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- Homemade Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- 1 cup (240ml) salted caramel sauce, divided (I recommend my Homemade Salted Caramel)
- 10 cups (1250g) 1/4-inch-thick apple slices (about 8 large peeled and cored apples)*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice OR ground cloves (either are fine)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5.
- If you are not using store-bought salted caramel sauce, make the homemade version. You’ll want to make it now so it can cool as the pie dough chills in the refrigerator.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, sugar, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, allspice/cloves, and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- 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-inch pie dish that’s 1.5 to 2 inches deep. Tuck the dough in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth.
- Spoon the filling into the crust. It will seem like a lot of apples; that’s ok. Pile them high, and tightly together. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup (120ml) of the caramel sauce. It’s ok if the caramel sauce is still a little warm. (If homemade salted caramel has solidified, warm it on the stove or in the microwave until it’s pourable.)
- Finish assembling: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 to 14 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough; in the pictured pie, I cut 18 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wide strips. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. (Here’s a lattice pie crust tutorial if you need visuals.) Use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim off excess dough. Fold the overhang back towards the center of the pie, and pinch the edges to adhere the top and bottom crusts together. Crimp or flute the pie crust edges to seal.
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake 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 caramel apple filling is bubbling around the edges, 35–40 more minutes. This sounds like a long time, but under-baking the pie means an unfinished filling with firm apples with paste-like flour. 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.
- Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it. Drizzle the entire pie or each slice with remaining salted caramel.
- Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead / Freezing Instructions: A couple ways to make ahead of time! Make 1 day in advance: After it cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling (without caramel) can also be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Rolling Pin | Kitchen Shears | 9-inch Pie Dish | Baking Sheet | Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter | Pastry Brush | Pie Crust Shield | Coarse Sugar | Instant Read Thermometer
- 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.
- Hand Pies: If you want to make smaller individual apple pies, try my apple hand pies recipe. You may also like these caramel apple turnovers.
I followed directions exactly except I forgot to buy heavy cream for caramel. I had some commercial in the fridge so I added a little kosher salt and used it. I also was in a rush so no lattice work. But, this pie is amazing. Make sure you wait the four hours!
Hi Sally,
I want to make this recipe but was wondering if I could blind bake the crust to make sure it doesn’t sheink? I made my crustvusing your butter-shortening recipe. How much time should I bake this pie if my crust is already partially blind baked? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hi Mary, There is no need to blind-bake the bottom crust for this recipe. The filled pie is in the oven long enough to properly cook it and it would be difficult to attach the top crust after blind baking. However, if you wish you can follow the directions for How to Blind Bake Pie Crust and the bake time should remain about the same. The pie will be done when the caramel begins to bubble up.
Hi Sally, I’m going to be baking these in deep dish foil pie pans. Do you think I should just blind bake them first then use foil to cover the lattice later, since I can’t use glass pie plates?
Hi April, You shouldn’t need to blind bake this crust. The baking directions should be the same even with a disposable pie pan. Enjoy!
Hi, I was looking around this website (I love it!) and I was wondering if you have any apple pie recipes that are just, you know, regular apple pie? I was just wondering and if you don’t then that’s ok, I’ll just make this one, because it sounds delicious!
Hi Eddie! I do, yes. You’ll enjoy my deep dish apple pie recipe. Pretty much fits in regular pie dishes too.
Thank you so much! I have a 9×2 pie dish which I totally forgot about. 9×2 is deep dish, right?
You’re welcome! Yes, you can use that 9×2 inch pie dish.
My family loved this pie, however, I was disappointed in the bake of the bottom of my crust. Could this be because I used a stoneware pie dish? Would it have done better in a glass dish or should I consider blind baking?
Hi Nancy, It could have been your stone pie dish. We prefer using a glass pie dish when I make pie. Glass dishes conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the crust to bake thoroughly. Also, you’ll be able to see when the sides and bottom of the crust has browned. If you wish to use your stoneware you can try baking the pie for longer (covering up the top if it’s getting brown to quickly) or partially blind baking the crust before adding the filling.
I’m 66 and recently retired. Besides woodworking and puttering around the house I thought I’d give baking a go. Turns out I really enjoy it especially when there are such amazing recipes to follow. I’m a ‘by-the-book’ kind of guy so following instructions to the letter is easy for me. I’ve already made several recipes from this site and each one has gotten me raves at the dinner table.
Sally, thank you so much for sharing recipes that we can trust will be just as advertised. You are absolutely right; I will NEVER settle for store-bought apple pie after this recipe!
Hi, this recipe is so detailed and helpful. It is my first time making a pie and it’s for Father’s Day. I’m just getting prepared gathering ingredients and equipment, what sort of pie dish would you use for this recipe?
Hi Bethany, I recommend a 9X2 inch glass pie dish. The one I used is linked in step 5 of the recipe. I hope you love this pie!
Hi Sally,
As a beginner baker I was so intimidated about making a pie (mostly afraid of the crust). I carefully followed your instructions and that pie was a hit! My family and neighbors loved it! I made your blueberry lemon scones and banana muffins which were also a hit. Lastly, thank you for the post about Black lives matter. You and another food blogger I follow, Cookie and Kate posted very helpful websites and books to read, boy we have a lot of work to! Hope Jude is hanging in and resting comfortably. Wishing you all the best!
Absolutely sublime recipie!! Made it and now everyone wants one…. when they can visit after covid 19!!!
Hi Sally,
I’m hoping to make this recipe for my Mum on Mother’s Day so I’m giving it a test run today. You’re recipe doesn’t call to pre-cook the apples – I’m worried about the pie being watery – is there anything I can do to ensure it isn’t. Or can the apples be partially cooked before hand ? Thank You
Hi Sarah, No need to pre-cook the apples. Be sure to read through the post and watch the video above for all of my tips and let me know how it turns out!
This Pie came out FABULOUS and was a work of art to boot !! I photograph all my creations and this was a show stopper, I wish i could attach the pic here. I followed directions without deviating, I had no space between lattice and filling. The salted caramel was something dreams are made of, yes that good. I am grateful for you and ALL of your amazing recipes.
Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese icing, is in the oven !!!!
A bit labor intensive but totally worth it! Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks for all your extra advice through the post, i made this and it turned out really well- and i am not a baker or pastry maker
can this recipe be made without the caramel syrup?
Hi Lindsay, Yes it can!
Hi Sally! I really love your recipes, including your oat chocolate chip cookies and blueberry scones 🙂
I made your pie crust two days ago and placed in the freezer. How do I thaw it in order to make your apple pie recipe?
Thanks,
Farah
Hi Farah, Thaw the frozen pie crust overnight in the refrigerator before using in your recipe. Enjoy!
I made this today for thanksgiving. It was a hit. We always have pie left over for the next day. This pie didn’t even get a chance to cool off for the 4 hours before the guys got into it. I got a small sliver. Definitely will need to make two next time. The only thing I did differently was to blind bake the bottom crust.
Hi Sally!
I am making this pie for the first time for Thanksgiving, and I’m super excited to see how my church family will like it. This pie has been on my mind to make for the past couple of years, but time has been a big factor in why I haven’t done so. Everything came out pretty well, and the directions were super easy to follow. I wish I had the confidence to do the lattice design. I’ll definitely try that another time. Thank you for the pictures and step by step instructions!
I made this for Friendsgiving this year using your All Butter Pie Crust, Homemade Salted Caramel, Granny Smith apples, and Pink Lady apples. It started as the prettiest dish on the overcrowded table and ended with friends licking the empty pie pan. It wasn’t overly sweet and the salty caramel added the perfect touch of salty-sweet to put this in the AMAZING category. I will be making a couple more of these pies through the holiday season. Thanks, Sally!
Hi there!
I’m looking forward to making this pie for Thanksgiving, the first in our new home! I was wondering if I could assemble the pie on Wednesday and keep it refrigerated until I bake it on Thursday??
Definitely– I do that all the time. Assemble, refrigerate, then bake. The pie may take a little longer in the oven since the apples may have released a bit more juice during that time. (Not a bad thing!)
Hello Sally!
Would it be possible to bake two pies at once? And if so, how would the bake time have to be adjusted to compensate?
Absolutely. The bake time will need to be extended but how long depends on your oven and its size. Keep a watchful eye on them and tent with foil to prevent over-browning, if needed.
I know you suggest freezing after the apple pie is baked. However, what are directions for freezing the pie before baking. At what temperature and for how long would the pie be baked? Should it be baked frozen or defrosted first? Does freezing diminish the thickening power of the four? Thank you! Your site is wonderful tool for those of us who love to bake.
Hi Marion! I love freezing assembled pies before baking them. You can freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing in a disposable aluminum pie dish. You can bake the frozen pie straight from the freezer. Same oven temperature, but the pie will take a little longer. All ovens are different, but definitely over 75 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil to prevent the crust from browning too much. You can also thaw, then bake. The baking instructions would be the same as written in the recipe.
Does this freeze well? If so, better to freeze before or after baking? I want to assemble a few for the upcoming holidays.
I usually freeze this pie after baking. See recipe notes for instructions!
Hey Sally! I love this recipe and Make it every year for Thanksgiving! But one issue I always seem to have is that the apples sink down as they cook but the lattice crust stays in place resulting in a big gap between the apples and the top crust. Any ideas for why this is happening or how I can fix it? Thanks so much!
Hi Katelyn! I’m happy to help. Make sure that you’re not slicing the apples too thin– keep them on the thicker side, at least 1/4 inch slices. When placing them in the pie crust, arrange them tightly together; don’t just pour them in. Pack them down. And when arranging the lattice on top, lay it right on the apples, even pressing it down slightly. These will all help for next time!
Hands down the best Apple Pie I have ever made/had!
This was my October challenge, the “fancy” crust”, my attempt at lattice. Because I went with wide strips It was actually pretty simple.
The pie has perfectly balanced spices and flavors. The crust was tender and flaky. I froze my crust for about a week, then thawed in the fridge overnight. Worked just fine. The salted caramel was super simple and a nice touch so don’t skip it. I say go heavy with the drizzle it is SO good.
This is now my go-to Apple Pie. 🙂
I made this over the weekend for a little cabin getaway with friends and it was amazing!! I wasn’t reluctant to add 1/2 cup of caramel so i probably only used about 1/4. I should have had more trust, because the caramel didn’t quite come through. I certainly won’t be making that mistake again! Thank you Sally!
Also – have you ever considered trying a recipe using hot water crust pastry? I’d love to hear what you’d come up with
Hi- I’d like to make this pie for a Christmas party at work tomorrow. Can this pie be made the night before, and sit at room temperature overnight? Or should I put in the fridge after it initially cools for 4 hours? Thanks!
Either the refrigerator or room temperature for 1 night is fine as long as it is covered tightly.
Hi, I want to put ice cream on it as it will be warm I understand that it needs to cool for the 4 hours however would it be okay to reheat it again (maybe with foil)?! If so how long and what temperature
I only recommend cooling for that long so it’s easier to slice. 🙂 Reheating slices in the microwave or for a few minutes in a 300F oven works!
Have you tried the chai spice apple pie with this caramel sauce? Is there anything special I would need to do to combine the two? I have only ever used all butter pie crust, does the shortening help make braiding/lattice work easier on the pie crust? Thank you for all of the amazing recipes you provide!
I’ve combined the chai spice apple pie with salted caramel, yes. Just follow this recipe where you add the caramel to the filling and drizzle on top of the slices. Shortening strengthens pie dough. It has a higher melting point so pie dough holds its shape better. See my whole post: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/baking-basics-homemade-buttery-flaky-pie-crust/
Hi Sally,
Let me just tell you, every recipe I’ve used from your website has came out amazing!!! I’ve been trying to master apple pie for a long time. Either the recipe turns out bad with hard apples or not enough apple filling, but I tried this one last week and it was A TOTAL HIT!!!! you’re an awesome Baker and I will continue to follow you on Instagram and share with family members. I’m making this for Thanksgiving and have been asked to make it into a slab pie. Should I double the recipe or keep the same?? Thanks Sally again and I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
Hi Christina! I’m SO glad you conquered pie with this recipe! For a slab pie, I recommend using my apple slab pie recipe and adding the salted caramel to the filling like you do here. (Maybe about 2/3 cup; pour all over the top.) Then you can use the remaining salted caramel, warmed, to pour on top instead of the maple icing. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!