Try this unique yet easy twist on a classic apple pie! No cinnamon or cloves! Just a descant caramel sauce baked with tart apples in a flaky crust! Top a big slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with extra caramel for an unforgettable dessert!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Excluding the double crust, you only need 5 ingredients (plus a little water) to make this easy dessert!
- A unique apple pie without cinnamon! Also, no corn syrup!
- Delicious warm with vanilla ice cream OR just as good cold for a midnight snack!
- Unlike a Dutch Apple Pie with a crumb topping, this pastry has a top crust that can be done as a decorative lattice crust if desired.
- Perfect for the 4th of July or on your Thanksgiving table!
Ingredient Notes
- Apples- What is the best apple for baking? Granny Smith apples hold up the best. They don't become mush when baking and their tart flavor is toned down while still retaining their flavor.
- Pie Crust - You will need a double unbaked crust for this recipe. You can use your favorite crust recipe, purchase a crust, or use my recipe for a Homemade Pie Crust.
- Salted Caramel Variation - For a salted caramel apple variation, sprinkle the apple filling with sea salt before covering it with the top crust.
- Butter - I used salted butter. Unsalted butter may be substituted, but you'll need to add ½ teaspoon salt to the sweet caramel sauce.
Couple Things You'll Need
Step by Step Instructions
- Prepare the crust and line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Set aside. Get my recipe for Homemade Pie Dough Here.
- Have the top crust ready.
- You do not need to prebake the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Prepare the caramel sauce.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the all-purpose flour.
- Add the white sugar and......
- ....the brown sugar and water into the melted butter.
- Whisk until smooth and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set aside for a moment.
- Peel and thinly slice the apples into bite-size pieces. Try to slice apples into uniform-sized pieces. Having a variety of different-sized apple chunks will cause uneven baking.
- Dump the sliced apples into the unbaked pie crust.
- Pour the caramel sauce over the apple slices.
- Reserve ⅓ cup of the sauce if you want to drizzle pie slices with a little bit of caramel sauce when serving. If not, then pour all the caramel over the apples.
- Cover with the top crust and crimp the edge of the crust shut.
- Using a sharp knife, create 3 cuts across the top of the pie for steam vents.
- Steam vents prevent extra moisture from being trapped inside, causing a soupy pie.
- Preheat the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes, allowing the flaky pie crust to begin turning golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack for 30-40 minutes before serving.
- Top warm slices of this delicious pie with vanilla ice cream, extra caramel, or whipped cream made from heavy cream!
- Store by covering the completely cooled pie with plastic wrap.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Does this pie need to be refrigerated?
To keep the crust from getting soggy and for your pie to last longer, I recommend storing it in the fridge.
How long will this dessert be good for?
If stored in the fridge, it's good for about 3 days.
Do you cook apples before adding them to the crust?
I personally don't. The theory behind precooking the apples is that if you don't, all the extra moisture apples release as they're cooking will puddle and cause a soupy pie filling. Maybe it's because I always cut steam vents in the top crust, but I have never cooked the apples first, and I have never had it turn out soupy.
How do you keep the bottom crust from getting soggy?
Bake for the full amount of time called for. Use a crust made with shortening instead of butter or oil. And use a glass or aluminum pie dish. While ceramic or stone pie dishes are cute or trendy they don't give optimal results.
How do you freeze this pie?
Once completely cool, cover securely with saran wrap followed by foil and pop the pie in the freezer. Thaw on the countertop and eat within six months. It can be reheated in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes.
Related Amazing Pie Recipes
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Easy Caramel Apple Pie
Try this unique yet easy twist on a classic apple pie! No cinnamon or cloves! Just a descant caramel sauce baked with apple slices in a flakey pie crust! Top a big slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with extra caramel for an unforgettable dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 Unbaked Pie Dough 9-inch double-crust pie
- ½ Cup Butter no subs
- 3 Tbs Flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 4 ½ Cups Sliced Granny Smith or Gala Apples about 4 or 5 apples
Instructions
- Prepare your crusts.
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate with the bottom crust.
- Have the top crust rolled out and ready to cover the pie.
- Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in the flour to form a paste.
- Add white sugar, brown sugar, and water all at once.
- Whisk until smooth, and bring to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside for a moment.
- Peel and slice the apples thinly and uniformly.
- Dump into the prepared pie plate.
- Pour the hot caramel sauce over the apple slices. (If you want to drizzle caramel sauce over individual slices, reserve ⅓ cup of the caramel)
- Cover the pie with the top crust and make slits for steam to escape.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for another 40 minutes.
- Cool the pie on a cooling rack for 30-40 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Apples- Granny Smith apples hold up the best. They don't become mush when baking, and their tart flavor is toned down while still retaining their flavor.
- Pie Crust - You will need a double unbaked pie crust for this recipe. You can use your favorite crust recipe, purchase a crust, or use my recipe for a homemade crust.
- Salted Caramel Variation - For a salted caramel apple pie, sprinkle the apple pie filling with sea salt before covering it with the top crust.
Nutrition
Calories: 2380kcalCarbohydrates: 475gProtein: 17gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.3gSodium: 6184mgPotassium: 974mgFiber: 20gSugar: 217gVitamin A: 305IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 448mgIron: 10mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Greg
This is so good!! My favorite apple pie!!!
Reesa
Yum, Mindee! This looks sooooo good! I was just wanting to make an apple pie yesterday, but wanted to try something new. I think this recipe fits the bill! So excited to try it!