Caramel Apple Pie
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This Caramel Apple Pie is an amazing apple pie to bake this fall. Not only is it caramel and apple, but this pie is actually a less sweet apple pie because I only use Homemade Caramel Sauce, and no sugar!
If you're looking for more apple pie recipes, try my Vanilla Bean Apple Pie, Honey Lemon Apple Pie, or my Dutch Apple Pie.
Table of Contents
This is one of our new favorite organic pie recipes! While I'm saying this is a less sweet apple pie, it's really full of flavor without so much sugar. I use Granny Smith apples which are a more tart apple, which compliments the caramel and buttery flaky crust so well. If caramel apples and apple pie had a baby, it would be this Caramel Apple Pie!
I love the flexibility of this recipe because if you have people in your group who want a less sweet apple pie, then this is perfect. But, if you want to make it sweeter, all you need to do is add a dollop of caramel sauce right on top and you can please everyone! This also goes great with vanilla ice cream!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Less Sweet: This Caramel Apple Pie is actually a less sweet apple pie, if you can believe it or not. I don’t use any additional sugar in this pie, just caramel sauce. And while caramel is mostly sugar, it still uses less sugar than all of my other apple pies on my site! So, if you are looking for a less sweet apple pie this fall or Thanksgiving, then this is the apple pie for you. It’s very simple to make as there are less ingredients in the filling – making it really easy to put together.
Caramel Apple: Everyone loves caramel and apple together. If you are looking for a sweeter Caramel Apple Pie, all you have to do is add a dollop of caramel sauce on top of the pie before serving. This makes this apple pie a great option for Thanksgiving, as someone at your table might be looking for a less sweet apple pie, and someone else might want the extra caramel added. You can also use store bought caramel sauce if you are feeling lazy, though I promise it will be worth it to make my Homemade Caramel Sauce for this recipe!
7 Ingredients: This simple Caramel Apple Pie is a must bake this fall, with only 7 ingredients in this pie (and that’s if you make your own Caramel Sauce!). It really comes together quite easily. This impressive Caramel Apple Pie will be a hit at your Thanksgiving table this year.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite. Be sure your butter is cold, right from the fridge. Cold butter will create the best flaky pie crust.
- All Purpose Flour: I use Cairnspring Mills, which is my favorite!
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar in the pie crust as this is less processed than granulated white sugar and gives desserts a more natural sweetness, versus being overly sweet. You'll also need this to make the caramel sauce if you are making that as well.
- Caramel Sauce: I use my homemade true caramel sauce, which I highly recommend making for this! Be sure to make caramel sauce ahead of time, you can do this when you make the pie crust, which is what I usually do. You can use store bought if you prefer.
- Apples: I use organic Granny Smith apples, which I don't usually prefer in pies but with the caramel sauce this tart apples is the best choice!
- Cornstarch: I use organic cornstarch to help solidify the fruit juices and sugar as this organic pie bakes in the oven. This helps prevent the crust from getting soggy as well as prevents fruit juices from running out when sliced.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I use organic heavy whipping cream as a pie wash. This makes this pie naturally eggless while still creating a golden brown pie crust. You'll also need this to make the caramel sauce.
- Turbinado Sugar: I top this pie with organic turbinado sugar, which gives it the best texture!
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but you can also make pie dough by hand if you prefer.
- Rolling Pin: You'll need a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough.
- 9-inch Pie Pan: You'll need a pie pan to bake this organic pie. Check out my post The Best Pie Pans to Bake With.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a large mixing bowl to mix up the filling.
- Pastry Brush: I use a silicone pastry brush to brush on the pie wash.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and cane sugar. Turn the mixer on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
Remove the butter from the fridge and chop into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust. Cut the stick of butter into four and then chop into small cubes from there. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Measure out the cold water and have it ready.
Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate the ingredients. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer. Do not over mix.
Divide the dough into two portions, one should be almost double the size of the other. I prefer to weigh them, the large one should weigh 312 grams and the small should weigh 170 grams. Form them both into disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3
To make the filling: Add the caramel sauce and cornstarch to a bowl and mix together. Add the sliced apples and toss to coat completely. Set aside.
To make the topping: Add the heavy whipping cream into a small dish, set aside.
Step 4
Grease a 9-inch pie pan well with butter. Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a floured surface. First, roll out the large disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 11-inches in diameter. Place the pie dough into the pie pan, and press lightly to form against the pan. It should be large enough that the dough folds right over the top. Roll out the smaller disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 9-inches in diameter. Set aside.
Step 5
Add the filling into the pie pan and spread evenly.
Place the smaller pie dough on top, crimp and fold over the edges of the dough to seal the top and bottom together. Flute the edges. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the cream topping. Sprinkle it with Turbinado sugar.
Step 6
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn up the oven to 400°F and bake for an additional 5 to 15 minutes or until golden brown to your liking. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
FAQ's
Yes! I was honestly unsure about this at first, because I though the caramel sauce could get too gooey in the pie or it would ooze out. So, if you are wondering can you add caramel to apple pie, you definitely can!
There are a couple tricks I used in order to add caramel to apple pie. The first was I mixed in some cornstarch into the caramel sauce. This will help it not run out of the pie as it melts, just like when you add cornstarch to fruit pies for the fruit juices.
The second thing I did was I didn’t add any sugar to this apple pie. Caramel sauce is just sugar, with the addition of butter and cream. So, it’s plenty sweet. I added enough caramel sauce to sweeten the apples, so I didn’t need additional sugar. This makes this Caramel Apple Pie super easy to make! Plus, it was honestly less sweet than a traditional pie. So, if you are looking for a less sweet apple pie or a low sugar apple pie, then this is it! You can add a dollop of caramel sauce on top of the pie slice before serving if you want more caramel flavor or a little extra sweetness! So, be sure to keep that extra caramel sauce for serving.
Traditional caramel apples are made with Granny Smith Apples. These are the caramel apples you’ll find at the grocery store and the pumpkin patch this time of year. And most commonly, they will have peanuts coating them. So, I use Granny Smith Apples in this Caramel Apple Pie to be reminiscent of these nostalgic caramel apples.
Yes, if you are feeling lazy you can use store bought caramel sauce in place of my Homemade Caramel Sauce. I recommend using King’s Cupboard Organic Caramel Sauce if you are going to buy it.
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Caramel Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 226 grams all purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 170 grams salted butter (cold)
- 7 tablespoons cold water
Filling
- 113 grams Caramel Sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 large Granny Smith Apples (sliced)
Topping
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and cane sugar. Turn the mixer on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
- Remove the butter from the fridge and chop into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust. Cut the stick of butter into four and then chop into small cubes from there. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Measure out the cold water and have it ready.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate the ingredients. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer. Do not over mix.
- Divide the dough into two portions, one should be almost double the size of the other. I prefer to weigh them, the large one should weigh 312 grams and the small should weigh 170 grams. Form them both into disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the filling: Add the caramel sauce and cornstarch to a bowl and mix together. Add the sliced apples and toss to coat completely. Set aside.
- To make the topping: Add the heavy whipping cream into a small dish, set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan well with butter. Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a floured surface. First, roll out the large disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 11-inches in diameter. Place the pie dough into the pie pan, and press lightly to form against the pan. It should be large enough that the dough folds right over the top. Roll out the smaller disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 9-inches in diameter. Set aside.
- Add the filling into the pie pan and spread evenly.
- Place the smaller pie dough on top, crimp and fold over the edges of the dough to seal the top and bottom together. Flute the edges. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the cream topping. Sprinkle it with Turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn up the oven to 400°F and bake for an additional 5 to 15 minutes or until golden brown to your liking.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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