Cheesecakes, Pies, & Tarts

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

A classic apple pie with a twist. Add gooey salted caramel to those delicate thinly sliced apples and flakey American pie crust and you have yourself a show stopper apple pie. 

5 Pie Crust Tips:

  1. Use COLD ingredients. Then wrap, and let it chill for an about 30 minutes before rolling. This isn’t mandatory, but makes it easier to roll out the dough, especially if your kitchen is warm!
  2. Do NOT over work the dough. Handle as minimally as possible. Overworked dough and too much flour are two main culprits for having dough break apart on you.
  3. Don’t be afraid to have a lot of dough on the top edges. Pie crusts naturally shrink in while baking, so having a generous amount there will help it keep its shape. To crimp, simply use your pointer finger in one hand to make an indentation, and use your thumb and pointer finger in another hand to pinch. 
  4. To transfer the dough from your work surface to the pie dish, there are a few ways:
      – Use a bench scraper to carefully lift off the work surface, using your hands and scraper to transfer. 
      – Use a rolling pin to peel one edge off of the work surface, letting it gently hang while transferring. 
      – Use a silicone mat as your work surface when rolling. Putting one hand on top of the dough, flip the silicone mat over the pie dish, using your hand to gently put the dough into place. This is my most recommended method if your dough is struggling to stay together. 
  5. If some pieces of dough rip, it’s okay! Gently press the dough into place. Adding patches of dough if necessary to fill any larger tears or holes. By the time you put a filling in, no one will know! 

Lattice Crust:

Lattice crusts look impressive and, while they can seem intimidating, with a few small steps you’ll be able to pull it off first time! 

  1. Roll out the dough set aside for the top into a rectangle. Cut into thin strips. 
  2. Place a row of strips on top of the filled pie, about 1/2 -1 inch apart. 
  3. Pull back every other strip and place a strip of pie dough going the opposite direction. Put the strips back into place.
  4. Pull back the alternate strips and place another strip of pie dough going the same direction as the first. Put strips back into place.
  5. Continue until the pie is covered. 
  6. You can either crimp the edges traditionally or a braid as pictured below. To create a braid, cut thin strips, seal the top of 3 strands together and gently weave into a braid. Brush water on the edge of the crust prior to placing the braid to help seal. Repeat as necessary to round the pie.

Helpful pie making tools:

There are a few helpful tools that help with pie making. Here are a few basic tools I use: 

 

Make ahead options

Many options to make this pie ahead of time! 

CRUST: You can refrigerate the crust for up to 5 days, and freeze it for several months. To thaw, place on countertop until it’s lightly chilled but workable. 

UNBAKED PIE: You can freeze an unbaked pie for a few months as well. After I assemble the pie, I put it in the freezer to flash freeze the crust before wrapping really well then returning to the freezer.

BAKED PIE: You can also freeze the pie baked! Wrap well and freeze for a few months. Let it thaw on the counter and then to reheat, unwrap and place in 350 F oven for about 30 minutes. If you want to slow down additional browning, cover with aluminum foil. 

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Lori Vaughn
A classic apple pie with a twist. Add gooey salted caramel to those delicate thinly sliced apples and flakey American pie crust and you have yourself a show stopper apple pie. 
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 1 9" pie

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust (if doing a lattice crust or similar, 1 1/2x this recipe)

  • 2 ½ cups (300 grams) flour + more for working
  • 1 cup shortening, chilled (or half shortening, half butter)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar ok)
  • About 6 -8 tbsp ice water

Egg wash

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • coarse sugar to top (optional)

Pie Filling

  • ~ 715 grams peeled, thinly sliced apples (6-8 medium apples) mix of granny smith and another variety (pink lady, honey crisp, etc.)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 cup salted caramel sauce or store bought caramel sauce

Instructions
 

Pie Crust

  • Note: This will make a bottom crust and basic fully covered top crust. If you intend to do a lattice crust or similar design that will require extra dough, double the recipe. You may end up with a few extra small pieces, but just pop those in the oven with cinnamon and sugar for a yummy treat!
  • Fill a glass with ice water. Set aside.
  • Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the shortening. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the shortening into the flour. You should be left with small pea sized clumps of shortening in the mixture.
  • Add vinegar and then add the ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix it in with a fork or spatula. The mixture should resemble something similar to biscuit dough. It will be a tad sticky and hold its shape.
  • Divide the ball into 2 even sections. Gently wrap your balls of dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out.
    While the dough chills, you can prepare the caramel sauce (if doing homemade) and pie filling.

Pie Filling

  • Peel 6-8 medium apples of 2 varieties (not mandatory, but will add a depth of flavor). If you only choose one, choose Granny Smith so it's not overly sweet. Slice the apples as thin as possible.
  • Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Pour lemon juice on top and toss the apples.
  • Add the remaining filling ingredients and toss again, evenly coating the apples. Set in the fridge until you are ready to assemble with your crust.

Assembly & Baking

  • Assembly: Preheat oven to 375°F.
    Once the dough is chilled, pull out one ball and gently roll it out on a floured work surface. I love using a silicone mat for this for easy transfer to the pie dish.
    Roll it out until the dough is about 1" larger than your pie dish. (Flip your pie dish over for easy measurement against the dough)
  • Transfer (see pie transfer tips in notes above) to your pie dish. Pour about 1/3 of the pie filling over the pie dough in the dish, settling them evenly. Generously drizzle about 1/2 cup of the salted caramel sauce on top of the first layer apples. Then pour another 1/3 of filling on top of the caramel layer, followed by one more layer of 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce. Top with the last 1/3 of apples.
  • Pull out the other chilled ball of dough and place it on a floured work surface and roll out into desired design:
    -Simple fully covered crust: Roll out into a circle similar to the bottom crust. Use a rolling pin, or flip over your silicone working mat to transfer the dough and gently place it over the filling. Crimp the edges to seal. Cut a couple slits in the top to allow air to vent during baking.
    Lattice crust and/or braid: See my notes and tips above in the recipe to achieve this look.
  • Brush an egg wash (whisked egg and water) over the top of the crust prior to baking. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top (optional).
  • Bake: Bake at 375°F on a medium to lower rack for about 50-60 minutes until apples and caramel appear bubbly. If you are using a glass pie plate, you'll see the bottom of the crust lightly golden. About ½ - ⅔ way through baking, check on the crust. If it's browning too quickly, place a sheet of tinfoil over the top to slow down the browning.
  • After baking, let it rest and cool for at least a couple hours before serving. It's best served same day, but it'll stay fresh in the fridge for a few days.
    Prior to serving you can reheat it in the oven on 325° with foil on top for about 30 minutes. Pour extra caramel sauce on top of the crust, and serve with ice cream for the full experience.

Notes

Can I make this pie in advance?
Yes! A few options to make in advance.
  • Pie crust can be made in advance and frozen. Let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours prior to rolling out.
  • You can freeze the pie before or after baking. I like to set it in the freezer as-is for an hour or so so the crust is set, and then I wrap really well. If you're freezing after baking, make sure it's fully cooled before wrapping. 
  • To thaw, place at room temperature then you can place in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat. 
 
 
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Helen
Helen
3 years ago

5 stars
This pie was delicious! One of the best things I have baked I think. I served it one evening after dinner and it got so many compliments, it’s been requested again since!

chocoholic
chocoholic
1 year ago

5 stars
I recently moved to the US and made this pie for our first ever Thanksgiving. It was absolutely delicious! Everyone raved about it and no leftovers. Will definitely make this one again. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe Lorianne xo

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