Description
A delightful Salted Caramel Apple Pie featuring a flaky homemade crust, a spiced apple filling, and a rich homemade salted caramel sauce. Perfectly balanced sweet and salty flavors make this classic dessert unforgettable.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cold water
- Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon cold water, beaten
For the Filling
- 6–7 assorted large apples (honey crisp and granny smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of ground clove
- ¼ cup salted caramel sauce (from recipe below)
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut chilled cubed butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or forks until pea-sized pieces form. Stir in cold water and vanilla extract until dough clumps together. Transfer to a floured surface; fold and knead lightly until smooth. Divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the Crust: Remove one disc and roll into a 12-inch circle for the top crust. Place on a cookie sheet and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. Roll the second disc into a 12-inch circle and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Trim overhang to 1 inch and chill in the fridge.
- Decorate the Top Crust: Use lattice cutters, stencils, or cutouts on the top crust as desired, keeping it chilled by returning it to the freezer as needed. Place decorated top crust back in fridge to chill while preparing the filling and caramel sauce.
- Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: In a clean heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, cook white sugar evenly over medium heat, stirring frequently until fully melted and caramelized. Quickly whisk in butter (bubbling will occur). Remove from heat, quickly whisk in cream until smooth (again, bubbling), then stir in vanilla extract and coarse salt. Set aside in a warm place.
- Assemble the Pie: In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, flour, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and ¼ cup of the salted caramel sauce. Layer a third of the filling tightly in the chilled bottom crust, drizzle with a third of the caramel sauce, and repeat two more times, filling the crust higher than the pan’s rim to account for shrinking during baking.
- Wrap and Chill: Place the decorated top crust over the filling, tuck edges underneath the bottom crust, and crimp edges as desired. Brush the top crust with egg wash. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 15 minutes.
- Bake the Pie: Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills and bake at 350˚F for 60-70 minutes. Turn the pie halfway through baking for even cooking. The pie is done when juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and cool for at least 1 hour, preferably 3-4 hours, to allow filling to set. Drizzle with remaining salted caramel sauce, sprinkle with white sugar and a pinch of coarse salt. Serve with French vanilla ice cream and extra caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
- Use a mix of tart and sweet apples such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for best flavor and texture.
- Keep the dough and crust chilled throughout to ensure a flaky texture.
- The salted caramel sauce can be made ahead and gently reheated before assembling the pie.
- If the top crust browns too quickly, cover edges with foil to prevent burning.
- Allow the pie to cool thoroughly to avoid runny filling when sliced.
- For a vegan version, substitute butter with vegan butter and use a flax “egg wash” instead of egg yolk.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of pie)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
Keywords: Salted caramel apple pie, homemade caramel sauce, apple pie recipe, dessert, fall dessert, baking, salted caramel
