Caramel Apple Pie is easier than a traditional pie thanks to the crumb topping, and is packed with tender, spiced caramel-coated apples nestled inside a flaky all-butter crust. This show stopping pie absolutely deserves a place on your Thanksgiving table!
This recipe was originally published in Nov of 2018, but I just updated it in Nov of 2022 with new photos, more tips and tricks, and increased the amount of apple filling by 1/3 for even more apple goodness in the pie!
Why you’ll love this Caramel Apple Pie recipe:
- Tender, Spiced Apples – Apple spices are flavored with cozy fall spices and baked to tender perfection in this pie.
- Salted Caramel Sauce – My salted caramel sauce adds a whole extra layer of flavor to this pie!
- Flaky Crust – My all butter crust is tender, flavorful, and so flaky!
- Crumble Topping – The crumble topping is easier than fussing with a top crust, and is always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredient Overview:
- Best Apples – Don’t use soft apples like McIntosh as they’ll become soggy in the pie. Use any good baking apple like honeycrisp, pink lady, golden delicious, or granny smith apples. I used a combination of honeycrisp and granny smith. The tart apples help balance the sweetness of the honeycrisp apples and caramel.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- All-purpose flour – All-purpose flour is best for the crust.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Dairy-free – I haven’t made pie crust with dairy-free butter sticks, but it should theoretically work. You can also use that in the caramel sauce, and I’ve been told that coconut milk works as a sub for the heavy cream.
- Gluten-free – If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative, there are some great gluten-free blogs but I am not an expert in gluten-free pies by any means!
How to Make this Caramel Apple Pie Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Pie Dough. Make your dough following my recipe in my Perfect Pie Crust post. It has TONS of troubleshooting advice, tips, and step-by-step photos.
Step 2: Make the Salted Caramel Sauce. Make the salted caramel sauce according to my recipe here.
Step 3: Make the Apple Filling. In a large bowl, stir together your peeled, sliced apples with brown sugar, granulated sugar, a bit of flour, a splash of lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cozy fall spices. It’s the BEST apple pie filling!
Step 4: Make the Crumble Topping. Cut cold butter into a mixture of flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 5: Assemble & Bake the Pie. Prepare your crust through step 7 in my Perfect Pie Crust post. Spoon in the filling, and sprinkle on the topping – it will seem like a lot, but use it all! Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Serve this Caramel Apple Pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce. It is the most incredible apple pie you will ever taste!
Expert Success Tips:
- Working with Pie Dough – If you haven’t made pie dough before, be sure to read through my post on Perfect Pie Dough before beginning – it will hopefully save you from making some common pie mistakes before you even begin!
- Check the Apples for Doneness – Use a fork to prick through the topping and into the apples to make sure they’re tender.
- Don’t Under Bake – I see SO many pies with crust that looks as pasty as I do during a Wisconsin winter. Your crust should have a deep, golden tan! Don’t be afraid to bake it until it has some color.
- Oven Temperature – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
FAQs:
Yes! The pie can be made a day ahead, cooled at room temperature, and stored in the fridge until ready to eat. Let it come back to room temperature or warm in the oven (loosely covered with aluminum foil) before enjoying.
I recommend a metal or ceramic pie plate (preferably metal) as opposed to a glass pan as they conduct heat better and will be more likely to give you a crisp crust. Most professional pie bakers (if not all) agree on this!
Recipe Variations:
- Caramel – Feel free to omit the caramel if desired. No other adjustments to the filling are necessary, but you can taste it before baking and add a pinch or two of sugar if it seems tart. You can also choose to just serve the caramel on top of the pie rather than in it and on top.
- Oats – If you don’t like oats in your topping, you can simply omit them with no substitution needed.
- Top Crust – If you prefer more of a classic apple pie, you can use a top crust or a lattice crust instead of the dutch crumble topping. The bake time should be similar, but keep an eye on it.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Let your pie cool at least 3 hours before serving. You can also let it cool completely before serving, or let it cool, store covered in the fridge overnight, and serve cold or warmed in the oven the next day.
Special Tools:
- Pastry Cutter – Technically not essential but it makes cutting the butter into the flour SO much easier and produces great results!
- Rolling Pin – Obviously essential! I recommend a simple wooden one with handles.
- Pie Shield – This helps protect your crust so it doesn’t burn while baking! I’ve definitely burnt pie crust before, and it is SAD, friends. Alternatively, you can use foil.
- Pastry Cutter – This makes cutting the butter into the flour a complete breeze! I never make pie without this tool. If you only use one tool in your pie making, let this be it.
- Pastry Brush – This is how you’ll brush on your egg wash, which is how you achieve that nice, deep, golden brown crust!
More Pie Recipes to Love:
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
- Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Brûléed Maple Pie
- French Silk Pie (No Raw Eggs!)
- Strawberry Blueberry Pie
- Bourbon Cherry Crumble Pie
- Cranberry Apple Slab Pie
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make!
Dutch Caramel Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 half recipe of my Perfect Pie Crust linked below
For the Filling
- 8 cups apples, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick about 5-6 large apples -846 grams of slices – see note below for types
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 43 grams
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce recipe linked below
For the Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 130 grams
- 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup cold, salted butter 113 grams
Finishing Touches
- 1 egg for egg wash
- coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Make the pie dough: Follow the recipe and directions in my post on How to Make Perfect Pie Crust. Allow pie dough to chill in fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least two hours (or overnight) or in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Make the Caramel: Follow my Simple Homemade Caramel Sauce recipe. You'll use 1/3 cup of caramel in the apple filling – reserve the rest for topping pie slices when serving.
- Roll Pie Dough Out + Transfer to Pan: Follow the steps in my "Perfect Pie Crust" post through Step 7. You'll freeze the pie crust (without the filling or crumble topping or egg wash) for 15 minutes before filling and baking. (It's ok if it's in the freezer longer than 15 – you can let it go up to 30 minutes, or transfer to the fridge after 15.)
- Make the Filling: While the dough is in the freezer, make the filling and preheat oven to 400°. Rinse your apples, peel, core, and slice into 1/4" thick slices. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all filling ingredients as listed above except for the caramel. Let filling sit for 10 minutes (make the topping during this time) to get the apple juices going, then stir in the caramel. Set aside.
- Make the Dutch Crumble Topping: Whisk together all topping ingredients except for the butter. Then, cut the cold butter into cubes and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, until you have a crumbly mixture, and all the butter pieces are coated in flour.
- Assemble Pie: Beat the egg in a small bowl. Remove pie from freezer and brush egg wash over the edges of the crust and sprinkle raw sugar over the edges. Spoon the apple mixture into the crust, leaving the excess liquid behind (if some liquid makes it in, that's ok). Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apple filling. Place a baking sheet on a lower rack of your oven to catch any drips from your pie.
- Bake: Bake for 45-58 minutes, checking the pie at 25-30 minutes to make sure the crust isn't browning too quickly. If it is, use a pie shield or a place a piece of foil over the top of the pie and continue baking.Pie is done when the filling is bubbly, the topping and crust are golden brown, and the apples are tender (poke through the crumb topping with a fork if you're not sure if it's done – if it slides through the apple smoothly and easily, it's done! Add a few more minutes at a time if the apples don't feel tender enough.
- Serve + Store: Allow pie to cool at room temp for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving. Serve with more caramel sauce!Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make Ahead Tips: Pie crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. If making the pie a day or two ahead, bake, let it cool completely, cover with foil, and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. You can re-warm it in the oven the day you plan to serve it, if desired, at 350°, covered loosely with foil, for 12-20 minutes, until warmed through (stick an instant read thermometer into the center to check that it's warm all the way through).
Notes
Nutrition
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Mel says
I made this pie for Christmas and it got rave reviews. I made a different crust, and next time I’ll reduce the nutmeg as I found 1 tsp made the taste of nutmeg stand out too much, I also found the crumble on top a tad bit dry, luckily the caramel on top brings that together. I think next time I’ll work in the flour and butter together more to have a more solid crust as opposed to pouring on the sandy like texture. Overall I think it’s a great recipe and really easy to tweak to your personal taste!
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad you enjoyed this pie, Mel!
Maria says
Loved this pie. Not happybwoth the topping. I followed the directions to a “T” and it’s dry.
Should I add more butter? I’m thinking of adding more butter to make it moist.
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Maria! That is so odd, I’ve never had the topping come out dry in all the years I made it. What method did you use to measure your flour? I suppose adding 1-2 tbsp of butter wouldn’t do any harm. Glad you enjoyed the pie regardless and thanks for your feedback!
Kelly R says
Excellent recipe!
I did use my own pie crust recipe, which is fairly similar to the one recommended here. And I totally cheated by using a good store-bought salted caramel sauce instead of making one.
My husband ate two HUGE slices when we cut into it—which is not like him, but he looooves this pie.
Stephanie Simmons says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this pie, Kelly!
Natalie says
Can the pie be assembled and frozen prior to baking?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Natalie! I have not personally done that with this recipe, and I’m seeing some mixed opinions from other bakers online. My gut says that apples wouldn’t freeze well, compared to something like cherries or strawberries. I fear the texture of the apples would be compromised. I personally wouldn’t recommend this with an apple pie – sorry!
Ken says
I dont see why you couldn’t freeze it, I would using a firmer apple so they don’t get mushy from freezing
caitlyn says
hi!! will this work if i use my own all butter pie crust recipe?
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, absolutely! Please let me know how you enjoy this recipe.
Shelly Baumann says
I made this pie and it turned out absolutely amazing. I had to substitute applauded fir the nutmeg because I was at my sons and he didn’t have any. I used a glass pan as well and it worked out fine. Just in case people are concerned about it if that’s all they have. I’d like to make this for my daughter but she likes the apples soft. Should I cook the apples first in that case?? Thanks for the amazing recipe. P.s. best caramel sauce ever!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear that, Shelly! Were your apples not soft? They should be tender with perhaps a bit of crispness left. You can bake the pie longer to get them softer – it’s okay for the crust to be deeply golden brown. Otherwise, you could cook your apple slices like I do in my apple crumb cake recipe but use the filling ingredients from this pie. Happy baking!
Kathy B. says
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! So delish. I made it in a glass pie dish and followed the recipe exactly. I have a couple of questions, though. I found it difficult to start rolling the dough out after taking the dough disc right out of the fridge. It seemed a bit too “solid”. Would it be better to let it come to room temp so that it’s more pliable? Also, I couldn’t get it to become a nice circle. The edges were somewhat straggly and the circle was uneven, so the amount of dough for fluting wasn’t balanced all around. Any of your thoughts on this would be very welcome! Thanks!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Kathy! So glad you enjoyed the pie. Your dough may have been a bit under hydrated (needing a bit more water) if it was hard to roll out. Otherwise, you can let it rest at room temp for 5-10 minutes, but be careful there because pie dough needs to stay cold in order to bake properly. My circle is always straggly too! I just roll it enough that there are a few inches of excess beyond the pie dish all the way around (hold your pie dish over the center of the dough to see how much edge you have). Then, you can trim and crimp to make the edges appear even. Happy baking!
Kathy B. says
Thanks; I’ll try those tips!
Stephanie Simmons says
Sure thing – happy baking!
Leslie says
This pie was a huge hit at my family Thanksgiving – it was “even better than Grandma’s”!! I used a variety of apples and made the sauce a day ahead. I could have baked it longer, and we forgot the extra sauce (we were several bottles of wine into the day), but still – DELISH.
Stephanie Simmons says
Aw, that is such a compliment! Thank you Leslie!
Hallie says
If I have a cake pan and don’t have a pie pan will that work to bake in?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Hallie! Yes, an 8 or 9 inch metal cake pan should be fine. Let me know how you like the pie! Happy Thanksgiving!
Monica says
I hate to say it, but this recipe was a fail for me. The filling did not set at all, so we couldn’t really serve it as a pie. I mean, a crumble is delicious, but I had promised a pie, so the disappointment around me was palpable. Probably a mistake on my end, but I did my best to follow the recipe to a tee. Maybe too much of the liquid made it into the pie with the apples? In any event, I’m sorry to say it, but just wanted to note in case anyone else is trying this for Thanksgiving. Be sure to leave ALL THE LIQUID behind and do whatever else you can think of to avoid an un-usable situation at the end.
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Monica, I’m sorry to hear this! I’m wondering if you baked the pie long enough – this is the most common issue I see with pies. Once they’re lightly browned, people pull them from the oven, thinking they’re done. However, they really do need a long bake time to ensure the filling reaches the proper temperature all the way through, which is needed for it to thicken. If you did bake it long enough, I wonder if your oven may be running a bit colder than the temperature it says. This is a common issue – I always recommend using an oven thermometer to keep an eye on that. I’m glad to hear it tasted delicious anyways!
Vanessa says
Planning on getting a ceramic dish as I only have glass- didn’t see a recommended size in the recipe…is 9” standard? Thanks!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Vanessa! Yes, use a 9 inch plate – sorry I didn’t specify that! I’ll get that noted in the recipe now. ☺️ let me know how you like this pie!
Shawna says
Unbelievable pie. 100% recommend making this, I will use this recipe every time I make an apple pie 🙂 it is so worth making the homemade caramel too!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Shawna! ☺️
Simone says
Hi! I want to make this recipe for Thanksgiving, it sounds amazing! Do you know how many days in advance I can prepare the dough? Thanks so much!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Simone! You can make the dough anytime between now and Thanksgiving, and keep it well-wrapped in the fridge until ready to use. 🙂 Happy baking! Let me know how the recipe turns out.
Lauren Seevers says
Hi! It says in step 6 it says to beat egg and milk together but there is no milk listed on the ingredient list. How much milk should I use? Just a T perhaps? Thanks!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Lauren! Oops, that’s a mistake – thanks for catching that. I used to add a tablespoon of milk (as you guessed!) to my egg wash, but I found that it isn’t necessary so I removed the milk from the ingredient list, but forgot to remove that bit from the directions. Hope you enjoy the pie – let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Lauren Seevers says
It turned out beautifully and was a big hit! Making it again for my family thanksgiving tomorrow! Thanks for the reply!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear that, Lauren! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Matt says
I wish there was a better way to say this is the greatest apple pie I’ve ever had. I am not a huge pie-eater, but for my first pie ever, it turned out amazing.
The crust was super flaky and soaked in all the flavor from the filling. The topping is hands down the best part, but the whole thing is just amazing. It makes me want to bake more pies.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for your kind words, Matt! Comments like this is why I do what I do. So glad you loved the pie! Happy baking.
Nicole says
I made this and is hands down THE BEST tasting apple pie I’ve ever had. Amazing with ice cream and the caramel sauce and just as delicious the next day reheated.
I used a large pie dish and the apples were a bit on the small side so I used 2 extra apples. Was worried the flavour would taste watered down since I didn’t add any more spices, but it still turned out so good. Have saved the recipe and will definitely make it again!
Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Nicole! So glad this pie was a hit. 🙂
Gracey says
Love this recipe! Easy to pull together and perfect warm with a scoop of ice cream!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you loved this pie! 🙂
Heather says
Made this for thanksgiving and it was delicious! The caramel was almost too sweet, but I sitll loved it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Heather! Glad you loved this pie. Happy belated Thanksgiving! 🙂
Nicole Neal says
This is my go-to apple pie. I’ve even “cheated” and made it with store bought crust when I was in a pinch. It’s awesome. I get complements every time I make it and I’ve shared the recipe happily! Thank you!
Stephanie Simmons says
So happy to hear you love this pie! And sounds like you’ve made it many times – I’m thrilled to hear that! 🙂
Allison says
Do you have any recommendations on what variety of apples to use?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Allison, there are some notes at the bottom of the recipe card about what variety of apples I usually use in this pie. I’m so sorry I’m so late in replying to you – for some reason I stopped receiving notifications for comments and just realized that I had a back log to reply to.
Jeanne says
Made this for the first time yesterday and it is AMAZING! I was worried that it might be a bit too sweet with the caramel, but it’s just right. I will definitely make it again — it’s a crowd pleaser.
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you loved this pie, Jeanne! 🙂
DonnaLee Volosin says
I made this. I cheated and did not make my own crust. I used store-bought this is the second time I made it. The only difference as I used a little less than half for the caramel filling absolutely a five-star pie in my house.
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you enjoyed this pie! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Colby Ballert says
Also, instead of making the caramel, I used Sander’s Caramel Desert Topping – tastes great, works percectly!
Colby Ballert says
Glad I made two of these pies, instead of just one, so I could share the deliciousness! Used ‘Northern Spy’ apples (one of the many varieties of apples grown here in west Michigan) – they have just the right tartness for this Dutch Cramel Apple Pie! I went 50 minutes @ 400F for the two pies.
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad you enjoyed the pie! 🙂
Diane Gray says
I’m do excited for this recipe!!! I printed it out and made notes from comments, read through it a thousand times.and ready to go tomorrow. I am not a baker but im trying. My husband’s favorite thing is dutch apple pie! Made 2 last week. They wernt bad but I had a crust issue with one, and the other was to generic, almost tasted like store bought. Going through that whole labor of love…I wanted better than store bought.
By the way, I was sharing this recipe with a friend. She said she did the same recipe from a blogger called Sugar apron. She said it was almost word for word. I went to the site and noted the same. Word for word recipe. Just FYI.
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Diane!
Thanks for letting me know about that – i just checked that site and it does look like she just about copied my recipe word for word (mine was published a little over a year before hers). That’s certainly frustrating to see.
And, pardon me if I read your comment wrong, but did you say the recipe turned out tasting like store-bought to you? I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve had tons of rave reviews on this pie over the past 2+ years, and I make it myself for our Thanksgiving every year. Did you use salted butter in the crust and topping? Did you make any ingredient substitutions?
Bonnie says
I made this pie for dessert on New Year’s Day. So good after our pork dinner. It turned out really well. I used store bought caramel sauce and refrigerated pie crust to save time. I will definitely make this pie again! Not runny like some pies, cut only a few hours after baking. Thanks for a delicious recipe! ?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Bonnie! So glad to hear you enjoyed this pie – it’s one of my favorites :). Thanks for taking the time to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe – that always means a lot to me!
Lisa says
This recipe calls for milk in the bolder #6 “ASSEMBLE PIE” section. It doesn’t say how much milk?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Lisa,
Sorry about that! I just add a splash (about 2 teaspoons) of milk to my beaten egg for the egg wash. You can use water if you don’t have milk. Happy baking! 🙂
pamela hartman says
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was really good! I did use a different topping recipe without oats because that’s what I prefer but other than that followed the recipe.
Thanks for a new favorite pie recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you liked the pie, Pamela! It makes my day when people come to my site and leave with a new favorite recipe 🙂
Alyssa says
Hi. About to make this pie.
So just wanted to verify that when making the topping I put one stick of softened butter in along with 10TBLS of cold butter?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Alyssa!
Oops – nope, just the 10 TBSP of cold butter! Sorry about that mistake – I’m updating the recipe to take out the softened butter right now 🙂
D says
I know that this was in 2019 but the recipe says 8Tbsp of butter. So is it 8Tbsp or 10Tbsp? Thanks
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi! I’m not sure where you’re seeing 10 tbsp of butter listed anywhere in the recipe – can you clarify where you got that? The recipe calls for 8 tbsp butter for the crumble topping. Hope that helps! 🙂
Kris says
After I cover it in foil and put in fridge for 20 min, do I take the foil off when I transfer it to the oven or bake it still covered in foil?
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, remove the foil off to bake it! During the bake time, if you see that the crust is browning to the point where it’s very dark and you’re worried about it burning you can place the piece of foil back over the pie (loosely is fine) and that will prevent excess browning to the crust and top of the pie.
Hope that helps! Enjoy! 🙂
Sarah Sundine says
Thanks for all the detailed directions. My first attempt of make pie was a success, I can’t wait to eat the pie tomorrow!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear that, Sarah! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
Marguerite says
I like soft apples in my pie is this pie crunchy or soft if crunchy is it okay to cook Apple’s first
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi again Marguerite,
I do NOT recommend cooking the apples first for this recipe – the bake time is long enough that the apples WILL be soft when the pie is done baking :). If you cook the apples first and then bake them in the pie, they will be absolute mush, so I would NOT recommend that. Enjoy!
Marguerite says
I don’t like hard crunchy apples in my Apple pie how does this recipe turn out. Should I cook mine a little first.
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Marguerite! Don’t worry – the apples in this pie do not turn out crunchy at all! They’re nice and tender, and you don’t need to cook the apples first at all. Hope that helps – enjoy! 🙂
Kyla says
Can you use store bought crust? This looks absolutely delicious!
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, you definitely can! Enjoy 🙂
Arianna says
Can store-bought caramel be used? Planning on making this for Thanksgiving!
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, absolutely! Hope you love this pie as much as our family does ?
Helen says
Looking forward to making this – can’t seem to find what to set the oven to… 350?
Thanks
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Helen! It’s under step 3 – preheat to 400 degrees F. Enjoy! ?