Dutch Caramel Apple Pie

A slice of apple pie with caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream.

Dutch Caramel Apple Pie

My Dutch 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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Caramel Apple Pie, Thanksgiving Dessert, Apple Pie, Dutch Apple Pie, Easy Pie Recipe

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 40

Servings slices

Calories 360kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

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

NOTE: I used 3 granny smith and 3 golden delicious apples - here's a list of other apples that are great for pie!

NOTE: If you want a topping that's a little more like an apple crisp topping, add 1 cup whole rolled oats with the dry ingredients, reduce brown sugar to 1/2 cup, packed, and continue making the topping as directed above. Both taste amazing!

Nutrition