Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza

A close-up on a slice of apple pizza in the pie plate, with salted caramel sauce..

5 from 3 votes

Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza

This Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza has cinnamon spiced apples nestled on an easy, pillowy crust, and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. It's like an apple pie in pizza form! Drizzle this beauty with salted caramel sauce for a truly perfect dessert.

Prep Time30

Cook Time18

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dessert Pizza, Apple Pizza

Servings: slices

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp salted butter, cubed
1/2 cup +1 tbsp heavy cream
pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Pizza Dough

1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 163 grams
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

For the Cinnamon Streusel

3 tbsp cold salted butter, cubed
2 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the Apple Filling

2 tbsp salted butter
2 large apples, sliced into 1/2" slices Or 3 medium apples. About 4 cups, 430 grams, or 1 lb slices in total
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 and 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

Make the Caramel Sauce: Make the caramel sauce by following my recipe here up to 2 weeks ahead and store in the fridge until ready to serve the pizza.
Make the Pizza Dough: Combine sugar and warm water (105° F to 115° F) in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the yeast and don't mix - let sit for 5 minutes. It should be kind of creamy and foamy looking. Stir in the flour, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Set a timer! Gently shape the dough into a ball and place in the same bowl, sprayed with nonstick spray, and cover with a kitchen towel to rise for 1 hour.
Make the Streusel: While the dough rises, make the streusel. Pulse all streusel ingredients together in the bowl of a food processor on high until crumbly and clumping together. Alternatively, whisk up the dry mixture and cut in the cold cubed butter until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 425° F so it's ready for baking by the time you finish making the filling and assembling the pizza.
Make the Apple Filling: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (Let it go a few extra minutes if you want browned butter.) Add the apple slices and remaining apple filling ingredients. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring lazily, then stir in the flour. Cook for 4-6 more minutes, until apples are slightly softened but still have a slight hint of crunch.
Assemble & Bake: Plop the risen dough into the greased pan and press it out and up the sides a bit. Spoon the apples (leaving behind any excess liquid, which there really shouldn't be) over the crust and sprinkle the streusel on top. It may seem like a lot of streusel but use it all. Bake for 17-19 minutes. The edges of the crust and the streusel will be golden brown. You can lift the edge of the pizza up with a lifter to see if the bottom and sides looked baked through if you're unsure.
Serve + Store: Drizzle caramel sauce over the warm pizza and enjoy! This is best hot from the oven, but leftovers can be covered + stored in the fridge for a 2-3 days.

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