Caramel Apple Pie Recipe
Posted Oct 21, 2026
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This caramel apple pie recipe takes classic apple pie to the next level! A rich, caramel-infused apple filling is baked between two layers of flaky, buttery homemade pie crust for an irresistible caramel apple pie. It’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall gathering!
I love taking classic recipes and tweaking them to make them extra-special, and that’s exactly what I did with this caramel apple pie recipe.
This pie is made with simple ingredients, and the filling isn’t overly sweet – even with the caramel – so the flavor of the apples really shines. It’s a bakery-quality caramel apple pie perfect for Thanksgiving, holidays, or anytime you’re craving a classic apple dessert with a decadent caramel twist (also try my apple crumb pie, apple crisp, and homemade caramel apples).
Serve it topped with melty vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce, and I’d bet you won’t find a more perfect fall dessert!
Why This is the Best Caramel Apple Pie Recipe
- Tons of apples for a thick apple filling
- Rich caramel taste from the caramel sauce
- Flaky, buttery homemade pie crust
- Made from scratch
- Make-ahead pie perfect for the holidays
Caramel Apple Pie: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are some notes about the ingredients in this caramel apple pie recipe and some possible substitutions.
Store-bought Crust
You can use a store-bought crust if you prefer, or here are some notes on substitutions. Check out this butter pie crust recipe for more tips and tricks on making a homemade crust. Or, try these apple pie bars and skip the crust altogether!
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Salted butter: Unsalted butter and vegan butter (like Earth Balance, which is what was used to make this dairy-free pumpkin pie) are good substitutes.
- Apples. Choose your favorite apple variety; I prefer a sweet/tart variety like pink ladies or Honeycrisp.
- Sugar. You can substitute all or up to half of the sugar with brown sugar.
- Nutmeg. This is optional but recommended for a richer flavor.
- Caramel sauce. Use store-bought or make your own homemade caramel sauce.
- Heavy cream. Whole milk and half and half are good substitutes.
Best Apples for Apple Pie
You can choose your favorite apple variety, but I suggest using a sweet/tart variety like:
- Pink Lady apples
- Honeycrisp Apples
- Or a combination of Granny Smith and Gala or Fuji
How to Make Caramel Apple Pie
Making caramel apple pie from scratch is simple and so rewarding. We’ll walk through the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make the Pie Crust
I have a full tutorial on making an all-butter pie crust, so if you need more help, check it out!
I always use a food processor to make pie crust, but you can mix the crust by hand with a fork or pastry cutter. So, begin by pulsing the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with an “S” 2-3 times.
Then, add the cold butter and water and process until the mixture begins to clump together and holds together when pinched.
Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into two flat, round discs.
Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Make the Caramel Apple Pie Filling
While the crust is chilling, make the apple filling. Start by putting the peeled, cored, and sliced apples in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 5 minutes, until the apples are slightly soft to the touch.
Once the apples are finished cooking in the microwave, drain any excess water in a colander.
Then, transfer the drained apples in a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and stir to combine.
Then, stir in the caramel sauce.
Assemble and Bake
Once the crust is chilled and the filling is ready, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
Remove one disc of pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it into a circle to fit a 9” round deep dish pie plate with a little overhang so you can make a fluted edge. (If it has been refrigerated overnight, you will need to let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it is pliable.
Gently put the pie crust into the pie dish and put it in the refrigerator to chill while you roll out the second disc.
Then, roll out the second crust into a circle, or make a lattice pie crust for the top.
Next, evenly spread the filling into the unbaked bottom pie crust in the pie dish.
Then, place the top crust over the filling, and pinch the sides to make a fluted edge and cut an “X” in the top of the pie to release steam. Or you can make a cute crust design or lattice crust on top.
Mix the egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash over the crust.
Place a pie crust shield or aluminum foil over the outer crust of your pie to protect it from burning. Remove the shield in the last 10-15 minutes of baking if it doesn’t begin to brown under the shield)
Bake the Dutch apple pie in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble and the top is lightly browned.
Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
How to Serve Caramel Apple Pie
Serve this caramel apple pie recipe slightly warm with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect fall dessert. I love drizzling extra caramel sauce on top of the pie when we serve it, because more caramel is always a good idea!
More Apple Pie Insipred Recipes
If you like this caramel apple pie, you will love these recipes:
- Best classic apple pie made from scratch
- Apple pie bars like pie but easier
- Apple Crumb Pie is one of my all-time favorite pies.
- This Apple galette is like pie but easier
- Cute little apple hand pies are great single-serving desserts.
- Dutch Apple Pie is a classic
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
Freeze the entire pie. Bake the pie & let it cool to room temperature. Then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving.
Freeze individual slices. Put the slices of apple pie on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze. Then, once they’re frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 6 hours.
Caramel Apple Pie Recipe FAQS
I suggest a sweet/tart and firm apple variety for this recipe. Here are some suggestions:
Pink Ladies (aka: Crisps Pink)
Granny Smith
Fuji
Honeycrisp
Jonagold
Jazz
Braeburn
Gala
Golden Delicious
This is my favorite organic store-bought caramel sauce. Or you can make your own homemade caramel sauce.
Bake the pie on the lower rack in your oven.
Reheat the pie in the oven preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius) – slices will get warm in about 15 minutes, and the whole pie will take about 30 minutes to reheat.
Yes, I always recommend peeling the apples for pie for the best texture.
Yes, you can bake this pie up to two days in advance and store it covered at room temperature until serving.
The crust should be golden brown, and the filling should be bubbling through the “X” cut in the top or through the lattice crust. The filling must be bubbly because this means it’s cooking, and it will be perfectly thick and not watery.
Yes, use the topping in my apple crumb pie recipe.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Best Caramel Apple Pie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Double Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup salted butter (cold or frozen, diced into ½” cubes)
- ½ cup water (ice cold)
Apple Filling
- 4 pounds apples (9 cups, peeled cored and sliced)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup caramel sauce
Egg wash
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade and pulse to combine.
- Add cold butter and water and process until the mixture begins to clump together and holds together when pinched.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into two, flat, round discs.
- Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Make the Caramel Apple Filling
- Place the peeled, cored and sliced apples in a microwave safe dish and heat for 5 minutes, until apples are slightly soft to the touch.
- Once apples are finished cooking in the microwave, drain any excess water in a colander.
- Transfer the drained apples to a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir to combine.
- Then, stir in the caramel sauce.
Assemble & Bake
- Once the crust is chilled and the filling is ready, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
- Remove one disc of pie dough from refrigerator and roll into a circle to fit a 9” round deep dish pie plate (if it has been refrigerated overnight you will need to let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it is pliable).
- Gently put the pie crust into the pie dish and put it in the refrigerator to chill while you roll out the second disc.
- Roll out the second crust into a circle, or make a lattice pie crust for the top.
- Evenly spread the filling into the unbaked bottom pie crust in the pie dish.
- Place the top crust over the filling, then pinch the sides to make a fluted edge and cut an “X” in the top of the pie to release steam.
- Mix the egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash over the crust.
- Place a pie crust shield or aluminum foil over the outer crust of your pie to protect it from burning. Remove shield in the last 10-15 minutes of baking if it doesn’t begin to brown under the shield)
- Bake the Dutch apple pie in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble and the top is lightly browned.
- Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Salted butter: Unsalted butter and vegan butter (like Earth balance, which is what was used to make this dairy-free pumpkin pie), are good substitutions.
- Apples. Choose your favorite apple variety, I prefer a sweet/tart variety like pink ladies or honeycrisp.
- Sugar. you can substitute all or up to half of the sugar with brown sugar.
- Nutmeg. This is optional but recommended for a richer flavor.
- Caramel sauce. use store bought or make your own homemade caramel sauce.
- Heavy cream. whole milk and half and half are good substitutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
