Caramel Apple Pie – Super Healthy Kids

This Caramel Apple Pie is the ultimate Fall dessert. Perfectly spiced apples in a flaky, fool-proof crust and drizzled with an easy homemade caramel sauce. It’s a showstopper dessert that everyone will love!

Everyone needs a great apple pie recipe.. and this one is ours! It looks impressive and tastes amazing- but it really is pretty easy to make! This is a great recipe if you’re new to baking pie. And it doesn’t get much better than caramel, apples, and cinnamon. Add a flaky crust and you’ve got dessert perfection!

And, it’s pretty too! This pie makes a regular appearance on our Thanksgiving dessert table.

Ingredients:

• butter
• flour
• sugar
• apples
• lemon juice
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• salt
• brown sugar
• milk
• vanilla
• egg

Ingredient Notes:

Apples: We used Honeycrisp apples for our pie. They are a firm apple that hold up really well to baking. And because of their sweet/tart flavor we are able to add less sugar to this pie than many other recipes. Granny Smith, Jonathon, Braeburn, or any other firm apple will also work well in apple pie.

Crust: We love to use butter in our crust because it adds such a rich, delicious flavor. However, vegan butter, shortening, or coconut oil make good substitutes.

Caramel Sauce: We make a simple, homemade caramel sauce for our pie recipe, but you could substitute your favorite store bought caramel sauce instead.

How to Make Pie Crust

The secret to a good pie is a really good crust. This recipe has become my go-to! A food processor ensures that your crust comes together quickly without over-mixing. You’re going to want to pulse just until it comes together to get a good, flaky crust. Handle the pie dough as little as possible! This recipe will make a top and bottom crust, so you’ll divide the dough in half before wrapping in plastic wrap and getting into the fridge to chill.

How to Make Caramel Apple Pie

The Apples:

1. You are going to want consistent, thin slices to make sure that your apples cook evenly. We used our Apple Peeler and Corer because we can cut up all the apples in just a couple of minutes! But you can get the job done with a peeler and a sharp knife.
2. After slicing your apples, put them in a large bowl and toss them with lemon juice.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, sugar, and flour.
4. Add the dry mixture to the apples and toss to coat.

The Crust:

1. Roll out both of your pie crusts into a circle roughly 1″ larger than your pie plate. You want your crust to be about 1/8″ thick.
2. Place the bottom crust into your pie pan. If there are any gaps or holes gently press them together before adding your apples. Drizzle with some of the caramel sauce.
3. We added a simple lattice crust to the top of our apple pie. The simplest way I found to cut straight strips of crust is a clean ruler and a pizza cutter. I promise it is easier than it might look!
4. Add the strips to the top of your pie, weaving the strips to create a lattice design.
5. Trim excess crust and crimp the edges together. You can do this with your fingers and thumb to create a wavy look or simply press the edges with the tines of a fork.
6. Brush your crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake the pie for 60-75 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cover the crust loosely with foil if it gets too brown before your filling is cooked.
8. Allow the pie to cool slightly. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce before serving.

How to Store Caramel Apple Pie

Ideally you want to store your pie in the fridge. It should stay fresh 4-5 days (if it lasts that long!) Or, you can freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

More Apple Dessert Recipes:

Crust

• 2 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted chilled
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

• 8 medium apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour

Crust Topping

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Crust

• Start by making the crust. Grate 4 tablespoons of chilled butter with grater and place in the freezer. Cut the remaining 16 tablespoons of butter into small cubes.

• In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the cubed butter and pulse until combined. The mixture should look crumbly with the butter distributed as small ‘pebbles’ throughout the flour. Add the grated butter and toss the mixture with a fork until the grated butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.

• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of ice water over the mixture and pulse just until combined. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of ice water over the mixture and pulse until combined.

• Transfer the dough it to a floured work surface and gently press the dough until the flour is fully incorporated. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a 1 inch thick disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Filling

• To make the filling, start by thinly slicing your apples. In a large bowl, gently toss the apples and lemon juice until the apples are coated.

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over the apples and gently stir to combine. Set aside.

Caramel

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. And the brown sugar and milk, whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Keep at a low simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. If the mixture is getting too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until the consistency is like a pourable caramel sauce. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Assembling the Pie

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

• Remove your pie dough from the fridge. Roll out one of the disks of chilled dough on a floured work surface until it is a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish.

• Fill the pie crust with the apples. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce, reserving the rest for topping.

• Remove the other disk of pie dough from the refrigerator. To create a lattice top crust: Roll the dough out into another 12 inch circle. Using a pizza cutter and a clean ruler, cut 10 strips 1 inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave.

• Using a sharp knife, trim the extra overhang. Press down the edges of the dough with a fork or your fingers. Brush the lattice crust with a very thin layer of the beaten egg and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and coarse sugar.

• Place the pie on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes. The pie will be done when the caramel begins to bubble up.

• Allow the pie to cool for 4 hours on the counter before serving. Drizzle each serving with the extra caramel sauce. It is best served on the same day, but it can be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg