Homemade Caramel Apple Pie
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This homemade caramel apple pie combines tart apples with cinnamon caramel underneath a flaky crust. It’s surprisingly easy and perfect for fall!
Do you love caramel apple dip and apple pie? With this easy vegetarian recipe, you can enjoy the best of both worlds!
Imagine tart apples smothered in a rich, buttery caramel, all wrapped in a flaky golden crust. And just when you think it can’t get better, there’s even more cinnamon caramel on top!
Did I also mention that both the crust and caramel are made from scratch?
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If you’re looking for a plant-based version of this incredible apple pie, let me hook you up with this vegan caramel apple pie recipe.
Don’t forget the scoops of vegan vanilla ice cream on top!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Caramel Apple Pie Recipe
- This delicious caramel apple pie recipe only needs 6 simple ingredients. The prep work is also simple since the apples are not cooked separately.
- This vegetarian caramel apple pie is the perfect make-ahead dessert! The textures are even better the next day.
- With its flaky golden brown crust, spiced caramel, tender Granny Smith apples, and cozy cinnamon, this delicious apple pie will surely get you in the mood for fall.
Ingredients And Substitutions
Pie crust – I highly recommend making your own pie crust! Our 6-ingredient vegan pie crust recipe is foolproof and will give you the best flaky crust for this apple and caramel pie.
Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour – We’ll make our own caramel for this vegetarian caramel apple pie, and it starts with butter and flour for the perfect thickness and richness.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar – Using two kinds of sugar will give the caramel a deeper color and flavor. Feel free to stir in some salt for a salted caramel apple pie!
Ground cinnamon – Other cozy fall spices like nutmeg will also be delicious for the caramel apple pie filling.
Water – Helps dissolve the sugars.
Granny Smith apples – The sweetness and richness of the cinnamon caramel call for tart Granny Smith apples. But for a more complex flavor, try combining them with sweeter varieties like Fuji or Honeycrisp!
Tips For Making This Recipe
Make a Lattice Pie Crust
Roll out the top crust so it’s 2 inches wider than your pie dish, and cut it into strips. Arrange half of them as parallel lines over the filled pie and fold every other piece up. Lay a horizontal strip perpendicular to them, then unfold the vertical strips. Fold the other vertical strips up, add another horizontal strip, and repeat the process until the pie is covered. Leave 2 inches of excess dough at the edge, roll it up, and crimp the edge of the crust to finish.
Use a Flat Top Crust
You can also do a simple flat top crust for your homemade caramel apple pie. Roll out the top crust, place it on top of the filled pie, leave a 3/4-inch overhang, and fold the edge over and under the edge of the bottom crust, pressing them together. Don’t forget to score the top of the pie so the steam can escape as the pie bakes!
Get a Golden Crust
Brush the top with an egg wash to give your flaky pie crust a golden, shiny finish.
Caramel Apple Pie Recipe FAQs
What kind of apples are best for homemade caramel apple pie?
Granny Smith apples are the best apples for apple pie because they hold their shape well, and their tartness complements the pie’s sweetness. Skip apples like Fuji and Gala, as they tend to get mushy and grainy after baking.
Can you freeze this apple caramel pie?
Absolutely! Allow the freshly baked caramel apple pie to cool, then freeze it for up to 3 months. You can also freeze it before baking. To bake from frozen, extend the baking time by 20 minutes.
Should you cook apples before putting them in a pie?
You don’t need to cook or par-bake the apples for this caramel apple pie recipe. Just make sure the slices are uniform so they get cooked evenly.
How to prevent runny caramel apple pie?
Allow your homemade caramel apple pie to cool before slicing so the apple filling will have time to thicken up.
What to do if the top of the apple caramel pie is burning?
You can tent the top of your vegetarian apple pie with foil to keep it from browning too much.
More Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Vegan Cheesecake
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Coconut Cream Pie
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
I found this recipe for Vegetarian Naked Apple Tart that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Your comment and/or rating helps other readers!
Homemade Caramel Apple Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 double pie crust (you can double my homemade pie crust)
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 6 to 10 tbsp all-purpose flour (or until you form a paste)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (plus extra for sprinkling)
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 to 7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Stir in 6 tablespoons of flour to form a paste.
- Add the sugars, cinnamon, and water. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer the caramel sauce for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your baking dish. Fill it with the apple slices, mounding them slightly.
- Top the apples with half of the caramel sauce.
- Cover the filled pie with the top crust using your preferred technique.
- Slowly pour the remaining caramel over the crust so it doesn’t run off. Top with a few shakes of cinnamon.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350°F and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden.
- Let the pie rest for at least 4 hours before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Roll out the top crust so it’s 2 inches wider than your pie dish, and cut it into strips. Arrange half of them as parallel lines over the filled pie and fold every other piece up. Lay a horizontal strip perpendicular to them, then unfold the vertical strips. Fold the other vertical strips up, add another horizontal strip, and repeat the process until the pie is covered. Leave 2 inches of excess dough at the edge, roll it up, and crimp the edge of the crust to finish.
- You can also do a simple flat top crust for your homemade caramel apple pie. Roll out the top crust, place it on top of the filled pie, leave a 3/4-inch overhang, and fold the edge over and under the edge of the bottom crust, pressing them together. Don’t forget to score the top of the pie so the steam can escape as the pie bakes!
- Brush the top with an egg wash to give your flaky pie crust a golden, shiny finish.
Omg this was by far the best pie at our Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone was raving about it, so it looks like I will be making another one today. I made it a day in advance and it was not soupy it was perfect. I switched out the Granny Smith for gala because that was what I had, not a big fan of Granny Smith. It did boil over in my oven but next time I think I will put 2/3 of the Carmel on top of apples and then the rest on top. I used a solid crust and cut out large leaves on the crust, so I will do lattice this time. I’m sure this will requested by the family from now on. Great recipe. ❤️
My daughter wanted a Carmel apple pie for her birthday. I had no clue what to do my first thought was to put kraft camels in the pie. So glad I thought to look it up!
When I seen the picture of your pie I knew I had to make this one!
I have to say I can make a mile high apple pie. But this one blows mine away!!!!
Everyone loved it! And said make this one every time? thanks for making me look like the best pie maker in the world! Lol next to you! 🙂
I will tell everyone about this recipe thanks so much!
Please don’t pour half of the caramel sauce over your pie and bake it, it will run over to your pan and smoke up your house and be a complete disaster to clean up. Just sayin. You’d be much better off just using half to three quarters inside the pie.
I always use all the filling and just place the pie pan on a baking sheet to avoid the mess.
I have made this pie twice and both times the caramel sauce mixture boiled out of the pie and dripped all over the oven. I love the taste but it’s been a cleaning nightmare to make. What can I do to prevent the bubble over from happening again?
I’m so sorry your filling dripped all over the oven. Mine tends to boil over just a little bit. Tips: I always use a deep dish pie pan and I put the pan on a baking sheet to pick up any mess that boils over.
At what point do you refrigerate this pie or don’t you ?
Hi Karen! I actually don’t refrigerate this pie. I let it sit out for a few days and it’s always just fine.
Should i cover the crust with foil?
Sheila, I never have, and it always turns out perfectly golden brown
Hi, I know this is an old post but just came across it on Pintrest and it sounds amazing! Just wondering do you know if cooking apples would work instead of Granny Smiths?
This pie IS amazing – in fact, my family asks me to make it every single year. Any apples will work and be delicious. Granny Smiths are just classic for apple pie. You do what works for you. Enjoy!
I have made this pie a bunch of times and it is a huge hit!! I am thinking about making it as individual pies (in muffin tins)…….have you ever done that? Obviously adjusting the baking time……
As a pie novice, I have a few questions. Does it really not matter if it is a full top crust or lattice? Also should I cover the pie over night or just let it sit on the counter? I have never made a pie the day before serving.
Thanks and can’t wait to try it!!!
Hi Carin! You’re going to love this pie! And you’ll especially love that you can make it the day before – I just leave it on the counter covered. And yes, you’re fine to use a full top crust if you prefer.
Enjoy!
Hi! I have made this pie an few times now and we are all obsessed with it!!! I am having house guests this weekend and thought it might be fun to make these as individual pies…….have you ever done that?
I am wondering how much the baking time would be affected?
Thank you so much!
-Aly
I’m so glad you love this pie! I make it a few times every year and everyone loves it. You know, I’ve never make it in individual servings, but that’s such a great idea. I wish I knew what the baking time should be. Definitely less. And maybe cover with foil halfway through so the crust doesn’t burn. If you try it out be sure to come back and let me know!
Hello there! As I am from Germany, I have never tried making caramel apple pie (we only have the typical German apple pie) but I’ve always wanted to! Now I just couldn’t help it anymore – and although we don’t have those American pie forms in Germany but slightly different ones (and as I know now – waaaay smaller ones) and we also have different measurements (and I tried to convert yours to ours as precisely as possible) – which somehow led to the situation that I had way too much of practically everything, especially of the caramel sauce (one of my housemates loved the caramel sauce so he just ate all the leftovers in a second), I still am excited about tomorrow when we are going to try our first pieces of caramel apple pie! Thank you so very much for this amazing recipe!
This. Is. Amazing. I’ve been putting this recipe off. Regrets. This will be made again and again from now on. Thank you. 😀
Oh I am SOOOO glad you made and loved it! (although how could you not love it?!) It’s my go-to pie for every occasion, and everyone always raves over it.
I just made a caramel apple pie myself! Such a delicious treat and yours looks beautiful.
Thanks Erin! It’s seriously my favorite recipe ever.
Can I use frozen sliced apples?
Pam, I have never tried this pie with frozen apples. in fact, can you believe I’ve never frozen apples before! But google tells me that it can be done 🙂 Just be sure not to rinse away the flavor when thawing them. Instead, thaw in the fridge a couple days prior to using. Enjoy!
This pie is delicious and so simple! (especially if you use pre made crust like I did) You’re right about it needing several hours to set. The next day it was even better! It was perfectly gooey and delicious with some ice cream on top. Will be making this for Thanksgiving!
I am so happy to hear that you tried and loved it!! YAY!!
I don’t see anything mentioned about the caramel. What do I use to make it and how much? Thanks! This looks delicious.
Sarah the caramel is the butter and sugar mixture that you pour over the apples. When you heat it, it makes a caramel-like sauce
Hello cute lady! This looks incredible. Pinned. We really appreciate you taking the time to stop by our party. It wouldn’t be a party without you. Please join us on Monday at 7 pm. Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Wow this looks delish! My hubby absolutely LOVES apple pie, and yours looks just perfect! I’ll have to try it on him.
This looks delicious. Stumbling, pinning, and making for Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing.
you’re going to love it! thank YOU for sharing!
Oh my this looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
I hope you do! you’ll love it!