When I’m looking to really wow with dessert, I make this Dutch caramel apple pie. It’s got everything I love in a pie– juicy cinnamon-spiced apples, buttery crumble topping–plus a thick drizzle of sweet caramel sauce. I use store-bought pie crust and caramel to keep it simple, but the flavor? Anything but basic. This caramel apple crumb pie is always a hit at Thanksgiving, but I’ve made it for everything from Sunday dinners to casual potlucks.
Dutch Caramel Apple Pie
I’ve always preferred Dutch apple pie over traditional apple pie, because I love that delicious crumb topping! For this easy caramel apple pie, I simply added some caramel sauce to the apple filling to make it even more crave-worthy.
The magic starts with the filling: crisp apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, tossed in a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and brown sugar. Then comes the caramel; just enough to coat every slice without making the pie soggy. Topped with a buttery crumble, this caramel apple streusel pie is the ultimate comfort dessert.
Now I think this has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving pies!
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Make Even Slices for the Best Texture
For the best texture, slice your apples evenly. I always aim for about ¼ inch thick. If the slices are too thin, they’ll turn mushy; too thick, and they won’t soften fully. Uniform slices help the caramel apple pie filling bake evenly and give each bite the perfect balance of tender apple and gooey caramel.
Caramel Apple Pie Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Rolling Pin
- Pie Pan
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust homemade or store-bought
For the Apple Filling
- 6 large apples cored, peeled, and sliced (7-8 cups)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces (1 stick)
For Assembly
- ½ cup caramel sauce homemade or store-bought, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Roll out the pie dough, creating a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan, tucking or trimming the overhang. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer while you prep the rest of the pie elements.1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust
For the Apple Filling
- In a separate bowl, add the apple slices, sugars, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Toss to combine, then set aside.6 large apples, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined.1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Scatter the pieces of butter over the top. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until a crumb topping consistency is achieved.½ cup unsalted butter
Assembly
- Fill the pie crust with the apples, creating a low mound, then drizzle with caramel sauce.½ cup caramel sauce
- Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 45-50 minutes, tenting it with foil if it is browning too quickly, until the filling is bubbly and tender when poked with a knife.
- Allow the pie to cool for 3-4 hours before slicing and serving with more caramel sauce.
Notes
- You can use a regular OR a deep-dish pie pan for this recipe, depending on how tall you want your pie to be.
- You can slice or chop the apples, depending on how you like your filling. Just try to keep the pieces uniform so that the pie bakes evenly.
- Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the caramel sauce for a salted caramel apple pie.
- If the crust or topping begins to brown too quickly, cover the pie with aluminum foil for the rest of the bake.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. A hot pie will fall apart when sliced.
- To firm up the pie even more before slicing, refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set the filling.
- Drizzle extra caramel sauce over top of the pie before serving!
How to Make Dutch Caramel Apple Pie Step-by-Step
Gather your Ingredients: Gather up everything you need to begin. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Prep the Pie Crust: Roll out 1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust, creating a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan, tucking or trimming the overhang. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer while you prep the rest of the pie elements.
Slice the Apples: Core, peel, and slice 6 apples (this should yield about 7-8 cups). Then place the apples in a large mixing bowl.
Make the Apple Filling: To the bowl of apple slices, add ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss to combine so that the apples are fully coated, then set aside.
Mix the Topping Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup of brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt until combined.
Finish the Crumb Topping: Cut ½ cup of unsalted butter into small cubes, then scatter the pieces of butter over the top of the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until a crumb topping consistency is achieved.
Fill the Pie: Fill the chilled pie crust with the apple filling, creating a low mound, then drizzle with ½ cup of caramel sauce.
Bake the Pie: Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the apple caramel filling. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 45-50 minutes, tenting it with foil if it is browning too quickly, until the filling is bubbly and tender when poked with a knife. Let it cool before slicing and serving.
How to Store
Store leftover caramel apple crumb pie tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying at room temperature, or gently reheat individual slices in the microwave.
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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