Caramelized Apple Pie
Updated Nov. 16, 2023
- Total Time
- 4 hours 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 4 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 3pounds Pink Lady apples (6 to 7 medium) or other baking apples, such as honeycrisp or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
- ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 2recipes Flaky Pie Crust, chilled
- All-purpose flour, for rolling dough
- 1tablespoon cornstarch
- 1tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1large egg, beaten
- Demerara sugar, for topping
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
515 calories; 21 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 79 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 40 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 371 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place the apples in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Step 2
Fill a glass with water, place a pastry brush inside and set next to the stove. Combine the sugar and ¼ cup/60 milliliters water in a small saucepan and stir gently with a heatproof spatula over medium-high heat just until it comes to a boil and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook without stirring, swirling the pan frequently and using the wet brush to brush down any undissolved sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, until the syrup starts to turn a faint golden color, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, swirling the pan, until it turns deep amber, about 1 minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the butter one piece at a time, stirring to incorporate it (be careful, it will sputter). Add the salt and stir vigorously until you have a smooth caramel.
- Step 3
Drizzle the hot caramel evenly over the apples and transfer the baking dish to the oven. Bake, gently tossing the apples once, until they have released their juices and the tip of a paring knife slides easily into the slices, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven off.
- Step 4
When the baking dish is cool enough to handle, transfer it to the refrigerator and chill uncovered at least until the apple mixture is room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes, but preferably until cold, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. When the mixture is cool, stir together cornstarch and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork until cornstarch dissolves. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and scrape the mixture onto the apples and toss gently to combine.
- Step 5
Remove one portion of cold pie dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for a minute or two to soften slightly. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to beat the dough evenly across the surface, applying enough force to leave an imprint but not enough to crack or splinter it. Continue to beat the dough, lifting it frequently and adding more flour if needed to prevent sticking, until it’s just under ½-inch thick. This makes the dough pliable and easier to roll out while cold. Dust underneath and on top of the dough with more flour, then roll it out, frequently lifting and rotating the dough to work it into a round, until it’s about ⅛-inch thick and 13 inches in diameter.
- Step 6
Transfer the dough round to a 9-inch pie plate, preferably glass, centering it and letting the dough slump down the sides into the bottom. Firmly press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the plate, ensuring contact everywhere and taking care not to stretch it. Scrape the apple mixture into the pie plate. Press gently on the apples to eliminate air gaps, then transfer the pie plate to the refrigerator.
- Step 7
Roll out the second portion of dough just as you did the first. Remove the pie plate from the refrigerator and brush the border of dough around the filling with the beaten egg. Place the second round of dough over the pie, letting it settle over the filling. Press firmly all the way around the rim of the pie plate with your fingertips to seal the two layers of dough together, then use a paring knife to trim away the excess dough from around the rim. Using the tines of a fork, press around the border of the pie again to crimp it, dipping the fork in flour if needed to prevent sticking. (Alternatively, finish the pie with a lattice top, cutting the dough into strips and weaving as desired.)
- Step 8
Brush the entire surface of the pie with the egg, then generously sprinkle the top with Demerara sugar. Freeze the assembled pie just until the dough is cold and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 9
Remove the pie from the freezer and use the paring knife to cut several slits in the lid to allow steam to escape during baking. (Skip this step if you wove a lattice top.) Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until the pastry is deep golden brown, another 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with vanilla ice cream.
Tip
- The pie can be made 1 day ahead. Store uncovered at room temperature away from humidity. Any leftovers will keep in the pie plate, covered loosely with foil, for several days, but the crust will soften over time.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
YiaYia
Would it be ok to do parts of this the day before? For example, can the caramelized apples be left overnight in the fridge, or perhaps the whole assembled pie?
mk
An easy way to avoid crystallization of sugar while making caramel is to put a cover over the pot. The condensation will wash down the sides of the pot. Just remember to keep an eye on the cooking ,and Don’t stir it ! A little swirl once it starts to color will do.
Jen Fitzy
I just made this. The apple filling is delicious. This is the first pie I've ever had where I like the filling more than the pastry. I would be sure to not cut the apples too thin or they will fall apart. The recipe says 1/2 inch, and that is the right idea. I didn't have any problems with the caramel. A heavy-bottomed pot may help. The pastry was pretty easy to make and roll out but in my case, with a metal pan, it came out super crisp. It would be better in a glass pan.
Karen
Could I get all the way until the last step (putting it in oven and baking) and freeze it?
Moses
My Emile Henry pie dish (ceramic) has been a game changer. I believe it conducts heat more evenly than glass.
MRL
When you are done cooking the apples you will likely have caramel soup. The recipe doesn’t handle that well. Instead, strain the soup into a pot and put the cooked apples aside. Dissolve 1/4 cup corn starch by adding water to the starch (not the other way round) and add that to the soup and cook until the milky starch thickens to a pie filling consistency. Mix that back into the apples and cool and proceed with the baking of the pie filling into the crust…
Carol
Glass heats slowly and evenly and you can see the bottom. But my husband got me an Emile Henry pie dish (ceramic) and I have never had a bad pie crust in it. Now if only I could make a beautiful lattice top…
KT
I made this over 3 days (crust on day 1, filling day 2, and assembled and baked on day 3) and it was the best apple pie I have ever made.
MRL
This recipe has some holes and flaws that can easily be remedied. If you aren’t familiar with making caramel a thermometer is handy. Light Caramel should be 320-300, darker smokier 340… be careful not to burn the caramel as once you get close to that temp it tends to shoot up quite quickly. I stir the caramel when it’s close to keep down the bubbles and use my nose and eyes to get the right color and flavor.
NotMyRealName
After 20 minutes or so it’s a good idea (in our oven) to protect the crust rim with foil. Can anybody explain why a glass pie pan is preferred?
anna
The first time I made this pie (Thanksgiving 2023), it turned out perfectly. Second time I made it, I used Granny Smiths at the request of the recipient and it still turned out well. This third time with Honeycrisps turned out soupier. I think the apples are more watery but also I know I didn’t deepen the caramel enough so the caramel was waterier. I meed to get a stainless steel pot and leave my non-stick for oatmeal, smh. Fingers crossed the pie still turns out.
Suzanne
I must have overcooked the caramel but it didn’t look past the amber stage. It created a bitter filling when added to the apples. Pie was ruined. Won’t make again.
Melissa
We found this to be just an OK apple pie and somewhat disappointing given the time it took to prepare and bake. While the apples remained nicely firm, without any spices, it was rather bland overall.
JJ
I completely failed at this. I was unable to make caramel. First batch kept reducing and reducing and never turned brown. And stuck -- REALLY stuck -- to my pot and spoon. Next batch, different pot, and it again wasn't turning brown. I gave up.
Vanessa
Water & sugar are taking for ever to go dark amber??? What am I doing wrong?
NE
Mine never turned dark amber either, and then the mixture crystallized.
Audrey
This was the best pie crust I ever made. I generally find that using the food processor yields a dough that's easier to handle but too overworked. However, I followed Claire's instructions to a tee and, while it seemed super crumbly at first, it was miraculously easy to roll out by the time I refrigerated and pounded the dough - no sticking! The result was visually appealing and super flaky. I'm pretty sure I messed up the caramel and didn't want to redo it but the filling was still delicious.
Wyatt
If I were making this recipe again, I'd cut the apples into thicker pieces and pre-bake them for less time. I used 4 Pink Lady and 2 green apples cut into half inch thick slices, but they pre-baked in like half the estimated time. I should have pulled them from the oven, but went with the recipe's timing. The result was a very tasty apple pie, but that had what was effectively apple puree as a filling. No apple chunks at all. It tastes good, but there was too much textureless apple goop.
Anne
Very good apple pie. I added more a good splash of bourbon and a little more sugar. In the future, I’ll also add cinnamon. I missed the spice
M
Filling was delicious and intensely flavored, but uniform and smooth, with no apple pieces surviving the second bake. If you're fine with that, great! I missed the distinct apple chunks, so I think next time I'll try pre-baking only half of the apples to hopefully get the best of both worlds. I froze the entire pie solid before baking, and baked without thawing, adding about 20 minutes to the cook time, which worked great.
Cindy S
I have to agree with D. Not a fan of this pie. Made sure the caramel was just the right color before cooking with the apples. Final pie result was I thought the apples tasted bitter due to the caramel picking up more color when baked with the apples. Also, I don’t like the needlessly complex crust technique. I didn’t find it any flakier than traditional method. Maybe even less so. I like Claire’s recipes. I have both her cookbooks, but this won’t get baked again.
SM
This was by far the best apple pie I have ever made after years of searching. I, too, had problems with the caramel hardening and clumping in the oven but kept going and I am glad I did. I turned the heat up a touch and stirred the apples more frequently and the caramel did indeed melt and coat the fruit. Pull the apples from the oven as soon as they are just tender and sauced in the caramel. I baked the apples the night before and refrigerated to break up the work. Added cornstarch mix in AM.
Zoe
Don't take too much stock re: the other reviews. Embrace the extent how the filling ends up kind of apple sauce-y. This was the best apple pie I've ever made, with a wonderfully complex filling flavor. It was a huge hit at our Thanksgiving. (And by comparison, last year's apple pie -- a different recipe -- was ignored in favor of the other desserts.) Thank you, Claire!
Chef Egon
The caramel glopped up when I added it to the apples. However the oven heat and apple juices will liquify the caramel in the end. Very delicious filling. I used Northern Spy apples for their tartness.
D
Love Claire but the this was such a miss. 40 minutes precooking and 1h20 in the oven turned the filling to mush. Had to serve just ice cream for dessert :(
William Davies
It's...OK. Baking the apples twice leaves you with applesauce as filling. The taste is interesting, but not that of apple pie. Really, apple pie is a classic. Why mess with it? If you don't have a basic recipe, try James Beard. This was worth trying. Once.
Private notes are only visible to you.
Advertisement
