Caramel Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
This Caramel Apple Pie with Crumb Topping is going to be your new favorite apple pie recipe! Delicious, caramel-y apples are topped with a buttery crumble topping. An extra drizzle of caramel sauce and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream will take this pie over the top! It’s the perfect fall or holiday dessert and will make your whole house smell incredible!
Ohhh…man, friends! This caramel apple pie has an amazing, buttery crumble topping that will blow away your traditional apple pie!
This pie (also called a dutch apple pie) might seem intimidating to make, but I promise it’s not! In fact, I have a few tips and tricks for ya that will make this pie a breeze to make (See Tips & Tricks below!)
Need another pie to round out your holiday table? Try this Pecan Pie (no corn syrup!) or this Perfect Pumpkin Pie!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- A delicious twist on classic apple pie!
- Super impressive to serve to friends and family during the holiday season, yet easy to make!
- The caramel apple filling can be made beforehand for quick assembly.
- Makes the entire house smell like FALL!!!
INGREDIENT NOTES
The ingredients to make this Caramel Apple Crumb Pie are super basic!! You’ll either have most of the ingredients in your pantry or will be able to easily find them at the regular grocery store.
Here are a few ingredient notes:
Apples: This pie isn’t fussy–ANY type of apples will work! Personally, I like to use apples that are more on the tart side (like Granny Smith apples and Pink Lady) since the pie is pretty sweet overall.
Caramel Drizzle: A drizzle of caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade!) to finish off the pie is optional, but takes it over the top!
Pie Crust: I prefer using a frozen pre-made pie shell like these, but you can absolutely make a homemade pie crust as well.
HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL APPLE PIE WITH CRUMB TOPPING: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual, step-by-step photos. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Make the caramel apple pie filling.
Step 2: Mix together ingredients for the crumble topping.
Step 3: Spoon the caramel apple pie filling into your pre-baked pie crust.
Step 4: Spoon the crumble topping on top of the pie.
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- Make the filling ahead: Making the filling (peeling and cutting the apples) is the most time-consuming part of making this pie. You can make the filling up to 4 days in advance and store it in an airtight container or jar until you are ready to make your pie.
- Pre-made Crust: Using a pre-made crust saves a TON of time when making this pie! I like using frozen pie crusts like these.
- Baking Sheet: Place a baking sheet under your pie to catch any drips and make it easy to remove your hot pie from the oven.
- Cooling: Allow the pie to cool for 1-2 hours before cutting. You CAN cut the pie sooner, but the longer it cools, the easier it will be to cut and serve.
⭐️ CONFIDENCE TIP ⭐️
You don’t need a fancy pastry cutter to make the crumble topping–you can just use a fork or your fingertips to get the topping well-mixed!
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: After the pie has cooled (about 2 hours), cover it tightly with 1-2 layers of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. Store it in the fridge for up to 7 days, according to USDA guidelines for fruit pies.
- Reheating: It’s best to reheat individual pieces of pie in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until warmed through.
- Freezing: The baked pie will freeze for up to 3 months. Cover tightly with several layers freezer wrap and place in a large, sealable plastic bag, if possible to prevent any freezer burn. Thaw pie in the fridge overnight.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I like using a combination of sweet and tart apples. Sweet Apples: Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji. Tart Apples: Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Mcintosh apples.
If you want to choose just one, go with Granny Smith apples.
Yes! You can assemble the entire pie up to 3 days in advance. You can also make the filling 3-4 days in advance and assemble the pie quickly before baking.
Nothing. LOL! A dutch apple pie is just an apple pie with a crumb topping vs. a traditional double crust pie. I just chose to call this one Caramel Apple Pie with Crumb Topping to be specific about what it is as some people may not know what a dutch apple pie entails!
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TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!
Ceramic Pie Pan: I LOVE the fluted edges on these pie pans!
Pastry Cutter: Totally optional but nice to have.
TRY THESE PIES NEXT…
I hope you love this Caramel Apple Pie with Crumb Topping! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Caramel Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
For the Caramel Apple Pie Filling (See Note 1)
- 10-12 medium to large apples See Note 2
- 3 tbsp lemon juice about one lemon
- 1 stick butter, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup flour
For the Caramel Apple Pie + Topping
- 1 9" pie crust homemade pie crust or store-bought, See Note 3
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- caramel sauce (optional, for drizzling) See Note 4
Instructions
Make the Caramel Apple Pie Filling
- Peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices. Place the apple slices into a large bowl and coat with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Place the apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a skillet over medium heat. Stir until the butter and brown sugar have melted together into a thin sauce and the apples are softened – about 7-10 minutes, depending in how thinly your apples are sliced.
- Add the heavy cream and flour and stir to combine. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat and set aside until you're ready to fill your pie.
Assemble the Pie
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pre-Bake Pie Crust: With a fork, prick holes in the bottom of your pie crust. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Remove crust from oven and set aside.
- Make Crumb Topping: While the pie crust is pre-baking, make the crumb topping. Combine the butter, flour, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a medium bowl until crumbly (I like using my fingers or you can use a pastry cutter).
- Fill the Pie: Spoon caramel apple filling until your pre-baked crust. Spread the crumb topping evenly over the caramel apple pie filling.
- Cool: Allow pie to cool 1-2 hours before cutting. You CAN cut the pie sooner, but the longer it cools, the easier it will be to cut and serve. Drizzle the top with caramel sauce if desired, and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream!
This was so good!! It was impossible to resist!! Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely gorgeous cake recipe. I made it and we loved it. Came out so good and so delicious. A perfect fall dessert.
Such a festive recipe. So creamy and delicious. Loved it.
I was torn between making an apple pie and an apple crisp for dessert. Enter this recipe- best of both worlds! And with caramel sauce- yum!
LOVE this recipe! It’s everything you want in apple pie – and not incredibly difficult to make! I may be guilty of eating it for breakfast, however! An apple a day… 🙂
Oh how I love a good caramel apple pie! And this one is so good with the crumb topping! great recipe!
This pie is perfection and I can’t wait to make it again this fall! This is a dessert that is good for the soul <3 So easy to make, too!
When people think of decadent desserts they always think of chocolate…but not me, give me a caramel apple pie with a scoop of melty ice cream on top and I’m on my knees!
This is really an amazing way to enjoy apples! Seriously amazing!
The apple pie was so good! Everyone loved it; We had it last night for dessert, and it made the perfect Sunday dinner ending!