Salted Caramel Apple Pie (Lattice Top, Homemade Caramel)

Caramel apples are a fall fair classic: a crisp apple, a coat of buttery caramel and, in the modern version, a pinch of flaky salt to cut the sweetness. This pie takes those same three flavors and bakes them together. Half of a homemade salted caramel goes over the cinnamon apples before the lattice goes on, so it melts down into the filling as the pie bakes. The other half waits in the jar and goes over the top once the pie has cooled.

What you get is a deep apple pie with a golden, sugar-flecked lattice, a filling that tastes of brown butter and caramel rather than plain sugar, and a glossy drizzle that pools in the gaps of the crust. The caramel is made on the stove with four ingredients and no candy thermometer, and it can be cooked days ahead.

Ingredients

For the salted caramel (makes about 1 cup)

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar – melted on its own until it turns amber; this is where the caramel flavor comes from.
• 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 6 pieces – room-temperature butter makes the caramel bubble less violently.
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature – cold cream can make the sugar seize.
• 1 tsp salt – the “salted” part; it balances the sugar in both the caramel and the filling.

For the all-butter double crust

• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour.
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp salt.
• 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed – the cold pieces of butter create the flaky layers.
• 8 to 10 tbsp ice water.

For the apple filling

• About 8 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick, to make 10 cups (about 1250 g) – use half tart and half sweet apples.
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar – less than many apple pies, since the caramel adds sweetness.
• 1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour – thickens the juices so the slices hold.
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice – keeps the flavor bright under all that caramel.
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground allspice.

For the top

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk – for a golden lattice.
• 1 tbsp coarse sugar and a pinch of flaky sea salt, both optional.

How to Make It

1. Make the dough – then chill at least 1 hour

Whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter until most pieces are the size of peas, then add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the dough holds together when squeezed. Split it in half, shape two disks, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. You should still see streaks of butter in the dough. It is the same dough as our perfect apple pie.

2. Cook the caramel – about 10 minutes

Put the sugar in a medium heavy stainless steel saucepan over medium heat and stir it constantly with a heatproof spatula. It will clump, then melt into a thick amber liquid, which takes about 6 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the butter; the mixture will bubble hard. Slowly pour in the cream while stirring, then stop stirring, raise the heat to medium and let it boil for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the salt. The caramel should be the color of a copper penny and pour like warm honey. It thickens as it cools.

3. Heat the oven – 400°F (200°C)

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 400°F. Have a rimmed baking sheet ready to bake the pie on. The sheet catches any caramel that bubbles over.

4. Mix the filling

Toss the apple slices with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl. Every slice should be lightly dusted, with no dry pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl.

5. Fill and add half the caramel

Roll one disk into a 12-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Pile in the apples, mounding them in the center. Pour 1/2 cup of the slightly cooled caramel evenly over the apples. The filling will stand well above the rim; the apples shrink as they bake.

6. Weave the lattice

Roll the second disk into a 12-inch circle and cut it into strips 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Weave them over the filling, trim the overhang, fold it under and crimp the edge. Brush the lattice with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. The open lattice lets steam escape and shows off the caramel. If weaving is new to you, the step-by-step method in our fresh peach pie works here too.

7. Bake – 25 minutes at 400°F, then 35 to 45 minutes at 375°F

Set the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Lower the oven to 375°F (190°C), cover the edge with a pie shield or foil, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes more. If the lattice browns too fast, tent the whole pie loosely with foil. The pie is done when the juices bubble slowly through the lattice in the center, not only at the edges.

8. Cool, then drizzle – at least 3 hours

Let the pie cool on a rack for at least 3 hours. Warm the remaining caramel until it pours, drizzle it over the pie or over each slice, and finish with a few flakes of sea salt. A cooled pie slices cleanly; a warm one runs.

Making Salted Caramel Without a Thermometer

A dry caramel, made from sugar alone with no water, only asks you to watch the color. The sugar first turns into sandy clumps, which can look like a mistake but is normal. Keep stirring and the clumps melt from the edges inward into a smooth amber liquid. Pull the heat down as soon as the last lumps disappear: a few seconds too long and it tastes bitter.

Two things make the next step go smoothly. Use room-temperature butter and cream, so the hot sugar does not seize, and add the cream slowly, since it bubbles and steams hard. If the caramel separates or the sugar hardens into lumps, take the pan off the heat and whisk hard until it comes back together.

A heavy stainless steel saucepan is the best tool here, because its light color lets you judge the amber shade; a dark nonstick pan hides it. Do not double the batch: make two batches instead, so the sugar melts evenly.

Choosing the Apples

A mix of tart and sweet apples gives the best balance against the caramel. Tart apples keep their shape and their acidity; sweet apples soften a little more and add body to the filling.

For the tart half, Granny Smith is the usual choice. The University of Illinois Extension calls it ideal for pies because it stays tart and keeps its shape when cooked. For the sweet half, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji or Jazz all work. Slice everything the same 1/4-inch thickness so it cooks evenly.

If you have apples left over, our French apple cake needs only a few, and apple ring pancakes make a quick weekend breakfast.

Make-Ahead, Storing and Serving

The caramel keeps in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month; it sets firm when cold, so warm it gently before pouring. The dough keeps for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Keep the baked pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, then refrigerate it for up to 5 days. A slice warmed for about 10 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven gets back some of its crisp crust. Add the final caramel drizzle just before serving rather than to the whole pie, so the lattice stays crisp.

For a fruit pie with no caramel at all, try our blueberry pie, and find more ideas among our dessert recipes.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Apple pie with a flaky all-butter lattice crust, cinnamon apples and a four-ingredient homemade salted caramel, half baked into the filling and half drizzled on top.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Chill and Cool Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 740

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Salted caramel

• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter 85 g, room temperature, cut into 6 pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 120 ml, room temperature
• 1 tsp salt

All-butter double crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter 226 g, cubed
• 8 to 10 tbsp ice water

Apple filling

• 10 cups sliced apples about 8 large, 1250 g, half tart and half sweet, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 31 g
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice

Topping

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp coarse sugar optional
• flaky sea salt a pinch, optional

Method

 

1. Whisk the flour, sugar and salt, cut in the cold butter until pea-sized, then add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. Shape two disks, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Make the caramel: stir the sugar constantly in a heavy stainless steel saucepan over medium heat until it melts into a thick amber liquid, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the butter, then slowly stir in the cream. Boil for 1 minute without stirring, take off the heat and stir in the salt. Let it cool slightly.
3. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the lower third. Have a rimmed baking sheet ready.
4. Toss the apples with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
5. Roll one disk into a 12-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Pile in the apples and pour 1/2 cup of the caramel evenly over them.
6. Roll the second disk into a 12-inch circle, cut strips 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and weave a lattice over the filling. Trim, fold under and crimp the edge. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake on the baking sheet for 25 minutes. Lower the oven to 375°F (190°C), shield the edge and bake 35 to 45 minutes more, until the juices bubble slowly in the center.
8. Cool on a rack for at least 3 hours. Warm the remaining caramel, drizzle it over the pie or each slice and finish with flaky sea salt.

Notes

Storage: keep the pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, then refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm slices for about 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C).

Make ahead: the caramel keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 month; warm it until pourable. The dough keeps for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Substitutions: whipping cream or double cream can replace heavy cream in the caramel (not milk or half-and-half). Use a full top crust with vents instead of a lattice if you prefer. Granny Smith plus Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji or Jazz make a good tart-sweet mix.

No candy thermometer needed: judge the caramel by its amber color.

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.