Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie

Last Updated on May 13, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

There’s nothing better for a fall celebration than a classic apple pie! Actually, wait — I stand corrected: this deep dish caramel apple pie is better!! It combines the amazing flavors of an old fashioned apple pie from scratch with a homemade caramel apple pie filling! The end result is the best ever apple pie recipe that you can make in a deep-dish pie pan OR in a cast iron skillet!

This caramel apple pie recipe is one of my favorite fall traditions — I love to go apple picking with my friends at least once every fall. And I make sure to get the best apples for apple pie — Granny Smith, HoneyCrisp, Golden Delicious — and go home to make this recipe: the best ever cinnamon apple pie from scratch! And this year, I made it even better with a rich, homemade caramel sauce throughout the apple pie filling, plus that caramel is drizzled over the top to make this the most delicious caramel apple pie!

This deep dish caramel apple pie recipe really is the best! But there are a few extra steps included to make it the BEST EVER! And it can be a little time consuming. Peeling and slicing, and pre-baking the apples, making the crust, and making the caramel sauce can really take time, but down below in the tips section I’ll give you all my best tips for how to save time without sacrificing flavor and quality!

So let’s get into how to make this deep dish caramel apple pie! Starting with the ingredients you’ll need!

Ingredients

There are three stages to making this deep dish caramel apple pie: the caramel sauce, the pie crusts, baking the apples, and assembling the pie. Luckily, you can use store-bought shortcuts to make this cinnamon apple pie easier to make! All the measurements and detailed instructions are below in the recipe card!

For your caramel sauce, you can either make your own, which is SO easy and tastes the BEST, or you can grab a jar at the market — it’s totally up to you, and both options will be fantastic! If you make your own, here’s what you’ll need:

• granulated sugar – this is the main ingredient in our caramel! Basically you’re just cooking sugar until it’s brown and, well, caramelized.
• water – helps the sugar to melt down without burning, and helps to thin out the finished caramel.
• salted butter – gives your caramel a rich, buttery flavor!
• heavy cream – provides that creamy texture that you definitely want in a good caramel sauce!
• sea salt – this is optional, but it makes your pie into a salted caramel apple pie! If you choose to skip the salt, you can always add it in later if you like!

Then, to prep your pie crusts, you’ll need:

• pie crusts – two pie crusts, either homemade or store-bought. Your pie crusts should be chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to roll them out. If you make your own at home, definitely be sure to divide them a bit unevenly. That is, when you make a double batch, instead of splitting them into two equal portions, make one a bit bigger. This larger crust will serve as the bottom of our deep dish caramel apple pie!
• egg wash – consisting of an egg white and a tablespoon of water, an egg wash will help seal your pie crust so that the liquid from our caramel apple pie filling doesn’t soak the crust — nobody likes a soggy bottom!

Finally, here’s what you’ll need to make your caramel apple pie filling:

• apples – pretty crucial part of any apple pie filling! I like to use a mixture that includes Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious. They should be peeled, sliced, and there should be about 5 pounds of them. Sounds like a lot — that’s because it is! This is a deep dish apple pie, after all!
• granulated sugar – this will help draw out some of the moisture from the apples while they’re pre-baking, so that our pie doesn’t end up too liquidy. Also, it helps our apples get nice and sweet!
• apple pie spice – you can sub out pumpkin pie spice, or make your own apple pie spice with the spices you have on hand!
• caramel sauce – either from the recipe included here, or store-bought.
• light brown sugar – adds even more rich caramel-y flavor to our filling!
• cornstarch – very important! helps the filling to thicken up nicely.
• lemon juice – adds a little tartness to brighten up our caramel apple pie filling, and cuts the sweetness a bit.
• vanilla extract – It should definitely be pure vanilla extract! This one is my favorite.
• butter – adds even more silky richness to the caramel apple pie filling!
• heavy whipping cream – this helps to give the top crust the most amazing texture! it’s crisp and flaky but somehow soft and creamy.
• turbinado sugar – adds a sweet crunch to the top of the pie for the perfect finishing touch.

Equipment

This pie is inspired by an apple pie recipe I saw on the Food Network years ago, made by Alton Brown. He used a deep dish tart pan a.k.a. a quiche pan to make his pie, and it was genius! It’s what got me so excited about using quiche pans for pies — you end up with a perfectly done pie and you can take the whole thing out of the pan to slice. It’s amazing.

In addition to your quiche pan, you’ll need a baking sheet and foil to bake your apples and to place under your pie as it’s baking.

Tips for the best ever deep dish caramel apple pie

Now that you’ve gathered all your ingredients and equipment, you’re ready to start on this deep dish caramel apple pie! But allow me to give you some pointers to make sure it’s the BEST you’ve had!

• Divide your homemade pie crust unevenly. If you make your double pie crust recipe at home, be sure to make one of your pie crusts portions a bit bigger. That way the larger portion will work better for the deep pan.
• Don’t skimp on the vent holes. There’s a reason why lattice crusts are so popular. When you give your pie enough holes for the steam to vent through, it helps the pie cook faster, helps the filling to thicken, and improves the overall texture of the finished pie.
• Don’t undercook your pie. This may seem obvious, but because of this pie’s long bake time you might be tempted to assume it’s done prematurely. Your pie is done when the filling is bubbling through the vent holes. If it’s not at that point yet, give it another 10 minutes or so. If your top crust is looking too brown, cover it loosely with foil and keep baking your pie until the filling is bubbling.
• Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This lets the filling set a bit more so that it doesn’t spill out too much when you cut into it.
• Time saving tips – first of all, if you’re hoping to cut down on the prep time for this pie, you have some great options!
  • Store-bought pie crust – It’s a great option and some of them are SO good! My favorite is the Pillsbury roll-up pie crusts found in the dairy section of your local grocery store.
  • Store-bought caramel sauce – Save at least 20 minutes by picking up a jar of caramel sauce. While I love this homemade caramel sauce recipe and it’s so easy to make, I totally get that every minute counts.
  • More of a make-ahead tip than time saving, but you can make your pie crusts and caramel sauce AND bake your apples a day or two in advance. Then on the day you make the pie, all you’ll have to do is layer it all together!

Related Recipes

For another apple dessert with more amazing fall flavors, try my Apple Cider Donut Cake. It tastes exactly like an apple cider donut and it’s bursting with apple cider, fresh apples, warm fall spices, and vanilla.

Or for another delicious pie that uses a quiche pan, try my Lemon Icebox Pie. It’s so easy and such a rich and refreshing dessert! You won’t regret making it!

Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

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Make the best ever apple pie from scratch, in a deep dish pie pan or cast iron skillet! Old fashioned caramel cinnamon apple pie with an amazing caramel apple pie filling!

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Course: Dessert

Cuisine :American

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 849kcal

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

Equipment you may need

• deep-dish tart pan
• 9-inch cast-iron skillet
• 3/4 sheet baking pan
• 9×13 baking pan
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• food scale
• cooling rack
• heavy-duty aluminum foil

Ingredients

1x2x3x

Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup of water
• 5 tbsp salted butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Coarse sea salt - to taste (optional)

Pie Crust

• 2 pie crusts - homemade or storebought (see note)
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tbsp water

Apple Pie Filling

• 5 pounds firm, tart apples - 10-12 medium apples, such as Granny Smith, HoneyCrisp, Golden Delicious or Gala, peeled, cored, and sliced
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp apple pie spice - (or pumpkin pie spice)
• ½ cup caramel sauce - from recipe above, or store-bought
• ¾ cup light brown sugar - packed
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp salted butter
• 2 tbsp heavy or whipping cream
• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange rack in lower third of oven and place a cooking sheet lined with foil on the rack.
• Place apples in a 3/4 sheet baking pan lined with foil (or two 9×13 baking pans). Sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar and apple pie spice over apples and cover tightly with foil. Bake apples about 30 minutes, or until partially tender (apples should still hold their shape). Cool on wire rack, covered, for at least 30 minutes.
• Lightly coat your deep dish pie pan or cast-iron skillet with vegetable cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll larger disk of pie dough into a 15-inch circle. Fit into pie plate, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Beat egg white with water in a cup; brush pie shell with about 2 teaspoons egg-white mixture, then set aside to dry.
• Combine ½ cup cooled caramel sauce, ⅓ cup brown sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch. Combine lemon juice and vanilla extract. Drizzle lemon juice mixture over apples. Spoon one third of apples and juices into the pie shell; sprinkle with one third of the caramel mixture. Dot with one tbsp of the butter. Repeat layering 2 more times with remaining apples, caramel mixture, and butter.
• Roll remaining pastry into a 13-inch circle. Place over filling; cut vents in top and flute edge. Brush top with more of the egg wash, then with the heavy cream. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Place pie on preheated foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes, or until top crust is a deep golden brown and filling is bubbling through vent holes. (If crust browns too quickly, cover top loosely with foil.) Cool on a wire rack.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with remaining caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (optional).

Notes

• Divide your homemade pie crust unevenly. If you make your double pie crust recipe at home, be sure to make one of your pie crusts portions a bit bigger. That way the larger portion will work better for the deep pan.
• Don’t skimp on the vent holes. There’s a reason why lattice crusts are so popular. When you give your pie enough holes for the steam to vent through, it helps the pie cook faster, helps the filling to thicken, and improves the overall texture of the finished pie.
• Don’t undercook your pie. This may seem obvious, but because of this pie’s long bake time you might be tempted to assume it’s done prematurely. Your pie is done when the filling is bubbling through the vent holes. If it’s not at that point yet, give it another 10 minutes or so. If your top crust is looking too brown, cover it loosely with foil and keep baking your pie until the filling is bubbling.
• Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This lets the filling set a bit more so that it doesn’t spill out too much when you cut into it.
• Time saving tips – first of all, if you’re hoping to cut down on the prep time for this pie, you have some great options!
  • Store-bought pie crust – It’s a great option and some of them are SO good! My favorite is the Pillsbury roll-up pie crusts found in the dairy section of your local grocery store.
  • Store-bought caramel sauce – Save at least 20 minutes by picking up a jar of caramel sauce. While I love this homemade caramel sauce recipe and it’s so easy to make, I totally get that every minute counts.
  • More of a make-ahead tip than time saving, but you can make your pie crusts and caramel sauce AND bake your apples a day or two in advance. Then on the day you make the pie, all you’ll have to do is layer it all together!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 849 kcal | Carbohydrates: 157 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 28 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 45 mg | Sodium: 274 mg | Potassium: 179 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 133 g | Calcium: 26 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

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