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Dutch Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

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Dutch Caramel Apple Pie is a luscious dessert featuring a flaky homemade pie crust filled with a spiced apple mixture sweetened with salted caramel. Topped with a buttery Dutch crumble, this pie is baked to golden perfection and served best with extra caramel sauce on the side, perfect for cozy gatherings or special occasions.

Ingredients

Pie Dough

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out (195 grams)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 9 tbsp cold, salted butter, cubed (127 grams)
  • 4–6 tbsp ice cold water

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (210 grams)
  • 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed (85 grams)
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream (135 grams)
  • pinch of flaky sea salt

Apple Filling

  • 8 cups apples, peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick (about 5–6 large apples – 846 grams of slices)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (70 grams)
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (73 grams)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (43 grams)
  • 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce (prepared from above)

Dutch Crumble Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)
  • 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats (100 grams)
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (146 grams)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup cold, salted butter (113 grams)

Other

  • 1 egg (for egg wash)
  • coarse sugar (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Make the Pie Dough: Follow the method for perfect pie crust by combining flour, salt, sugar, and cold butter, cutting the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly before adding ice cold water to form dough. Chill the dough tightly wrapped for at least two hours or overnight, or freeze for 30 minutes.
  2. Make the Caramel: Prepare homemade caramel sauce by melting sugar until amber, then gradually adding butter and heavy cream, finishing with flaky sea salt. Use 1/3 cup of this caramel for the apple filling; reserve the rest for serving.
  3. Roll Pie Dough Out + Transfer to Pan: Roll out chilled dough and transfer it to a pie pan, chilling or freezing the crust for 15-30 minutes before filling to ensure crispness.
  4. Make the Filling: Peel, core, and slice apples 1/4″ thick. Mix apples with lemon juice, granulated and brown sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, allspice, and flour in a large bowl. Let sit 10 minutes to macerate, then stir in caramel sauce.
  5. Make the Dutch Crumble Topping: Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut cold butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter until crumbly and coated.
  6. Assemble Pie: Beat egg for wash. Brush the crust edges with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Spoon apple filling into the crust, leaving behind excess liquid if any. Generously sprinkle crumble topping over the filling. Place a baking sheet on a lower oven rack to catch drips.
  7. Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Bake pie for 45-55 minutes. Check at 25-30 minutes to shield crust edges with foil if browning too quickly. Pie is done when filling bubbles, topping and crust are golden brown, and apples are tender when poked with a fork.
  8. Serve + Store: Cool pie at room temperature for 2-3 hours before slicing. Serve with extra caramel sauce. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  9. Make Ahead Tips: Pie crust can be made up to 3 days ahead in fridge or 2 months frozen. Baked pie can be refrigerated covered and warmed in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 12-20 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For best results, use a mix of tart and sweet apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji for balanced flavor and texture.
  • If extra liquid accumulates in filling, it’s okay; try to spoon mostly solids into crust to prevent sogginess.
  • Pie shields or foil are essential to avoid burning crust edges during baking.
  • Allow pie to cool fully before slicing to ensure filling sets properly.
  • Use cold butter and ice water for flaky pie crust texture.

Find it online: https://lauracooks.com/dutch-caramel-apple-pie-recipe/