Chef John's Caramel Apple Pie

Learn how to make Chef John’s favorite apple pie recipe. See more

READY IN ABOUT 1¾ hrs

Chef John's Caramel Apple Pie

Read Reviews (45)

"To me, this is the purest and most intensely flavored apple pie recipe there is. The interesting thing about this recipe is the way the caramel sauce is poured over the apples and the lattice crust. You know how with a traditional apple pie some of the apple juices will caramelize as it bakes and bubble out of the pie and bake into and onto the flaky crust? That's how this whole pie is." — Chef John

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.
Roll out half the pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate; pour in apple slices.
Roll out top crust into a 10-inch circle. Cut into 8 (1-inch) wide strips with a sharp paring knife or pastry wheel. Weave the pastry strips, one at a time, into a lattice pattern. Fold the ends of the lattice strips under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp to seal.
Pour butter-sugar mixture over top of pie, coating the lattice, and allowing any remaining sauce to drizzle through the crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake until the crust is golden brown, the caramel on the top crust is set, and the apple filling is bubbling, 35 to 40 more minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 1 hr
READY IN 1 hr 40 mins

Footnotes

Editor's Note:
This recipe calls for Chef John's Easy Homemade Pie Crust.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Sep 15, 2012

This pie is absolutely delicious!! Just a note about it being too watery: If you aren't doing a lattice top crust, it will definitely be too watery, because not enough liquid can steam out. I don't recommend doing a crust die, either, unless it's one that cuts out about half of the crust, because it will otherwise not release enough steam. Additionally, you should allow the caramel sauce to cool quite a bit before adding it to the pie, to the point where it's like a thick syrup. The added cooling allows for more water to evorate from there as well. Also, don't cut your apples too small, or they will release even more liquid as they begin to break down; I suggest no more than six slices per apple. This helps keep it from turning into an applesauce filling as well. Finally, the pie MUST cool completely before you cut it. This will allow the apples to take up some of the liquid they released before, allow even more liquid to evaporate, as well as allow the sugars to congeal. That's it! Enjoy this delicious pie!!

—Jason Asher

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 15, 2012

I followed the directions exactly. I even lightly floured the apples to try to ensure it would set up and I got soup. Yummy soup, but soup. Not really sure how to fix this. Won't be making this one again.

—MissMeredith

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54 Ratings

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Oct 08, 2012

I have tried several apple pie recipes (including Grandma Ople's) only to be disappointed...until this one! I followed the advice of some other reviewers and did a thing or two from my own experience. First, Cut the apples into 8 pieces each. I use 5 large or 6 small/medium Pink Lady or Cripps Pink apples. Second, make sure the sugar mixture is cooled off. I prepare the mixture first, and cut up my apples while it is cooling. Then simply toss the apples in the mixture before pouring them into the crust. Once the lattice top is on, brush the crust with 1 beaten egg, and then evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon white sugar over the crust. This is finally a go to apple pie recipe for me!

—Luv2cook

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Aug 07, 2012

Quite an easy pie! I used the Pillsbury crust, and it tasted really great in this receipe. Do the lattice he shows in the video. Easy and pretty! My son loved this pie. I added 2 extra apples and extra cinnamon (about a tbsp). My only complaint was that the pie was very runny. I cut a few pieces and then drained off about 1/2 at least of liquid from the pie plate before I retuned it to the fridge. Perhaps I did not boil the caramel sauce long enough. I think the pie was fully cooled. I would make this again, but I think I might add a couple of tbsp of flour in with the apples to thicken things up a bit.

—Keep it Simple!

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Jul 05, 2012

I made this pie for 4th of July & my family went nuts for it! Simple & easy to make. If you use an apple peeler/corer/slicer to cut up your apples, you may wanna add another apple or two to the recipe to fill the pie a bit more.

—seekittyrock

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Jul 06, 2012

This recipe was very easy and it did taste really good but it seemed to shrink down too much for me. The recipe called for 5 apples and I think i will double that amount the next time I make it and double the caramel sauce too. But it really is good.

—Denise

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Jun 23, 2012

This is by far the easiest and best apple pie you will ever make. I made it for our Icre cream social and it was the 1st pie gone. I am making another one today for my Family. You will love it : ) Eileen

—irish7516

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Apr 12, 2012

This was absolutely delicious

—ROSYGOAT

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Nutrition

Calories
336 kcal
17%

Carbohydrates
48.2 g
16%

Cholesterol
23 mg
8%

Fat
16.3 g
25%

Fiber
2.9 g
12%

Protein
1.7 g
3%

Sodium
171 mg
7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Caramel Apple Pie

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 336
Calories from Fat: 146

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16.3g 25 %
Saturated Fat 7.4g 37 %
Cholesterol 23mg 8 %
Sodium 171mg 7 %
Potassium 128mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrates 48.2g 16 %
Dietary Fiber 2.9g 12 %
Protein 1.7g 3 %
Sugars 34.8g
Vitamin A 6 %
Vitamin C 7 %
Calcium 3 %
Iron 8 %
Thiamin 10 %
Niacin 9 %
Vitamin B6 3 %
Magnesium 3 %
Folate 11 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.