Double-Crust Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Caramel Apple Pie

This double-crust caramel apple pie has a flaky pastry top, a crimped rim, and distinct apple slices in a thick amber filling. Spoonable caramel goes between the apples rather than over the finished pie, so it flavors the filling without adding a thin syrup.

Bake until the filling bubbles through the center vents and the apples are tender, then let the pie cool before cutting. Add vanilla ice cream to each plated slice just before serving.

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Pie

• 2 refrigerated pie crusts, sized for a 9-inch pie
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds firm apples, yielding about 6 cups peeled, cored, 1/4-inch slices
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (70g)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (25g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup thick caramel sauce or dulce de leche (160g)
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• About 1 pint vanilla ice cream, for serving

Choose Apples and Caramel That Hold Up

Use firm tart apples, such as Granny Smith, or a mix of tart and sweeter baking apples. Cut the slices to a similar 1/4-inch thickness so they soften together. The caramel should be thick enough to spoon in dollops; thin, watery ice cream syrup can make the filling loose.

How to Make Caramel Apple Pie

Yield: One standard-depth 9-inch pie, about 8 slices. Allow 35 to 40 minutes to prepare, 60 to 70 minutes to bake, and about 3 hours to cool.

1. Preheat and line the dish: Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rimmed baking sheet on a lower-middle rack. Fit one crust into a standard-depth 9-inch pie dish without stretching it, leaving enough overhang to seal the top.
2. Season the apples: Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Toss with the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice until evenly coated, with no pockets of dry cornstarch.
3. Layer the filling: Add half the apples to the bottom crust and spoon half the caramel over them in small dollops. Add the remaining apples and caramel, spreading the filling evenly without overfilling the dish.
4. Seal and vent: Lay the second crust over the filling. Seal and crimp the edges, then cut several vents all the way through the top crust near the center. Lightly brush the exposed pastry with the egg wash.
5. Bake: Carefully set the pie dish on the hot baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 400°F. Check the crust color, then reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. If the crimped edge darkens too quickly, loosely shield just the edge with foil. Begin checking the filling around 55 minutes total. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown, thick filling bubbles through the center vents, and an apple slice yields easily to a thin knife inserted through a vent.
6. Cool and serve: Cool the pie on a rack for about 3 hours so the filling can hold together when sliced. Cut into wedges and place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each plated slice just before serving.

How to Tell When the Pie Is Done

Bubbling at the crimped edge alone does not show that the center is cooked. Look for thick bubbles through the center vents and check an apple there for tenderness. If the rim is brown but the apples are still firm, shield the edge and keep baking. Pie dish depth, oven heat, and apple size can all shift the bake time; an oversized deep-dish pan needs a separate quantity and bake assessment.

Cutting the pie while hot can let the filling run out. Cooling it first makes it easier to lift a wedge with recognizable apple pieces, even if you briefly warm an individual slice before serving.

Other Apple Pie Styles

Homemade pastry can replace the refrigerated crusts if you make two crusts sized for the same dish; keep the full top, vents, and crimped edge. For a different top crust, try classic homemade apple pie with a lattice. Dutch apple pie with buttery streusel uses a crumb topping and has its own baking directions.

Storage and Reheating

Once fully cool, cover the pie and refrigerate it without ice cream for up to 4 days. To serve a slice warm, heat the already-cut slice in a 325°F (165°C) oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, then add ice cream.

A fully baked, cooled pie can be wrapped well and frozen without ice cream for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before warming.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per slice, including one scoop of vanilla ice cream, based on 8 slices: 500 calories, 6g protein, 23g fat, and 70g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of served pie and ice cream: 260 calories, 3g protein, 12g fat, and 37g carbohydrates. Values vary with the crust, caramel, apples, and size of the ice cream scoop.