September is here and fall is in the air. With the arrival of autumn comes back to school, harvest festivals, Friday night lights, the first frost, and most important of all: baking season!
And while pumpkin seems to get top seasonal billing, let's not forget about the crisp, juicy, delicious apple and all it has to offer. This amazingly delicious Caramel Apple Crumble Pie is bursting with all of those great fall spices and flavors .
What's to love about this pie?
- It combines two classic desserts in one: apple pie and apple crisp! You get a flaky pie crust topped with a crumbly mix of oats, cinnamon, almonds, brown sugar, and butter - my favorite part.
- It's a great way to make the most of apples while they're at their best this time of year. They're wonderful sliced and eaten plain, but baked into this Caramel Apple Crumble Pie, they turn into something even better.
- It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser - perfect for a potluck, a holiday gathering, or any excuse to bake pie this fall.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apples - A firm, tart baking apple holds its shape best here. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn are all good choices for making a pie. Skip soft varieties like Red Delicious, which tend to turn mushy once baked.
- Pie crust - A store-bought 9-inch single crust keeps things simple. But a homemade all-butter crust works just as well if you'd rather make your own from scratch.
- Caramel sauce - Bottled caramel (the ice cream topping kind) is the easy route, but homemade caramel sauce, or even soft caramels melted with a splash of cream, will work too.
- Rolled oats - Old-fashioned rolled oats give the crumble topping its classic texture. Quick oats work in a pinch, though the topping will turn out a little less chunky.
- Slivered almonds - A handful of slivered almonds adds crunch to the topping. Swap in chopped pecans or walnuts if that's what's in your pantry, or leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free version.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark both work; dark brown sugar will give the topping a slightly deeper, more molasses-forward flavor.
- Butter - Cold, cubed butter is what gives the topping its crumble texture. Salted or unsalted both work - just skip any added salt elsewhere in the topping if you're using salted butter.
How to Make Caramel Apple Crumble Pie: Step By Step
Step #1: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step #2: Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a bowl to prevent browning.
Step #3: Combine the 1 tablespoon flour, ½ cup brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; toss with the apples to coat.
Step #4: Roll out the pie dough into a circle and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate.
Step #5: Trim the pastry and crimp the edge.
Step #6: Drizzle ¼ cup of caramel sauce over the bottom of the pie shell.
Step #7: Add the spiced apple mixture; drizzle with remaining ¼ cup of caramel sauce.
Step #8: Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples.
Step #9: Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is browned.
That's it! Your perfect apple crumble pie is ready to dig into. And I promise it tastes even better than it looks.
Helpful Tips
Toss the apples in flour before adding the sugar and spice. The tablespoon of flour in the filling isn't just filler - it helps thicken the juice the apples release as they bake, so you end up with a filling that's soft and jammy instead of watery once you slice into the pie.
Bake on a rimmed baking sheet. Between the apple juices and the caramel sauce, this pie tends to bubble over as it bakes. Setting it on a sheet pan catches any overflow before it hits the bottom of your oven, which saves you a smoky cleanup.
Tent the crust and topping with foil if they're browning too fast. With an hour of bake time, the crumble topping and crust edges can darken well before the filling is fully cooked through. If they're getting deep golden brown by the 30-40 minute mark, loosely cover the pie with foil for the remainder of the bake so everything finishes cooking without burning.
Warm the caramel sauce before drizzling. Cold caramel sauce is thick and hard to work with. A few seconds in the microwave loosens it up so it drizzles smoothly over the top, whether you're adding it before baking or finishing the pie with a fresh drizzle right before serving.
Let the pie cool for at least an hour before slicing. It's tempting to cut into it warm, but the filling needs time to set as it cools. Slice too soon and you'll end up with a loose, runny filling instead of clean slices - if you want it warm, a quick reheat of individual slices works better than rushing the whole pie.
Variations
- Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel drizzle right before serving. The salt cuts through the sweetness and makes the caramel flavor pop even more.
- Bourbon Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - Stir a tablespoon of bourbon into the caramel sauce before drizzling for a warm, boozy depth that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Mixed-Apple Pie - Instead of one apple variety, use two or three (say, Granny Smith for tartness and Honeycrisp or Braeburn for sweetness) for a more complex, layered apple flavor.
- Mini Hand Pies - Divide the filling and crumble topping among individual ramekins or a muffin tin lined with small pie crust rounds for single-serving portions, similar to our Mini Apple Pie Bites - great for parties or holiday gatherings where guests want their own pie.
- Double-Crust or Lattice Version - Swap the crumble topping for a second pie crust rolled into a lattice for a more traditional look, then drizzle the caramel over the top once it's baked and cooled slightly.
- Dairy-Free Version - Use a dairy-free butter substitute in the crumble topping and a dairy-free caramel sauce (widely available now) to make the whole pie dairy-free without changing the method.
Storing & Freezing
Once the pie has cooled completely, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil, or transfer slices to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Because of the caramel and the moisture in the apple filling, the fridge is the better call for anything beyond a day or two on the counter - it'll keep the crust and crumble topping from getting soggy or overly sticky. Let refrigerated slices sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or warm them briefly, before serving.
This pie also freezes well. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil (or freeze individual slices in an airtight container) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes to re-crisp the crumble topping before serving - a quick reheat here does a lot more for the texture than microwaving straight from frozen.
More Dessert Recipes
Loving the sticky, delicious caramel in the Caramel Apple Crumble Pie, but want to skip the fruit? Try this Caramel Toffee Poke Cake to get your caramel fix.
Or, check out these Easy Raspberry Tarts for mini pies, which are perfect for holiday parties, showers, and brunch!
Need to use up even more apples? This Easy Slow Cooker Apple Bread Pudding is sure to hit the spot!
Want another take on classic apple pie? Don't miss our Dutch Apple Pie for a version with an extra-buttery streusel topping.
Recipe
Caramel Apple Crumble Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch pie dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter cut into slices
- 9 inch single pie crust
- 6 apples - peeled cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- To make the topping: combine the oats, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, slivered almonds, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.
- Roll out the pie dough into a circle and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate.
- Trim the pastry and crimp the edge.
- Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a bowl to prevent browning.
- Combine the 1 tablespoon flour, ½ cup brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; toss with the apples to coat.
- Drizzle ¼ cup of caramel sauce over the bottom of the pie shell. Add the spiced apple mixture; drizzle with remaining ¼ cup of caramel sauce. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is browned.
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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