Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

So simple yet very delicious this caramel apple crumb pie is the perfect dessert for cozy autumn evenings. Filled with juicy caramelized apples, topped with buttery crumbs, and creamy caramel sauce it’s so balanced and nostalgic. If you are a fan of bakes with apples, you will enjoy this one, without doubt, there are a lot of delicious apples inside!

Might sound strange, but it took quite a while for me to perfect this simple recipe. I was looking for a way to add more caramel taste to this pie, tried dozen different versions and yet nothing tasted better than this one. So the thing I’ve learned from all these trials, is that sometimes the best things are the most simple.

Easy to make caramel apple pie

In addition to the great taste, this pie is also easy to make. The base and crumbs are made of the same dough, there’s no need to chill or roll it. What you need is only one bowl, your hands, and a few minutes. You’ll prepare a bowl of crumbs, that will perfectly come together when pressed with fingers and form a lovely crust while baking.

What is crumble topping made of?

There are a few different ways to make the crumble top. The crunchiest version includes only flour, butter, and sugar. This combination makes a sand-like texture, that is very crispy but falls apart easily. My version also includes an egg. This way crumbles stick together well and the taste is so much better. It reminds a simple nostalgic sugar cookie.

Caramel apple crumb pie

Two dimensions of caramel

This pie is filled with apples, that are caramelized before baking. Do not expect a taste of real caramel, but cooking apples with some butter and sugar will make them softer, sweeter, and truly tastier than simply baked apples could be. The filling will have a lovely hint of caramel and some real caramel will be added at the very end, by drizzling the finished pie with caramel sauce.

What kind of apples are best for this apple pie?

Choose firm apples, because they should be able to caramelize before they become an apple jam. There are a lot of suitable varieties and they will vary depending on where you live. Good varieties, just to name a few, are Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, and Granny Smith. Choose according to your taste and feel free to mix the varieties. I prefer sweeter apples to tart ones so Gala or Golden Delicious are my usual choices.

How to cut apples for this apple pie?

For this pie, it’s best to dice apples into cubes, not slice them. Again, because they will be caramelized and cubes hold their shape better. I cut apples into ~1,5 cm / 0.6 inch size cubes.

A piece of caramel apple crumb pie

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

So simple yet very delicious this caramel apple crumb pie is the perfect dessert for cozy autumn weekends. Filled with juicy caramelized apples, topped with buttery crumbs, and creamy caramel sauce it’s so balanced and nostalgic.

  • Prep Time30 min
  • Bake / Cook Time45 min
  • Total Time1 hr 15 min
  • Yield8 serv.
  • Cake Tin Size15 cm / 6 inch

Ingredients

Apple filling

  • ~450 g / 15,8 oz apples (weight of peeled and cored apples)
  • 60 g / 2,1 oz / 3 tbsp light brown granulated sugar
  • 20 g / 0,7 oz / 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ⅛ tsp cinnamon

Dough

  • 250 g / 8,8 oz wheat flour (all-purpose or plain)
  • 100 g / 3,5 oz unsalted butter (cold)
  • 50 g / 1,8 oz light brown granulated sugar
  • 1 medium egg (50-60 g / 1,8-2,1 oz without shell)

For Serving

Directions

1

Peel, core, and dice apples into ~1,5 cm / 0,6 inch size cubes.

Apples diced into cubes

2

In a pot on medium heat melt the butter till it starts to bubble slightly.

Melted butter

3

Add apple cubes and light brown sugar. Mix till sugar dissolves.

Apples and melted sugar in a pot

4

Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes stirring from time to time till melted sugar and butter slightly thickens. Apples should get soft but still hold their shape (they will not get a lot softer while baking). Add cinnamon at the end and mix it through.

Caramelized apples

5

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (without a fan) and line a 15 cm / 6-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

6

Cut cold butter into pieces.

Butter cut into pieces

7

In a small bowl lightly whisk the egg.

An egg in a small bowl

8

In a big bowl, combine flour, sugar, pieces of butter, and egg.

Ingredients combined in a bowl

Mix everything with a spoon just to distribute pieces of butter and the egg.

Ingredients combined in a bowl

9

Rub the mixture between your fingers till there is no dry flour left and soft crumbs form. If you press the crumbs together they should stick and form a dough.

Forming crumbs

10

Use ⅔ of the crumbs to form a base and ~3-4 cm / 1,5-inch sides of the pie by simply pressing them with your fingers.

Pie base formed

11

Fill with caramelized apples.

Pie base filled with apples

12

Top the apples with the leftover crumbs.

Covering apples with crumbs

13

Bake for 45 minutes till the crumbs get slightly golden.

14

After taking the pie out of the oven, leave it in the pan for a few minutes, then take it out and leave it to cool completely. Drizzle every piece with some caramel sauce before serving.

notes

  • I use my homemade salted caramel sauce to drizzle on top of this cake, but a store-bought sauce would also work.
  • This pie is also delicious when it’s still warm, but if you try to cut it before it cools, the pie will fall apart. So let it cool completely if you prefer beautiful pieces.
Caramel apple crumb pie served on a wooden board
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