Name: Brown Sugar Caramel Apple Pie
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 2 9-inch premade store-bought pie crusts like Pillsbury brand (or your favorite homemade recipe); 1/2 C brown sugar; 1/4 C butter (melted); 1/3 C all-purpose flour; 7 C apples (recommend Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced); 2/3 C sugar; 3 TB all-purpose flour; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp lemon juice; 20 Kraft Caramels unwrapped & cut in half (OR 1/2 C Kraft Caramel Bits)

Brown Sugar Caramel Apple Pie

Caramel and apples can actually get even sweeter and more crave-worthy when you add ribbons of buttery brown sugar and make it all into one to die for pie. There is so much to love about this pie. It is perfect for holidays and special occasions. Plus it combines the flavors of an apple streusel with that of caramel apples into one amazing pie. And if you have a favorite apple or grow your own apples, whichever kind that is, they will likely work in this pie.

This is also what I call a “half scratch” recipe. That means there are a few store-bought items that help make this recipe a bit less labor-intensive. This recipe includes premade pie crusts and Kraft caramels. Of course, you can make your own pie crusts and make homemade caramels or caramel sauce but this is the method I have used for years. I do not want to mess with perfection as this is my most requested pie, especially during the holidays.

Best Apples for Caramel Apple Pie

I would like to say you can use just about any apple for this pie. But I will admit some varieties really make for a better pie. Some apples come out too mushy. Also, some may make this too sweet. So for my favorite combination, I use a combination of granny smith and Honeycrisp. Both bake up beautifully and hold their shape. The tart and sweet combination also balances out the brown sugar and caramel for a foolproof flavor punch.

Here is how different apples may make your pie. I suggest using one from each category. All of those I list below are firm apples that are ideal for baking:

For tartness – Granny Smith, Braeburn, McIntosh, Pink Lady, Empire, Jonathan, Cortland
For sweetness – Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, Jonagold, Winesap

How to Make Brown Sugar Caramel Apple Pie

Brown Sugar Caramel Apple Pie ingredients

First, make the brown sugar mixture. In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the butter. Next mix in the brown sugar and 1/3 C of the flour. Set bowl to the side to use later when assembling the pie.

Peel and core apples. Then thinly slice the apples in evenly sized pieces as shown below.

Add cinnamon, sugar, and flour to the thinly sliced apples. Mix to combine the apple pie filling.

Unwrap 20 Kraft caramels and cut each in half. If using the caramel bits or a combination, measure those out. Gather all pie ingredients to assemble. In a 9″ deep-dish pie pan, line the bottom with one of the pastry crusts.

Top the bottom crust with half the apple mixture, half the brown sugar mixture, and half the caramels.

the first layer of apples, brown sugar, and caramels

Repeat with the remaining ingredients to have two layers. The pie will be slightly mounded higher than the pie crust. I push down slightly to have the apple slices and other ingredients in the crust evenly and to make sure the pie doesn’t have any voids. The filling will shrink as it cooks so if there are voids plus a reduction in size, the pie will have a low filling and empty space between the filling and the top crust. This will result in the top crust caving in or difficulty keeping the slices together as you cut them.

Place top pastry crust on the filling and crimp the edges. Be sure to seal the bottom crust with the top crust to ensure there is no filling that leaks out. Cut 3 or 4 small slits in the middle of the top crust for venting. Bake in preheated oven covered with foil for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook another 45 minutes. See the recipe card below for checking for doneness.

brown sugar caramel apple pie ready for the oven

Let the pie rest before serving. Serve warm!

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