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My version of a classic Caramel Apple Crumble Pie is made with a crunchy brown sugar oat crumble topping, tart apples, and a caramel sauce filling. Granny Smith apples are sliced thick, tossed in fall spices and baked inside a homemade all butter pie crust. For a touch of savory, there’s a bit of fresh sage mixed into the crumble.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Homemade Pie Crust provides a buttery, flaky, sturdy crust that holds the generous apple and caramel layers.
- Test Note: Chill the lined pie pan while preparing the filling to keep the crust firm and prevent shrinkage in the oven.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats create a chewy texture in the crumble topping that bakes up crisp and golden.
- Test Note: Avoid quick-cooking oats, they lack structure and can make the topping too soft.
- All Purpose Flour is added to both the crumble and the filling, helping bind the ingredients and thicken the apple juices as the pie bakes.
- Brown Sugar sweetens and adds moisture to the oat crumble.
- Test Note: Dark brown sugar brings a deeper molasses taste, while light brown sugar keeps the topping a little lighter in color and flavor.
- Fresh Sage (optional) adds a subtle savory note that balances the sweetness of the caramel and apples. It’s unexpected but pairs nicely with the brown sugar and butter. Try it!
- Unsalted Butter brings the crumble together, creating crisp, buttery clusters that add a different texture not to the soft apple filling.
- Test Note: Keep the butter cold when working it into the flour and oats. It’s ok to have visible bits of butter, they’ll melt in the oven, creating that perfect crunchy texture.
- Granny Smith Apples are my ideal apple choice due to their tartness and firm texture. They hold their shape and balance the sweetness of the caramel without turning into mush.
- Test Note: Slice apples into ½-inch chunks for nice chunky bites. A short pre-cook on the stovetop softens them just enough for easy layering and a filling that stays perfectly tender.
- Lemon Juice brightens the filling and keeps the apples from browning, while adding a touch of acidity to balance the caramel.
- Test Note: To prevent browning, peel all the apples first, placing each one into a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice. Once all the apples are peeled, slice them at once.
- Homemade Caramel Sauce replaces part of the sugar in the pie filling. It melts between the apple slices and crumble as it bakes.
- Test Note: Use my Homemade Caramel Sauce, it has the perfect consistency and rich flavor for apple pie. If using store-bought, choose one that’s thick but pourable and made with real butter and cream.
How to Make Apple Crumble Pie
This recipe has a few make ahead steps, but the assembly and baking are pretty straight forward and the result is well worth the effort. See full step-by-step directions in the recipe card.
- Roll out pie dough and line the pie pan. Crimp the edges and dock the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill the lined pie pan for about an hour to firm the dough.
- Work the butter, sugars, oats, flour, and spices into a coars crumble topping. Then, refrigerate until ready to assemble the pie.
- Pre-cook the apples on medium-low heat in a wide pot or skillet until just starting to soften. Let cool completely.
- Layer the cooled apple slices into the cold pie crust.
- Pour the caramel sauce into the cracks and over the apple slices.
- Break up the crumble and then pack it onto the apple slices. Bake the pie until golden brown and the filling is bubbling out the outer edges of the pie.
Helpful Tips
- Pie Pan – I’ve made this recipe in both a metal 9-inch pie pan and a deeper 9-inch ceramic pie dish. There is plenty of filling and topping for either pan. The metal pan that’s not as deep will have a slightly more domed filling.
- No Need to Prebake the Crust – The beauty of an apple pie is that the fruit is heavy enough to hold down the pie crust. The pie has a long bake time with an initial blast of high heat, preventing a soggy bottom crust.
- Precook the Pie Filling – I prefer chunky bites of apple in my pie, so I cut them into ½-inch pieces. A quick pre-cook on the stovetop softens them just enough to make layering easier. This allows you to fill the pie higher since the apples have already released some of their juices and shrunk slightly. The result is perfectly tender apples that are neither too crunchy or mushy.
Leftovers & Storage
- Room Temp: Cover the cooled apple pie and store at room temperature for 1 day.
- Chill: Place cooled pie covered with aluminum foil or place slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Caramel Apple Crumble Pie
Caramel Apple Crumble Pie made with all butter pie crust, tart apples, caramel, and a crunchy oat crumble topping.
Click for Ingredient Details
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Pie Crust
Oat Crumble Topping
- 125 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
- 80 grams (1 cup) old fashioned rolled oats, not quick cooking -80 grams
- 110 grams (½ cup) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced, *optional
- 140 grams (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch chunks
Apple Pie Filling
- 1500 grams (3 ½ pounds) granny smith apples, peeled, core removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices (weight of slices)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 64 grams (½ cup) all purpose flour
- 67 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 150 grams (½ cup) Homemade Caramel Sauce, *or store bought
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- Make homemade caramel sauce ahead so it has time to cool. If you're using it cold straight from the fridge, warm slightly into a pourable consistency before adding to the pie.150 grams Homemade Caramel Sauce
Homemade Pie Crust
- Make the pie crust dough according to the recipe ahead of time. I like to make the double pie crust for this recipe, so I have plenty of overhang and a thicker crust.1 Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
- Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness and line the pie pan. Trim away any overhanging dough, leaving about 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhanging dough under itself, to where it stays inside the edge of the pan. Crimp the dough and then dock the sides and bottom all over with a fork.
- I don't always egg wash the crimp on this one, but if you'd like, just beat an egg and 1 teaspoon cream with a fork. Brush lightly over the crimped edges.
- Place the lined pie pan in the fridge for the dough to firm while you make the filling and crumble.
Oat Crumble Topping
- Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, spices, salt, and sage in a large bowl.125 grams all purpose flour, 80 grams old fashioned rolled oats, 110 grams light or dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 tablespoons fresh sage
- Drop in the cold butter cubes and work them into the dry mixture with your hands until well combined and chunky. Place the bowl in the fridge to keep the crumble cold until ready to assemble the pie.140 grams unsalted butter
Pre-Cook Apple Pie Filling
- **Pre-cooking the granny smith apples for a just a few minutes, creates a softer apple filling with thick slices that are neither too hard or mushy. This step also makes filling the pie crust easier, since the apples are a little softer and can be layered more evenly. They have also shrunk some in the pre-cooking process, giving a more realistic idea of how much filling can be added.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, and salt.64 grams all purpose flour, 67 grams granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large wide bottom pot or skillet on medium-low heat the butter until melted, add in the apples and lemon juice. Stir to coat. Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top and gently fold the apples with a silicone spatula to distribute.1500 grams granny smith apples, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Continue gently folding the apples while they cook and soften for about 5-6 minutes. Cook just long enough that they shrink slightly and become a little soft.
- Remove from heat and let the apples cool to room temperature. I transfer mine to a large wide bowl to cool more quickly.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃). Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Set out a rimmed baking sheet.
- Remove cold pie crust from the fridge and layer in the cooled apple slices. Scrape any excess liquid into the pie pan.
- The apples should fill up slightly higher than the sides of the pan as they will still shrink some in the oven.
- Drizzle in the caramel sauce between layers to fill the cracks. It's ok if some pools up on top of the apples, it will melt down into the cracks in the oven.150 grams Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Take the cold crumble from the fridge and break into small chunks. Layer across the apples, gently pressing down to pack it down slightly.
- Place the pie dish on the rimmed baking sheet. The pan will catch any drippings that might bubble out and help to heat the bottom of the pie crust.
- Bake the pie for 20 minutes to kick start the pie crust, helping it cook through.
- Reduce heat to 350℉ (180℃) and continue baking for another 55-60 minutes. The pie is done when the filling is bubbling around the outer third of the pie and through the crumble.
- If the crumble is getting too dark, gently tent with a loose sheet of aluminum foil .
- Place pie dish directly onto wire rack to cool completely, about 3 hours. The filling needs time to set and a hot pie will not be easy to cut.
- Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce.
Notes
Apples:
I use all Granny Smith apples in this recipe for their texture and tartness. But, you can swap part or all of them for another firm baking apple like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
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