These Salted Caramel Apple Pie

These Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars are mind-blowing delicious! So much easier to make than an entire apple pie, too. Recipe

Ingredients:

• homemade pie crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; 1 for bottom and 1 for lattice top)
• homemade salted caramel sauce
• 6 large apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (approx 10-12 cups total - use a variety for better flavor, such as Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Honey Crisp)1
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
• optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust

Directions:

1. Read all of the directions that I wrote in this post before beginning the following recipe. It will help you!
2. The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
3. Make the caramel using my step-by-step photos as a visual guide. You can do this as you wait for the pie dough to chill.
4. Next, make the apple filling as the dough is still chilling: Place apple slices into a very large bowl. Add sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gently toss to combine. Set aside.
5. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9x2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard.
6. Fill the pie crust with the apples. There are a lot of apples, but pile them tightly and very high. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the salted caramel, reserving the rest for topping.
7. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
8. Make the lattice crust: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough out, 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut 16 strips 1/2 inch wide. I always use a clean measuring tape or ruler as a guide to assure the lines are straight. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Using a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang. Crimp the edges of the dough with a fork or your fingers.
9. Lightly brush the lattice top with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
10. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes. If the top of your pie is getting too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil. The pie will be done when the caramel begins to bubble up. A small knife inserted inside should come out relatively clean.
11. Allow the pie to cool for 4 hours before serving. Drizzle the pie with the extra caramel sauce to serve. This apple pie is best served on the same day, but it can be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.