Caramel Toffee Apple Pie
As you know (because I may have mentioned it once or twice), apple pie is my favorite fruity dessert. But not just any apple pie, specifically THIS apple pie – Caramel Toffee Apple Pie. My mother actually started making a version of this pie (perhaps the original version, I’m really not sure where she got the recipe from) back when I was in high school and I fell in love. And what is not to love? A flaky, buttery crust packed with heaps of caramel apple filling, topped with a cinnamon and toffee streusel and even more flaky, buttery crust.
My mother shared her version of this recipe with me the first time I was making my own Thanksgiving dinner. I have made it every year from then on, but, since I already mentioned “version” (a couple times), you know I’ve made some changes over the years. Most of the changes were not terribly significant – I already loved the flavor profile, there was no way I was going to mess with that!
I also loved the fact that this recipe called for a pre-cooked apple filling, in fact, the filling portion of the original version of this recipe formed the basis for my Caramel Apple Pie Filling. When you fill a pie with raw apples and then bake it, the apples are going to cook down while the upper crust is going to set in place. This results in a large gap between the cooked apples and the top crust of your pie. In addition, the apples are going to release a lot of juices, but, it is impossible to know exactly how much juice they will release making it difficult to gauge the amount of thickener, such as corn starch, that is necessary. Frequently, the resultant filling tends toward soupy, spilling out and filling the pie plate when the pie is cut, leaving the apples high and dry. When you cook your apple filling on the stovetop first, you have fine control over the consistency of the filling and, since the apples are already cooked, you will avoid that air gap between the filling and the upper crust. Furthermore, with the apples already cooked and the juices already released, you can really pack the filling into the pie shell, creating almost a lamination effect (especially if your apples are sliced thin for your filling). That means a much higher apple to crust ratio, which is exactly how I like it.
The most significant change I made was to replace the solid top crust from the original recipe with a loosely woven lattice. The original recipe called for covering the streusel layer with a sheet of pie crust that was broken only by a few vents sliced into the middle. You certainly get all of the flavor of the streusel that way, but you miss out on the potential for more texture. One of my favorite things about a streusel is the crispy, crunchy texture it lends to whichever item it is baked onto. I wanted to get that here too – just like you would on a Dutch apple pie. By weaving the lattice very loosely you still get that buttery pastry AND you also expose a fair portion of the streusel directly to the heat of the oven giving it the opportunity to crisp up nicely.
I like to serve this pie room temperature, or even warm, with caramel syrup drizzled over the top. It is also delicious topped with a complimentary flavor of ice cream (think vanilla, caramel, dulce de leche, etc.). Or both, why limit yourself? 🙂
Caramel Toffee Apple Pie
Equipment
- Food processor
- small bowl
- pastry brush
- pie plate 9 1/2" or 10" deep dish
- sharp knife or pastry cutter
Ingredients
- ½ cup flour all-purpose
- ½ cup oats quick or old fashioned, not steel cut
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup caramel/toasted sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted, cool (~65°F)
- 6 oz
toffee crushed - 1 egg large
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 9"-10" pie crusts
(I prefer the 'Apple Pie' variation of my basic pie crust recipe) - 3-4 quarts
caramel apple pie filling (about 2/3 – 3/4 of my caramel apple pie filling recipe) caramel sauce for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Toffee Streusel
- Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, caramel/toasted sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Pulse until everything is well combined, the oats should still be somewhat coarse, not processed into oat flour.1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup caramel/toasted sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms a coarse crumbly texture.4 tbsp butter
- Stir in the crushed toffee until evenly distributed. Set aside (this can be made a couple days ahead and stored in the refrigerator)6 oz toffee
Make the Egg Wash
- In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together until homogenous; set aside.1 egg, 1 tbsp milk
Assemble the Pie
- Roll out both pie crusts to about 1/8" thickness and about 13"-15" diameter. Reserve one crust in the refrigerator. Fit the second pie crust into a 9 1/2" or 10" deep dish pie plate. Be careful not to stretch the crust, ease it down into the corners of the pie plate without forcing it.2 9"-10" pie crusts
- Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cinnamon toffee streusel in the bottom of the prepared pie shell.
- Spoon the apple filling over the toffee streusel (ideally the apple pie filling should be cool room temperature at this point). Distribute the remaining streusel evenly over the top of the filling.3-4 quarts caramel apple pie filling
- Remove the reserved crust from the refrigerator. Using a pastry cutter, pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut it into even, narrow strips. Weave a very loose lattice over the top of the pie, leaving about 2" between the pastry strips, you want to leave a good amount of the streusel exposed to get nicely crisped during baking. Trim the ends of the pastry strips even with the edge of the pie. Fold the overhang from the bottom crust over the edges of the lattice and create a pinched/crimped decorative edge. If the pastry crust is starting to get soft at this point, place the entire pie in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or so, allowing the butter in the dough to firm up again. (For assistance with weaving a lattice crust, check out
“How to Make a Stunning Lattice-Top Pie, According to a Pastry Chef” by Stella Parks) - Preheat the oven to 450°F. While the oven is preheating, carefully brush the lattice work pastry with the egg wash, avoid getting the egg wash on the exposed streusel.
- Bake for 15 minutes; lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for about 45 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly cover the edges lightly with foil or a pie crust shield.
- Allow pie to cool before serving. Serve room temperature or warm. Drizzle slices with caramel sauce if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.caramel sauce
Nutrition
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