Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Buttery crust, perfectly sweetened apples, with a toffee-studded streusel topping. So good!!
TEXTURE: Flaky pie crust, apples with a tiny bit of bite remaining, and crumbly streusel with a slight crunch thanks to the toffee bits.
EASE: Okay, no pie is without a little bit of work – but you only have to worry about one pie crust on the bottom here, so it’s a bit easier than a typical double-crust pie.
PROS: The best pie you’ll ever eat.
CONS: Not the quickest recipe ever, but totally worth it!
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? Every Thanksgiving for the rest of time!
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Caramel Apple Streusel Pie is outrageously good and puts all store-bought apple pies to shame.
Get ready to discover your new favorite pie recipe.
I wanted a slightly more elevated, indulgent pie; a pie that combined warm, comforting fall spices with a little added decadence. Enter, the Caramel Apple Streusel Pie.
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Generous helpings of brown sugar, plus the toffee laced throughout the streusel topping, take the humble apple pie to a whole new level.
This pie has become a huge hit with Team HTH’s friends and families – and our wonderful community, too! Check out Laurie’s sweet comment below:
Reader Love
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! I have no critique for this pie. It is excellent – the crust easy and flaky, the apple filling divine, and the streusel topping with toffee bits outstanding! The combination is out of this world!
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Perfect for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas, or even a summertime barbecue, this pie is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert.
Get ready to bake a pie that people will crave and request year after year.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Caramel Apple Streusel Pie
What is Apple Streusel Pie? Is it the Same as Apple Crumble Pie?
Streusel and crumble are interchangeable terms for the same thing. A streusel pie can also be called a Dutch apple pie, apple crumble pie, or apple crumb pie. Similar things, different names! All basically meaning that instead of a pie crust to top the pie, it’s topped with a streusel/crumble topping made from flour, sugar, and butter.
The Pie Crust
This Caramel Apple Streusel Pie uses my Best Ever Pie Crust, which is my favorite all-butter pie crust. It’s full of buttery flavor, is super flaky, and is easier to make than you might think. You can make even quicker work of it using a food processor.
There are tons of pie crust tips in the full Pie Crust post. I don’t recommend using a store-bought pie crust because they’re typically thinner, less flaky, and much less flavorful than a homemade pie crust. I encourage you to give my recipe a try!
Tessa’s Tip: Whenever I’m making pie dough, I always make a double batch! That way I can freeze the extra. It’s a gift to my future self.
What is Blind Baking? How to Blind Bake Pie Crust:
- What: Blind baking is when you bake the pie dough without a filling until it’s totally cooked through.
- Why: This is done when you’re filling the pie with an already-cooked filling, or if your filling is prepared raw (like some cream pies).
- How: Be sure to completely fill your pie with pie weights (you’ll need several boxes of those!), dried beans, or even sugar – you want the whole crust to be completely full so your crust doesn’t slump down or shrink. Learn more about pie weights here.
- Step-by-step instructions: How to Blind Bake Pie Crust.
Do I Have to Blind Bake The Crust First?
Yes – I know it’s an extra step, but I promise it’s worth it! This prevents a soggy pie crust and ensures the crust stays beautifully flaky and crisp.
Which Pie Pan is Best?
It depends on your preference! I’ve outlined the types of pie pans commonly available below and added some notes about each for this pie in particular:
- This Emile Henry ceramic pie dish is my favorite. I love how pretty it looks when serving AND it’s nice and deep to allow for lots of filling and topping. It also browns the most evenly so no soggy bottoms.
- A light-colored metal pan like this one from USA Pan heats up and bakes quickly, so you may need to shave a few minutes off your baking time. Avoid dark or coated aluminum pans for baking pie crust, which are likely to result in overly browned crust.
- This Oxo glass pie pan is a solid choice because it’s made from borosilicate glass, so it can go from fridge to oven without shattering. Nobody wants to clean up an oven full of glass!
- If you’re planning to completely make this Caramel Apple Streusel Pie ahead and freeze it, I recommend using a disposable aluminum foil pie pan so you can safely go from freezer to oven with no need to worry about the pan. Plus, there’s no cleanup after the pie is gone.
- Bake on top of a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, like my favorite baking sheet here, to avoid any spillage or butter puddles on your oven floor.
- Learn more about different pie pans here!
What Kind of Apples Should I Use for Apple Streusel Pie?
I prefer Granny Smith apples for baking. Tart apples like Granny Smith are not only a good contrast to the sweetness of this particular pie filling and topping, but they also hold their shape and structure well throughout the baking process.
Avoid using Red Delicious, McIntosh, or Fuji apples in pie baking. These apples tend to cook down too fast and you’ll end up with a mushy pie.
How do I Prepare the Apples for Pie?
For even cooking, peel and thinly slice each apple to about about ⅛-inch thick. Too thick and the apples won’t cook properly; too thin and you’ll end up with a mushy pie. The most important thing is even slicing, for evenly baked apples (aka no mushy bits and crunchy bits).
How to Prevent a Runny Filling and a Soggy Bottom
- Aside from blind-baking the pie crust prior to filling it, there’s one magic ingredient in this pie filling that is integral to preventing a runny filling: cornstarch!
- Do not skip the cornstarch in this recipe. Cornstarch is a thickening agent, helping to thicken the pie filling as it cooks so it doesn’t seep into the pie dough, create a soggy bottom, or allow the pie filling to stream out the moment you slice it.
- Be sure you’re using cornstarch; cornmeal and corn flour are not the same thing as cornstarch and they cannot be used interchangeably.
- While some substitutes for cornstarch exist, we haven’t tested using anything but cornstarch, so I can’t recommend swapping anything in its place.
Why is There Heavy Cream in This Pie Filling?
When paired with the sugar, a little heavy cream gives this filling a beautifully caramel-y and creamy consistency. It creates a richer flavor compared to a standard apple pie. I don’t recommend substituting milk or any dairy-free options.
Is There Caramel in This Pie?
There is not actually caramel sauce in this pie. The caramel comes from cooking the sugar, butter, and cream for the apple filling. Feel free to drizzle homemade salted caramel sauce on the finished pie, for added indulgence!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
Caramel Apple Streusel Pie
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 (single crust)
Best Ever Pie Crust , chilled overnight
For the filling:
- 6 large (1260 grams) Granny Smith or Jonathan apples, cored, peeled, and sliced about ⅛-inch thick
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter
For the streusel topping:
- 3/4 cup (96 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (50 grams) light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup (240 grams)
homemade toffee bits ,or Heath brand
Instructions
Blind bake the crust:
- Remove the pie crust from the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, until slightly pliable.
- Roll the dough out on a floured work surface. Keep turning the dough after every roll to ensure it doesn’t stick to the counter and is of even thickness. Roll out into a 13-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick.
- Gently roll the dough up and around the rolling pin, then unroll and drape over a 9-inch deep dish pie pan (safe for freezer-to-oven). Gently press into the cavity of the pie pan, being careful to avoid stretching it to fit. Use scissors or a knife to trim the excess dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp or flute. Pierce the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. If you have one, place a baking stone or steel on the oven rack to help the bottom crust remain crispy.
- Make ahead: At this point, you can place the pie tin in a zip-top bag or wrap very well in plastic and store in the freezer until ready to use. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Remove the pie shell from the freezer. Line the chilled crust in the pan with parchment or foil, pressing gently across the bottom and up the sides of the pie. Fill the crust with pie weights (or dry beans or sugar) completely flush to the top edge of the crust to prevent shrinking or slumping.
- Place on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until pale and just beginning to brown but not raw. Carefully remove the foil and weights and continue baking for another 7-10 minutes, or until just turning golden.
- Remove pie and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
Make the filling:
- Combine all the ingredients except the butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple mixture and cook until the apples begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust.
Make the topping and bake:
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugars. Cut the butter into the flour with a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the toffee bits. Sprinkle over the apple mixture. Wrap the edges of the pie crust with a crust shield or foil.
- Bake the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top and crust are golden brown and the center of the pie is no longer wet.
- Let cool until just barely warm, about 1 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
- Store leftovers wrapped in foil for up to 2 days at room temperature. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to re-crisp the crust.
Recipe Notes
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This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I have made a lot of Apple Pies in my day but this was simply amazing in every way.. or should I say, bite!
I thought I’d try something new this Thanksgiving and though I am usually reluctant to steer from my tried and true especially on a Holiday but so glad I did. The frozen butter was absolutely the best trick for making the Pie Crust so delicious, flaky and most of all easy! The filing was sweet and I chose to use two varieties of Apple.. Granny Smith and HoneyCrisp..but the Streusel topping with the homemade Toffee bits were the cherry on top! It was a smash at my Thanksgiving and I barely got a piece it was such a favorite. Making this again in a couple of weeks for a dinner party I’m having! Thank you!
That’s so amazing to hear, Tracie! So thrilled that this pie was such a hit with you and your family 🙂
Bf wants me to use canned filling to save time. Would it still taste good?
Hi Kimberly! We haven’t tried that, and it might work, but I can’t say for sure since we haven’t tested it out! What I can say for sure is that it won’t be as good, as fresh apples are going to be more flavorful and have a much better texture, compared to canned! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try!
I’m hoping to make this for Thanksgiving, but I am wondering if I can freeze the pie after it is completely baked, and then reheat it on Thanksgiving, similar to store bought frozen pies. Timing is a problem for Thanksgiving meals.
Hi Pat! There are freezing and make-ahead instructions in the pink tip box, above the recipe, including bake-then-freeze tips. I hope that helps 🙂 Happy baking!
absolutely delicious
Hi, how are you? im writing from Peru 🙂 and I just want to know how can i replace the sour cream?
thanks
Hi Daniela! We haven’t tested anything but sour cream, but some of our other readers have had success using yogurt instead of sour cream. Of course, I can’t guarantee the same results without testing it out ourselves, but hopefully it might work for you, too! Good luck, and let us know what you think if you give this pie a try 🙂
I am asking a question prior to making this Recipe, which looks very tasty By-The-Way. My question is that I am planning to make this and then freeze it for a rainy day (or snowy, since I live in Minnesota) but one thing that I did not get from reading the section about pre-making and freezing. My question is that Do I still have to dock and blind bake the crust per the instructions? I would like to know before I actually work on this. Please email me back to let me know.
Thanks You very much
Rick Hokanson
Hi there! Thanks for your feedback! I just updated the notes on how to pre-make and freeze to include that. You will want to complete the full instructions on docking and blind baking your crust as that will help to ensure when the pie is actually baked, that you won’t end up with a soggy bottom. I hope that helps! Great idea to save for a snowy day, let us know what you think when you end up making this pie 🙂
Is there supposed to be actual caramel as an ingredient in the filling?
Hi Jen! No, the caramel is homemade by using the filling ingredients and cooking them on the stove 🙂 Please let us know what you think if you give this recipe a try!
not very pretty. But tastes good.
Is the flour with the toffee bits supposed to cook into it for the topping mine is not fully cooked into it
Hi Ashton! No, the streusel topping stays on the top of the pie, it doesn’t cook into it. Think of it like a crumble topping on a muffin or coffee cake, it stays on top and adds a bit of crunch to the pie with extra delicious flavor. I hope that helps! Let us know what you think of this recipe 🙂
Hi!
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. I was looking at your homemade toffee bits recipe as well. My question is, if I make the toffee and sprinkle it on top of the pie before baking it, won’t it just melt in the oven? It’s just butter, sugar, and salt so that seems like it’ll just melt.
Hi Kelli! The toffee melts a little bit in the oven, but as the pie cools, they harden again. Can’t wait for you to enjoy not only this pie but the toffee bits as well! Plus, you’ll have leftover toffee bits you can enjoy in our Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies 🙂
A bit dubious about leaving lumps of butter in the pastry – when I removed the protective layer and baking beans the pastry was bubbling up and didn’t even really dry out after the extra 12 mins in the oven afterwards (but the crust became very brown – a bit over for my liking). I think next time I will use my own recipe for a nice short pastry. The filling is great and the crumble topping too. Will use again.
So excited to try this! Just a clarifying question: if you aren’t making the pie crust ahead of time, do you still need to precook it with pie weights or is that just if it’s been frozen? Thanks!!
Hi Molli! You’ll want to still bake the pie crust prior to filling, even if it’s not frozen or made ahead. That helps to ensure you don’t end up with a soggy pie crust bottom! Please let us know what you think of this recipe if you give it a try, I hope you enjoy 🙂