This Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie Recipe is a simple twist on the classic dessert! Filled with perfectly spiced apples and tossed in a rich, bourbon-y caramel sauce, this caramel apple pie is irresistible!
A few weeks ago, I visited one of my favorite local antique shops in Granbury and I found this cute apple bowl.
The bowl is ceramic and weighs almost as much as my four year old – disclaimer, this may be a slight exaggeration. My new/old apple-themed bowl set me back a whopping $12. And it was worth every penny!
Apples are synonymous with this time of year, and obviously, I love anything apple – because all of my recipes have been apple-themed lately (just like my bowl):
- Savory Apple, Chicken Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding
- Caramel Apple Cider Mimosas
- 30+ Best Apple Recipes To Make This Fall
And I have ONE MORE to add to my apple repertoire – my grandmother’s Cast Iron Skillet Caramel Apple Pie. This homemade caramel apple pie recipe is impressive enough for your holiday table, but also simple enough for a weeknight night treat!
What makes this apple pie recipe so special
The pie’s lightly spiced apples are tossed with a rich caramel sauce, which is made even more decadent with a splash of bourbon (completely optional).
If you’ve never made a double crust pie in a cast iron skillet, prepared to be impressed! Not only does an iron skillet provide a dramatic presentation, it can also make a better pie. Fruit pies often have an under-baked and soggy bottom crust, but a cast iron skillet ensures a perfectly crisp and golden bottom crust.
What are the best apples for apple pie
I prefer to use Pink Lady apples in this caramel apple pie recipe. Pink Ladies stay crisp in pies and have the perfect sweet-tart balance. However, there are plenty of other varieties that work well too:
- Fuji
- Granny Smith
- Honeycrisp
- Braeburn
Is homemade caramel sauce difficult to make
Homemade caramel sauce is easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. You only need 3 ingredients – butter, half-and-half and brown sugar.
In a nutshell, you melt everything, bring it to a boil, then let it cool. Like I said, easy.
And just look at the buttery caramel drizzled over the cinnamon-sugar spiced apples.
What about the pie crust
Another element that makes this pie easy, is the pie crust. My recipe calls for two store-bought refrigerated piecrusts.
My grandmother usually made her own crust but she was known to use store-bought in a pinch. For this recipe, I have adopted the easier the better philosophy. However, feel free to use your favorite homemade pie dough recipe if you prefer.
Either way, make sure to refrigerate the skillet after you put in the bottom crust for the crispiest results.
Enjoy a slice of this pie topped with ice cream, more caramel sauce or try my homemade cinnamon-sugar whipped cream (included in the recipe card).
Cast Iron Skillet Caramel Apple Pie
Equipment
- 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Pie
- 4 lbs Pink Lady apples, peeled and sliced into 1/2– inch slices Squeeze fresh lemon over sliced apple to prevent browning
- 2 12 inch pie crusts, homemade or store bought rolled out to ½ inch larger than your skillet
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2½ tablespoons corn starch
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Caramel Apple Pie
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Fit one rolled-out piecrust on bottom of skillet and press up the sides. Transfer skillet to refrigerator and chill while preparing recipe.
- Stir together light brown sugar, butter, half-and-half and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until butter melts and mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract and bourbon, if desired. Let caramel sauce cool to almost room temperature.
- Toss sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Pour apple filling into prepared skillet.
- Top the apples with the remaining pie crust, pinching the edges to seal the pie.
- Brush top of the piecrust with beaten egg and cut 6 to 8 (1-inch) slits in top crust for steam to escape.
- Place the skillet on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes until the pie is golden brown and bubbly. If necessary shield the the pie with aluminum foil for the last 10-20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning or burning.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes (preferably longer) before slicing.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Pour chilled heavy cream into mixer/mixing bowl.
- Beat on high speed. Slowly add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Cover and place in freezer to for 10 minutes to chill; place in refrigerator if its for later use. Keep refrigerated.
This looks so tasty!! I love apple things this time of year. Yummyyyy I’m going to need to try this soon!
Author
I hope you enjoy the recipe when you try it!
This looks amazing and would be a great holiday dessert! I know my husband and kids would love it. Honey crisp have always been my favorite apples!
Author
Thank you! I love Honeycrisp as well.
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! Perfect dessert for Thanksgiving! xoxo Amanda
Author
Thanks Amanda!
Oh my goodness, this pie looks heavenly! Definitely the taste of autumn.
Author
Thanks so much Chelsea!