Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie
Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie is a potently flavorful spin on a classic. It’s bursting with warm cinnamon flavor, and buttery, sweet bourbon caramel sauce spills out the sides.
From the kids’ table to the adult table, this pie will span the generations. It’s guaranteed to be voted one of the family-favorite desserts this holiday season.
Why is this recipe special?
Completely from scratch, Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie is unique for a couple of reasons. First, there is more cinnamon than a more standard apple pie recipe you may have tried before (more than 3 tablespoons are in this recipe!). It’s enough to make it memorable, but not too much as to be overpowering.
Secondly, the buttery, brown sugar, bourbon caramel that coats the apple filling is to die for! If you don’t have bourbon or whisky on-hand, or simply prefer to leave it out, the homemade caramel sauce is still delicious without.
Originally, I found this recipe in Pastry Queen’s Cookbook titled “Chef Mark’s Southern Comfort Apple Pie”, and it quickly became a favorite.
Ingredients & Supplies
You’ll need the following ingredients for Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie:
- Apples
- White sugar
- Brown sugar
- Pecans
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Bourbon
- Heavy cream
You’ll need the following supplies for Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie:
- Kitchen-Aid stand mixer
- Pastry cutter
- Rolling pin
- 9-inch pie pan
- Large skillet
- Chopping knife
- Apple corer/peeler/slicer
- Spatula
Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie: Let’s get cooking!
To begin, make the crust. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces. Then, using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it looks crumbly with the butter the size of peas.
Add 4 tablespoons of the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing on low speed for 10 seconds after each addition. After the last addition, the dough should begin to clump together in a ball, if it doesn’t, continue mixing about 10 seconds longer. If it still looks too dry, add an additional 1 tablespoon of ice water. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
To make the topping, preheat the oven to 350℉. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 6-7 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the nuts and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl whisk the the white and brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour until combined. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter cut the butter into the sugar mixture until combined. Stir in the pecans. Put in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the filling, increase the oven temperature to 375℉. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼ inch slices.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the apples and sauté for 5-8 minutes until they start to soften.
In a small bowl stir together the cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle it on the apples and stir to combine. Simmer for about 1 minute longer.
Remove the apple from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet as possible. Transfer the apples to a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer while you make the caramel.
To make the bourbon caramel, pour the bourbon into the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet. Simmer the mixture over medium heat at least 5 minutes, until the alcohol burns off (carefully sniff the mixture at a close range; if it burns the insides of your nostrils, the vapors are still burning off). Add the cream and continue to cook about 5-10 minutes, stirring consistently, until the mixture is as thick as pourable caramel. Return the apples to the skillet.
Take the pie dough out of the refrigerator and place on a floured countertop. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pie dough to a ⅛ inch thick circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep pie plate. Press it into place and crimp the outside edges with your fingers or a fork.
Pour the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust and sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is brown. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream, ice cream, or simply on its own. Enjoy!
Bourbon Caramel Apple Pie
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup pecan halves
- ½ cup white sugar
- 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsp chilled butter
Pie Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 11 tbsp chilled butter
- 4-5 tbsp ice water
Apple Filling
- 6 tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup bourbon
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- To begin, make the crust. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it looks crumbly with the butter the size of peas.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing on low speed for 10 seconds after each addition. After the last addition, the dough should begin to clump together in a ball, if it doesn't, continue mixing about 10 seconds longer. If it still looks too dry, add an additional 1 tablespoon of ice water. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- To make the topping, preheat the oven to 350℉. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 6-7 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the nuts and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk the the white and brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour until combined. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter cut the butter into the sugar mixture until combined. Stir in the pecans. Put in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- To make the filling, increase the oven temperature to 375℉. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼ inch slices. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the apples and sauté for 5-8 minutes until they start to soften.
- In a small bowl stir together the cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle it on the apples and stir to combine. Simmer for about 1 minute longer. Remove the apple from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet as possible. Transfer the apples to a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer while you make the caramel.
- To make the bourbon caramel, pour the bourbon into the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet. Simmer the mixture over medium heat at least 5 minutes, until the alcohol burns off (carefully sniff the mixture at a close range; if it burns the insides of your nostrils, the vapors are still burning off). Add the cream and continue to cook about 5-10 minutes, stirring consistently, until the mixture is as thick as pourable caramel. Return the apples to the skillet.
- Take the pie dough out of the refrigerator and place on a floured countertop. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pie dough to a ⅛ inch thick circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep pie plate. Press it into place and crimp the outside edges with your fingers or a fork.
- Pour the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust and sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is brown. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream, ice cream, or simply on its own. Enjoy!