Food and Recipes Desserts Pies Skillet Caramel Apple Pie Recipe 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review If you've never made a double-crust pie in a cast-iron skillet, this is a great recipe for first-timers (or experienced pie bakers). Swap out your usual pie plate for your trusty cast-iron skillet and prepare to be impressed with the results. Not only does a skillet make a dramatic presentation, it can also make a better pie. Often, the bottom crust of a fruit pie can be soggy and under-baked, but a cast-iron skillet ensures a super crisp and golden bottom crust. The rich, bourbon-y caramel sauce makes the tender, lightly spiced apple filling and flaky crust even more irresistible. Although this recipe can be made with most apples, Fuji apples are our test kitchen's preference here. The tart-sweet flavor works well with the sweet caramel, and the apples hold their shape when baked instead of turning to mush. Our recipe calls for two store-bought refrigerated pie crusts, but you can 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. When it's time to bake the pie, place the skillet in a preheated oven on the bottom oven rack until the crust is golden, the apples are tender, and the filling is bubbly, about 55 minutes to one hour. Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil after about 40 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Although it can be tempting to slice into the pie as soon as it comes out of the oven, let the pie cool completely before serving to allow the filling to set. Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and extra caramel sauce to impress your crowd for no extra effort. By Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall is a food stylist and recipe developer who has contributed regularly to Real Simple since 2015 as a member of the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios team. She works with several Dotdash Meredith brands, including Southern Living, Food & Wine, Rachel Ray In Season, and Meredith Premium Publishing titles. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and two children. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 14, 2017 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Active Time: 1 hr Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Yield: 8 serves Ingredients 1 (14.1-oz.) pkg. refrigerated piecrusts 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 tablespoons half-and-half 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional) 3 pounds Fuji apples (about 4 1/2 medium apples), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon water Directions Fit 1 piecrust on bottom and press up sides of a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Transfer skillet to refrigerator, and let chill while assembling caramel sauce and apple filling. Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir together light brown sugar, butter, half-and-half, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Cook, stirring, until butter melts and mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract, and, if desired, bourbon. Let caramel sauce cool to almost room temperature, about 30 minutes. Toss apples with cornstarch in a large bowl. Pour 1/3 cup caramel sauce over apples, and toss to coat. Reserve remaining caramel sauce for serving. Pour apple filling into prepared skillet. Place remaining piecrust over apple filling. Crimp edges of bottom and top crusts together. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 to 8 (1-inch) slits in top crust for steam to escape. Whisk together egg yolk and water in a small bowl; brush over crust. Bake pie in preheated oven on bottom oven rack until crust is golden, apples are tender, and filling is bubbly, about 55 minutes to 1 hour, shielding loosely with aluminum foil after about 40 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Transfer pie to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 3 hours. Serve with reserved caramel sauce. Rate It Print