Caramel Apple Slab Pie Recipe

Apple season will have you craving the tastes of Fall and sweet apple desserts. Our Caramel Apple Slab Pie Recipe starts with a tender flaky crust topped with a caramel and cinnamon-spiced apple filling.

You’ll love the flavors of a traditional pie that’s big enough to feed a crowd. It’s perfect for the holiday season but easy enough for any time.

In this blog post, we will explain exactly what a slab pie is, give you step-by-step instructions to make our homemade slab pie recipe, and make sure you have all the tips and tricks up your sleeve for the best pie possible.

Why You’ll Love Our Caramel Apple Slab Pie Recipe

• Simplicity. This pie uses simple ingredients that you can easily find in any grocery store and easy step-by-step instructions so your easy apple slab pie will be delicious.
• Versatility. You have the freedom to experiment and let your creativity run wild. Picture a canvas of golden brown crust, patiently waiting to be adorned with your favorite fruity fillings. Whether you prefer a medley of fresh berries, a parade of peaches, or a combination of apples and pears, the choice is yours.
• Size. Its large size means it’s ideal for feeding a crowd at picnics, potlucks, or family gatherings. Why bake a traditional round pie? This easy recipe makes a large rectangle shape, so you can easily cut it into perfectly portioned squares, ensuring everyone gets their fair share.

What is a Slab Pie?

This marvelous pie baked on a sheet pan has been called the pie version of sheet cake. It is thin, bakes fast, and serves a crowd. When you need to go big, make a slab pie.

What are the best apples for baking?

You want a firmer apple for baking. Softer apples will break down too much making the sweet apple pie filling mushy. It’s also more difficult to slice into apple pie bars.

You can use all of one variety or a mix of your favorite apples for baking. Good baking apples according to Bon Appetit include: are as follows: 

• Granny Smith – These are tart apples. They contrast well with sweet desserts.
• Jonagold
• Honey Crisp – My favorite for everyday eating.
• Braeburn
• Pink Lady
• Mutsu

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe

Homemade Pie Crust Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour.
• Salt.
• Vegetable Shortening, chilled. I prefer this shortening.
• Cold Butter.
• Cold Water.
• Large Egg.

Filling Ingredients for Caramel Apple Slab Pie

• Unsalted Butter.
• Granny Smith Apples. You will need approximately 1 and 1/2 pounds of large apples, peeled and sliced to a 1/4-inch thickness. Other types of apples, such as honey crisp or pears, such as Bartletts, will work perfectly for this recipe.
• Caramel Sauce. This sets our pie apart. We purchased a store-bought caramel sauce for convenience.
• Brown Sugar. Light or dark variety.
• Salt.
• Lemon Juice. Don’t skip out on the lemon juice. Not only does it help with the coloration of the apples, but it also adds brightness and balance to the flavor of the pie.
• Ground Cinnamon. Since this spice will be used frequently for your Fall and holiday baking, don’t skimp on quality. A good cinnamon is worth the investment.
• Cornstarch. This helps prevent a runny pie by thickening the filling as it cooks.
• Vanilla Extract.

How To Make Caramel Apple Slab Pie Recipe

Please note, that the printable recipe card has ingredient quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.

Step One. Make the crust for your apple slab pie with caramel sauce.

Combine flour, butter, and shortening

Formed pie dough

Whisk the flour and salt together. Add the shortening and butter and mix until well blended. Then slowly add the cold water a little at a time until a dough forms.

The dough can be mixed by hand using a large bowl.

Step Two. Roll out the pie crust.

Roll pie crust 1/4-inch thick

Crust-covered sheet pan

Use 2/3 of the crust. Wrap the remaining dough with plastic wrap and chill. You want it to be a quarter-inch thick and large enough to cover a 9×13 cookie sheet. Cover and chill the crust on the pan.

Step Three. Make the caramel apple pie filling.

Melt the butter and saute the apples until soft and brown. Add the caramel sauce, brown sugar, salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla, and continue to cook it all for four or five minutes more.

Step Four. Prepare the pie for baking.

Caramel Apple Slab Pie Filling

Apply egg wash to crust

Spoon the filling onto the chilled crust. Top it with strips cut from the remaining crust, which you have rolled to a quarter-inch thickness. Add the egg wash.

Step Five. Bake your Caramel Apple Slab Pie.

It will need to be baked for 37-40 minutes and then cooled for about 30 minutes, so you can plan accordingly. And look how this comes out. Is it not just gorgeous?

How to Serve Caramel Apple Slab Pie

Warm pie with vanilla ice cream is the way to go. If you don’t want ice cream, homemade whipped cream is yummy, but honestly, this pie is perfect on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade caramel sauce for the filling?

You can most definitely use your own caramel sauce for the filling. Homemade caramel sauce from scratch adds an extra touch of homemade goodness. However, we use store-bought for convenience. I suggest that you use a thick caramel sauce either way.

How do you keep apple pie from getting soggy?

Soggy apple pie is a common issue and stems from a runny filling and soft crust. To avoid this, chill your pie crust while you make the filling. Also, we make the filling before baking it in the pie. This allows the juice from the apples to cook off. And, our addition of cornstarch thickens the filling which prevents excess juices from making our pie watery.

Can I use Ready-Made Crusts?

You can use ready-made crusts for convenience. Please note that you will want to buy enough dough to make a double crust.

Can I make this Caramel Apple Pie Recipe ahead of time?

Yes, you can make an apple slab pie ahead of time. Here are a couple of options that work out beautifully:

1. You can either make the whole pie and bake it ahead of time, with the plan to reheat it in the oven before serving it.
2. Or you can make the crust and the filling up to 2 to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. The day you need it put it all together and bake.
3. You can also freeze a whole pie and thaw it at room temperature when you are ready for it. I explain how down below.

How To Reheat & Store Caramel Apple Slab Pie

Best way to store this pie.

Keep leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 6 days. I don’t recommend that the pie be kept at room temperature. The juices will break down making the crust soggy.

Can I Freeze Slab Pie?

You can freeze this pie both before and after baking. If freezing before, do not add the egg wash and cover with plastic wrap, then with tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to bake, thaw in the fridge. Brush with the egg wash, then bake. If freezing after baking, cover with plastic wrap and tin foil. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw on the counter and enjoy.

How to Reheat Apple Slab Pie with Caramel

If you want hot pie on day two, simply microwave a slice for thirty seconds to one minute, depending on your microwave, until it is warm enough to melt the edges of your ice cream. If it is frozen, the same method will work, but you may need to extend the time. Place the frozen slice in a bowl because once frozen, it will tend to become mushy and run more.

Variations and Substitutions

You can use the pie crust included with this recipe, but if you want just a little extra decadence, you can use our All Butter Pie Crust Recipe instead.

We used a lattice crust to make our apple dessert look like a traditional apple pie. You could cover the filling with a top crust without slicing it. You could cover the top of the pie with a crumb topping instead of a regular pie crust.

One of the beauties of this pie is its versatility. While the classic combination of caramel and apples is hard to resist, you can absolutely get creative with the fruits you use. Feel free to experiment with other seasonal fruits like pears or peaches.

Hostess Tips and Tricks

• Double the crust recipe if you would like a full slab crust top. You must cut large slits into the top to allow steam to escape.
• If you don’t want to use shortening in the crust, you can substitute it with equal amounts of
  chilled butter. Like we do in our buttery crust recipe.
• Make sure you bake your apple pie long enough. Underbaking will cause your filling to be
  runny, resulting in a soggy Pie. You know that your pie is done when the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
• Chilling or completely cooling the pie on a wire rack will make it easier to slice.

If you enjoyed this Caramel Apple Slab Pie recipe, check these out!

I could not be more excited for pie season; as soon as I don’t mind warming up my kitchen, it’s time to use all the amazing seasonal apples, pears, and last remnants of summer fruit coming our way to treat my family and friends. Here are some of my favorites!

• Swedish Apple Pie – Pie doesn’t get any easier than this self-crusting apple pie!
• Pear Pie – If you’re always making apple pie how about trying something new? This pear pie is delicious!
• Homemade Blueberry Pie Recipe – This pie is a rustic beauty. Just watch the jaw drops!
• Skillet Apple Pie – This pie is the one that my family requests the most. Good thing it’s easy too!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

Caramel Apple Slab Pie

Author: Julie Menghini

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe CollectSaved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Pie

Cuisine American

Keyword: Apple Pie, Apple Recipe, Slab Pie

Servings: 12

Equipment

• Baking Sheet (quarter sheet pan)
• 10-inch Skillet
• Rolling Pin
• Electric Stand Mixer or a large bowl to mix by hand

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Crust

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening chilled
• 2 tbsp butter chilled
• 6-7 tbsp cold water divided
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 granny smith apples Large – approximately 1 and 1/2 pounds, peeled and sliced to a 1/4 inch thickness
• 3/4 cup caramel sauce 6 ounces
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix together the flour and salt.
• Add the shortening and butter and mix on low until you get small pieces about the size of a pea. Slowly add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. You’ll need between 5-6 tablespoons and this will take approximately 4 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a quarter inch thickness. Be sure it is big enough to fit a 9×13 baking sheet. You will need approximately two-thirds of the dough for this.

  Lay the dough over the baking sheet leaving a little bit hanging over the edge. Roll the remaining dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Cover and place the dough-covered baking sheet in the fridge to chill while we make the filling.
• Melt the butter in a 10” skillet.
• Add the apples and sauté over medium heat until soft and slightly browned, about 6-7 minutes.
• Add the caramel sauce, brown sugar, salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, cornstarch and vanilla. Continue sautéing on medium heat until the mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, about 4-5 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
• Spoon the filling into the chilled crust. Roll the remaining dough and cut it into strips with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Place the dough strip diagonally across the pie in a basket weave pattern. Pinch the edges of the pie around the outer edge of the pan.
• Beat the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture over the top of the visible dough.
• Bake for 37-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the caramel apple filing is bubbling.
• Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and enjoy!

Notes

Keep leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 6 days. This can also be kept on the counter however it will only last for about 4 days.

• You can freeze this pie, both before and after baking. If freezing before, do not add the egg wash and cover with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake, thaw in the fridge. Brush with the egg wash, then bake. If freezing after baking, cover with plastic wrap then with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw on the counter and enjoy.

• If you would like a full slab crust top, double the crust recipe. You must cut large slits into the top to allow steam to escape.

• If you don’t want to use shortening in the crust, you can substitute with equal amounts of chilled butter.

• If using a larger pan, you may need to pre-bake the crust before adding the filling. You will require more pie dough for a larger pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 182IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

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