The days are getting cooler and Fall is in the air which means it is the season for the best apples for apple pie! Have you ever made pie in a cookie sheet? I had a little fun in the kitchen this week making this slab apple pie- the best apple pie filling in a fool-proof crust, topped with vanilla ice cream and easy homemade caramel sauce. It is fairly simple and absolutely delicious- and the large size is great for entertaining a crowd. At the end of this post, I am also sharing 16 other beautiful and delicious Fall apple recipes for you to try this season!
The key to the best apple pie filling is using a mixture of a couple different kinds of apples. I prefer using half Honeycrisp and half Granny Smith but Gala apples are also really delicious. The mixture of the sweeter Honeycrisp with the tangy Granny Smith give the pie filling a nice variation of flavor.
The crust was easy to make and using the crust cutters (found here) made it almost foolproof. I simply lined the bottom of the cookie sheet with a layer of pie crust, dumped in the pie filling, and then topped the pie with pie strips in a basketweave pattern. Then I just covered the imperfect edges with pretty little leaves. I am officially a huge fan of these cutters because they cover any imperfections (and my impatience).
The nice thing about slab pie is that it bakes relatively quickly as well. I didn't need to cover mine with foil, but you will want to keep a good eye on yours to make sure. If any of the edges begin to get too dark, just cover them with foil until the pie is finished cooking.
I had a hard time keeping little hands from sneaking tastes.
The homemade caramel sauce for the top is absolutely worth the extra few minutes it takes to make. It really takes apple pie to a whole other level.
Slab Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce
This Slab Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce combines the best apple pie filling in a fool-proof crust, topped with vanilla ice cream and easy homemade caramel sauce. It is fairly simple and absolutely delicious- and the large size is great for entertaining a crowd.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 18 tbsp butter cold, salted
- 1/2 cup shortening very cold
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 9-11 tbsp water ice cold
Apple Filling
- 4 cups Granny Smith apples peeled and diced
- 4 cups Honeycrisp apples peeled and diced
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp apple pie spice
For Top of Pie
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp half-and-half or heavy cream
- sugar
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter salted
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
Pie
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For crust, dice butter and shortening and return it to the refrigerator while preparing flour mixture and filling. In a separate bowl, combine flour and sugar and set aside.
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In a large bowl, dump all filling ingredients on top of the diced apples and toss until apples are covered.
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Remove cold butter and shortening from fridge and dump flour mixture on top. Use a pastry blender to cut butter into flour until chunks are pea-sized.
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Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix/press with a spoon until dough starts to pull together. You don't want it to be sticky, just starting to form into a ball. Dump onto your counter and form into a ball. Cut in half, wrap in parchment and put back in fridge for at least 20 minutes before rolling out dough.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 10"x15" baking sheet.
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Remove one ball of dough from the fridge and roll out to be slightly larger than a 10"x15" baking sheet. Lay out the dough on the cookie sheet, gently pressing it into the corners.
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Dump filling into the first layer of crust.
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Use the remaining dough to create a crust for the top of your slab pie. You could use lattice strips and pie crust cutters like I did, or you could do a simple flat sheet of crust with slits to vent the steam.
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Using a pastry brush, brush the egg and cream mixture over the top of the crust and sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake in 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes until filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Caramel Sauce
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Mix ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula for 6 minutes or until thickened.
Serve warm, topped with ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.
And, as promised, here are 16 more delicious Fall recipes for you to try the season!
Slab Apple Pie + Caramel Sauce by Ella Claire | Applesauce Sheet Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting by Love Grows Wild | Apple Spice Streusel Cake by Inspired by Charm | Baked Apple Slices by Julie Blanner | Cinnamon Maple Sourdough Apple Pie by Farmhouse on Boone
Brioche Apple Bread Pudding by Boxwood Avenue | Apple Cider Pound Cake by Anderson + Grant | Apple Crumble Muffins by A Burst of Beautiful | Banana Apple Cake Bread by Sweet C's | Rustic Apple Strudel by So Much Better with Age
New England Apple Crisp by Nina Hendrick | Maple Apple Oatmeal by Finding Home Farms | Chocolate Apple Mini Cakes by Zevy Joy | Artisan Apple Bread by Nesting with Grace | Low Carb Apple Sandwich Snacks by My Sweet Savannah
Apple Peach Crisp by Summer Adams | Roasted Apple and Butternut Squash Soup by Town & Country Living
Deb S.
Beautiful and delicious looking! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!
Summer Adams
This is not only beautiful BUT it looks delectable!!! I think I'll have to make this on Sunday! I've never made homemade caramel sauce for apple pie before. Brilliant! Thanks sooooo much for getting this together, Kristen! What a fun idea this has been!
Jamie | anderson + grant
This is seriously the prettiest pie I've ever seen! And I love your tip about using a combination of different apples....something I've never thought of doing but I'm sure it adds a great mix of flavors.
Jennifer @ Town and Country Living
Your crust is beautiful - I have to give those pie cutters a try when I make my pumpkin pie! Thanks for organizing the tour, Kristen!
Lisa Bass
This looks as gorgeous as it does delicious!!
Jamie
This looks amazing, Kristen! I must try try it!
Hugs, Jamie
TidyMom
This pie is just gorgeous Kristen! I can only imagine how it made your house smell too!!
Michael Wurm Jr
This might be the most beautiful pie crust I've ever seen!! Stunning!!
xo Michael