Caramel apple pie filling

Warm, fudgy caramel apple pie filling is perfect for homemade pastries and desserts. This recipe takes less than 15 minutes and only uses simple ingredients.

Apples and cinnamon are essential ingredients in the ultimate fall dessert.

I can't imagine a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas without apple pie, and is there anything better than an apple pie with caramel filling?

This apple pie filling makes preparing your dinner much easier because you can make it ahead of time and store it in the freezer until needed!

Ingredients

Apples - I like to use semi-sweet apples like Honeycrisp whenever I make this recipe. They also hold their shape better.

Sugar - for the best results, I recommend using brown sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar contains molasses which gives the filling an extra deep caramel flavor.

Butter - butter gives the apples a rich and decadent caramel sauce. You can use dairy-free butter or margarine, but it will give the caramel a slightly different flavor.

I recommend using European butter or homemade butter for the richest flavor.

Lemon juice - to balance out the sweetness of the caramel, you need to add a little lemon juice. This also helps to prevent the apples from turning brown while peeling.

Heavy cream - heavy cream transforms the caramel into the best fudgy caramel sauce. You can use a plant-based cream to make the recipe vegan.

Cinnamon - as with my caramelized apples, the cinnamon gives the apples the ultimate fall flavor.

My tips for the perfect caramel apple pie filling

Don't rush the process. Give the apples and sugar enough time to soften and caramelize. This will also prevent the sugar from burning and making the caramel bitter.

Don't skip the cream. Although not all recipes call for heavy cream, it is essential in this recipe for the creamy, fudgy flavor.

Make extra. Especially during the holiday season, it's nice to have some extra filling in your freezer! You can very easily double or triple this recipe.

How to use caramel apple pie filling

• Ice Cream. These apples are delicious over (homemade) ice cream! You can also cut the apples small and stir them into the ice cream mix before putting them in the freezer.
• It's always a good idea to have a jar of homemade apple pie filling in the freezer for when you're craving traditional Dutch apple pie!
• You can also use this filling for my no-bake graham cracker apple pie recipe.
• It's the perfect topping for overnight oats or oatmeal pancakes!
• Use it to make apple crisp!

Equipment

You only need a skillet, measuring cups, and a cutting board to make this caramel apple pie filling.

For storage, it is best to use a clean glass jar such as a mason jar.

Storage

This caramelized apple filling will keep in the fridge for about four days. If you want to keep it longer or made extra, I recommend freezing the apples.

In the freezer, it stays good for about six months to a year.

Thaw the filling slowly in the refrigerator before use and process as you normally would.

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