Baked Caramel Apple Pies

It’s almost caramel apple season folks, which in my opinion, is waaaay superior than pumpkin spice season, which unfortunately overlaps, and often overshadows, the amazingness that is the caramel apple’s prime time to shine as the summer ends and fall begins.

As I recently only discovered how much I love apple pie, I’m still learning all of the fun new ways to prepare it. This time around, I decided to create a new spin on baked apple apple pie by filling the apples with a caramel and oats filling instead of the traditional cinnamon apple pie filling.

Using some of Marzetti’s old fashioned caramel dip, a premade pie crust, and a few apples, this dessert is dangerously simple and actually surprisingly simple with one essential tool: the melon baller.

A melon baller is the perfect utensil to use when it comes to removing the core and inside of the apple. You’ll be shocked with out easily the apple scoops right out of the skin!

Make sure you brush the inside of the apple with some lemon juice too, to prevent the apple from prematurely browning.

Scrape out the apple’s inside until there is an eighth of an inch of apple left on the skin. Take care not to get too close to the skin while scooping out the apple so you don’t accidentally cut through the paper-thin apple skin.

Toss the apple bits in some lemon juice and set aside.

Melt the butter and combine it with the oats in a small bowl. Then stir in the caramel dipping sauce until the butter is completely incorporated.

Add in the apple insides and gently fold the apples into the caramel sauce until it’s all evenly covered.

Set the filling aside to chill, then roll out the pie crust. Pro tip: use a pizza cutter to make even slices through the pie crust, all about 1/2 inch thick.

Use the small end pieces to reinforce the bottom of the apples, especially if a hole was formed anywhere, you maybe got too close to the skin or cut through in a spot, or if the core of the apple went all the way through and left a small hole in the bottom.

Weave the remaining pieces of pie crust together to form two separate pie toppers. Spoon in the caramel apple filling into each apple cavity.

Drape the pie crust weaves over the tops of each apple, gently pressing it to the sides to seal it against the apples.

Brush the top of each apple with an egg wash, then pop into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes.

You can trim the edges of the pie crust to fit over the filling, or leave the edges rough for an authentic, deliciously rustic feel.

I sprinkled my baked apples with cinnamon, but powdered sugar, or even pumpkin spice if you are daring, will work too.

These apples are incredible served warm, but the cold leftovers (if any survive) are just as delectable served alongside some vanilla ice cream.