Salted Caramel Upside Down Apple Pie Recipe
A decadent Salted Caramel Upside Down Apple Pie featuring a luscious pecan caramel base, spiced apple filling, and a buttery double crust. This pie is baked to golden perfection, then flipped upside down to reveal a glossy caramel topping, perfect served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 – 9-Inch Pie Crusts, homemade or store-bought
Pie Topping
- 2 oz (4 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, melted
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Brown Sugar
- 63 grams (½ Cup) Pecans, chopped
Apple Filling
- 8 Medium Apples, Granny Smith or cooking apples
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 63 grams (½ Cup) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ Teaspoon Allspice
- 4 oz (½ Cup) Homemade salted caramel or store-bought
Topping
- 4 oz (½ Cup) Homemade salted caramel or store-bought
- Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, or Bird’s Custard, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Pecan Caramel Topping: Line a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with foil and heavily grease it with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of the pie plate. Press one pie crust gently on top of the pecan topping to cover it. Set aside while preparing the apple filling.
- Make the Apple Pie Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch pieces. In a large bowl, mix together the apple slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice until fully combined.
- Assemble the Pie: Place half of the apple mixture evenly on top of the prepared pecan caramel layer in the pie dish. Drizzle 2 oz of salted caramel over these apples. Add the remaining apples evenly, then drizzle the remaining 2 oz salted caramel on top of them.
- Add Top Crust and Chill: Place the second pie crust over the apple filling. Seal the edges by pressing the top and bottom crusts together with a fork. Cut four 1-inch slits in the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 30 minutes to prevent shrinking during baking.
- Bake the Pie: Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake the pie for 50-55 minutes. Check at 35 minutes; if the crust is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the remainder of baking. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 175°F (79°C).
- Cool and Flip: Let the pie cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, place a serving dish on top of the pie plate and carefully invert it to release the pie showcasing the caramel pecan topping.
- Serve: Drizzle the upside-down pie with the remaining salted caramel. Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or Bird’s custard. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Using tart apples like Granny Smith ensures a balanced flavor that is not overly sweet.
- Chilling the pie before baking helps prevent the crust from shrinking.
- Covering the pie crust with foil mid-bake avoids over-browning.
- Ensure the pie reaches an internal temperature of 175°F to guarantee the filling is fully cooked.
- Leftover pie should be refrigerated and consumed within 5 days for best quality.
