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Lighter Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Sharp Cheddar Crust

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A lighter, indulgent apple pie with a sharp cheddar crust and salted caramel, perfect for fall gatherings. This recipe balances sweet and savory flavors with less butter and sugar, offering comfort without the guilt.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (full-fat or 2%)
  • 2–3 tablespoons ice water
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Add cold butter cubes. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, work butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces. Add grated cheddar and toss. Add Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons ice water, stirring with a fork until dough just comes together. Add remaining water if dry. Turn dough onto floured surface, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Make the lighter caramel sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring constantly. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and flaky sea salt. Cool to room temperature.
  3. Prepare the apples: In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with flour, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit for 10 minutes while oven preheats.
  4. Roll out the crust: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a 12-inch circle, about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Trim overhang to ½ inch, fold under, and crimp edges.
  5. Assemble the pie: Arrange apple mixture in crust, mounding slightly. Drizzle about half of cooled caramel sauce over apples. Reserve rest for serving.
  6. Bake the pie: Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edges with foil after 30 minutes if browning too quickly.
  7. Cool and serve: Let pie cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Drizzle with remaining caramel sauce before serving.

Notes

Keep all ingredients cold for flakiest crust. Don’t overwork the dough. Blind baking is not necessary. Let pie rest for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow filling to set. Pie tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple pie, salted caramel, cheddar crust, lighter dessert, fall recipe, Thanksgiving pie, comfort food

Find it online: https://fizzlefork.com/lighter-salted-caramel-apple-pie-with-sharp-cheddar-crust/