Mini Apple Caramel Pie (+ Video, Easy Make Ahead Recipe)

Name: Mini Apple Pies Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 16 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough; 3 1/2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2-1”) Granny Smith apples (( 4-5 apples)); 1 tablespoon butter; 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoons white sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 tsp EACH salt, ground ginger, ground nutmeg; 6 soft caramels (like Kraft); 1/3 cup pecans; 1/3 cup packed brown sugar; 1/3 cup flour; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled and cut into pieces); 10 soft caramels; 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1/8 teaspoon salt

These adorable Caramel Apple Pies nestled in easy soft, buttery, sugar cookie crust have readers raving: “Amazing!” “They were such a hit!” “They were as good as they looked lol….delicious…” “SO yummy! a real showstopper.”

I’ve experimented and perfected this recipe to bring you the BEST version of apple pie with an easy and more delicious sugar cookie crust, a tender apple filling infused with cinnamon and caramel, and a crunchy pecan streusel for the perfect balance of flavor and crunch in every bite. This expertly crafted recipe simplifies pie-making while ensuring a gourmet, bakery-quality dessert that’s perfect for Thanksgiving and beyond!

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CARAMEL APPLE PIE RECIPE VIDEO

up close of kraft caramel apple pie with vanilla ice cream

Why you’ll love Caramel Apple Pie

Everyone will be obsessed with this recipe! Backed by step-by-step photos, a detailed video tutorial, and expert-tested tips, this foolproof recipe is guaranteed to become a family favorite and in-demand tradition! Here’s why you’ll all in love:

Easy. You will be shocked at how surprisingly easy this recipe is AND less time-consuming because you don’t have to thinly slice all those apples or make your pie crust! Detailed instructions and troubleshooting tips ensure a flawless hit every time.
Mini individual servings: As someone who has created several mini pie recipes including Strawberry Mini Pies and Banana Cream Mini Pies, I can assure you, mini is better! Baking in muffin tins creates perfectly proportioned handheld heroes that are easy to serve and enjoy gatherings.
Sugar cookie crust: Instead of a traditional pie crust, these pies use a buttery, sweet sugar cookie dough that bakes up soft yet sturdy and 1000% craveable. I’ve included tips for easily spreading the dough.
No soggy crust: The apples are pre-cooked to release excess moisture and the sugar cookie base is par-cooked before filling to ensure perfect results.
Caramel-infused apple filling: Instead of just drizzling caramel on top, this recipe infuses it into the filling for rich, buttery caramel flavor in every bite.
Golden, crunchy streusel topping: A brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter crumb topping adds a contrasting crunch and extra sweetness. See my tips for making it in the food processor which takes seconds!

up close top view of caramel apple pie with streusel topping

Mini Apple Pie Ingredients

Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make this recipe (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

1 16 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough: Forms the base of each mini pie, creating a buttery, sweet crust that’s soft yet sturdy enough to hold the filling. Let it soften slightly at room temperature for easier molding into the muffin tins.
Granny Smith apples: You will need about 4-5 Granny Smith Apples for the filling, but apples can vary widely in size, so be sure to measure your chopped apples so they equal 3 ½ cups. Chop them into ½-1” pieces for even cooking.
Butter: Adds richness and enhances the caramelization of the apples. Use unsalted butter which allows you to salt to taste.
Brown sugar & white sugar: A combination of both sugars provides deep, molasses-like sweetness from the brown sugar and a cleaner sweetness from the white sugar.
Lemon juice: Brightens the apple filling and prevents the apples from turning brown. Fresh is always best, but you may use bottled in a bind.
Spices: Cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, ground nutmeg create a warm spice blend that complements the caramel and enhances the depth of flavor in the apples.
Soft caramels (like Kraft): Melt into the apple filling for a smooth, gooey caramel texture and rich, buttery sweetness.

For the Streusel:

Pecans: Add a nutty crunch to the streusel, balancing the soft apples and caramel.
Brown sugar: Sweetens the streusel while adding a rich, molasses depth.
Flour: Helps bind the streusel together, creating a crumbly, crunchy texture.
Ground cinnamon: Infuses the streusel with warm, spiced flavor that pairs perfectly with the caramel apple filling.
Unsalted butter: Chilled and cut into pieces to create a crisp, crumbly streusel topping that bakes to golden perfection.
Caramel Drizzle: For ease, you can make the drizzle with soft caramels you will already have a package of for your filling or if you want the best Caramel Sauce on the planet, see my Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe which makes more than you need for this recipe—but not more than you will ever want.

kraft caramel apple pie with a bite taken out of it

How to Make Caramel Apple Pie

There are 4 parts to my Caramel Apple Streusel Pies, but I promise they are easy. First: the buttery, chewy sugar cookie crust, 2) caramel cinnamon apples filling 3) buttery pecan streusel, 4) caramel drizzle. So let’s get to it!

Step 1: How to Make Caramel Apple Pie Crust

Pie crust is one of the most important elements of a pie so it has to be deeeelicous! These buttery sugar cookie crusts are not only delectable – they are super simple to make -winning! Simply cut a package of sugar cookie dough into 12 slices and press them into your muffin tins to bake. As you can see, they don’t need to be perfect, so don’t stress about it!

showing how to make easy caramel apple pie by making crust out of sugar cookie dough

Step 2: How to Make Caramel Apple Pie Filling

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped, peeled apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, nutmeg and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

showing how to make salted caramel apple pie by cooking apples in butter and cinnamon

Add caramels and continue to cook until caramels are completely melted and apples are tender, about 3 additional minutes. Remove from heat.

showing how to make easy caramel apple pie by adding caramel to filling

Remove filling using a slotted spoon and evenly divide it between baked sugar cookie crusts.

showing how to make easy caramel apple pie by adding pie filling to crust

Step 3: How to Make Caramel Apple Pie Streusel

Add pecans flour, sugar and cinnamon and pulse until pecans are mostly chopped small. Sprinkle cold butter over top and the mixture resembles small pebbles.
Divide filling evenly between sugar cookie crust (about 1 ½ tablespoons). Top each pie with 1 tablespoon streusel and push into pie. Top evenly with remaining streusel (leave loose).

showing how to make caramel apple pie with streusel topping by adding streusel on top

HOW LONG TO BAKE CARAMEL APPLE PIE

We first bake our sugar cookie crusts for 15 minutes so they are mostly baked before we add the Caramel Apple Pie filling. This ensures they emerge golden and not soggy. After adding the filling, bake an traditional 5-7 minutes or until the tops of the pies and crusts are golden.

top view of salted caramel apple pie coming out of the oven

Let Caramel Apple Pies Cool

It is essential that you let your pies cool so they will hold their shape when removed from the muffin tin. If you try and remove them when they are still warm, they will fall apart because the pie crust will still be soft and won’t hold its form. Once the pies are cool, remove them by running a sharp knife along the edge of each pie then gently prying up.

If you love warm apple pie (don’t we all?!), then microwave for a few seconds before servings but honestly, these Mini Caramel Apple Pies area so good just as they are!

side view of salted caramel apple pie on a white plate

Step 4: How to Make Caramel Drizzle

1: Add 10 soft caramels, 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream and salt to a medium microwave safe dish.

2: Microwave for 1 ½ minutes then whisk vigorously until smooth. Microwave an additional 30 seconds if needed.

up close of easy caramel apple pie with streusel topping drizzled with salted caramel

Mini Apple Pies Recipe Tips

Grease the muffin tin well: If you don’t have cooking spray with flour, then you’ll need to butter and flour the tin.
To Easily Shape Crusts: Dip your fingertips in flour before pressing the dough into the cups—this makes the dough super easy to work and keeps your fingers from sticking.
Flatten Poufy Dough: After par-baking the sugar cookie crusts, you may need to them down with the back of a tablespoon if they are still puffed up after baking for 15 minutes. I use a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop.
Use a Food Processor-Or Don’t. I love making my streusels in my food processor because it literally takes less than 2 minutes and no elbow grease, but if you don’t have a food processor you can cut your butter into the dry ingredients by hand then stir in chopped pecans.
Incorporate all the Butter in the Streusel: If you have a couple stubborn pieces of butter that are not quite mixed in, remove the blade from the food processor and mix them in with your fingertips.
Microwave the Caramel Drizzle: I don’t recommend trying to make the drizzle on the stovetop because the caramels easily scorch.
Drizzle Just Before Serving: Otherwise, the streusel will get soggy.

up close of caramel apple pie with streusel topping with ice cream and caramel dripping down the side

DOES CARAMEL APPLE PIE NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?

These individual apple pies will be completely cooked so they don’t need to be refrigerated. Store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.

Apple Caramel Pie FAQs

How do you keep the bottom of an apple pie from getting soggy?

To prevent the bottom of your apple pie from getting soggy, start by cooking the apple filling first. This helps remove excess moisture and allows the flavors to deepen without soaking the crust. Additionally, par-bake the crust lightly before adding the filling, which creates a firmer base that can better withstand the juicy apple mixture.

Let the filling cool slightly before adding it to the crust to avoid excess steam softening the base. Be sure not to overfill the pies, as this can release too much juice and make the crust soggy. Finally, allow the pies to cool before removing them from the pan, as this helps the crust set and maintain its structure.

What kind of apples are best for apple pie?

Granny Smith apples are often considered the best for pie due to their firm texture and tart flavor. Their firmness allows them to hold their shape while baking, preventing them from becoming mushy and ensuring a satisfying bite. The tartness of Granny Smith apples also balances out the sweetness of the pie filling, creating a more complex, flavorful pie. Additionally, their acidity helps to cut through the richness of other pie ingredients, like butter and sugar, providing a refreshing contrast.

up close of salted caramel apple pie with ice cream and salted caramel with a bite taken out of it

Looking for More Thanksgiving Dessert REcipes?

S’mores Pie
Apple Pie
Pecan Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Pumpkin Pie

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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

Total Time: 45

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

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Ingredients

Crust

1 16 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough

Filling

3 1/2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2-1”) Granny Smith apples ( 4-5 apples)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 tsp EACH salt, ground ginger, ground nutmeg
6 soft caramels like Kraft

Streusel

1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into pieces

Caramel Drizzle (Optional)

10 soft caramels
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray with FLOUR or grease and flour your pan.
Cut cookie dough into 12 even slices and press into the bottom and up the sides of prepared muffin cups.* Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven.

Filling

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Add caramels and continue to cook until caramels are completely melted and apples are tender, about 3 additional minutes. Remove from heat.

Streusel

While the apples are cooking, add pecans flour, sugar, and cinnamon and pulse until pecans are mostly chopped. Sprinkle cold butter over top and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. (You may also combine in a bowl and cut butter in by hand).

Assemble

Remove filling using a slotted spoon and evenly divide it between sugar cookie crusts (about 1 ½ tablespoons each). You may need to press cookie crust down with the back of a tablespoon if they are still puffed up. Top each pie with 1 tablespoon streusesl and push into pie. Top evenly with remaining streusel (leave loose). Bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until crusts and streusel are golden.
Cool COMPLETELY before removing from muffin tin or they will fall apart. When cooled, run a sharp knife along the edge of each pie before gently removing.

Caramel Drizzle (optional)

Add caramels, heavy cream and salt to a medium microwave safe dish. Microwave for 1 ½ minutes then whisk vigorously until smooth. Microwave an additional 30 seconds if needed. Drizzle over pies just before serving – NOT BEFORE or the streusel will get soggy.

Serve

If you love warm apple pie, then microwave for a few seconds before servings but honestly, these Mini Caramel Apple Pies area so good just as they are! Drizzle Caramel Apple pies with Caramel (optional).

Video

Notes

*TIP: I dip my fingertips in flour before I press the dough into the cups – this makes the dough super easy to work and keeps your fingers from sticking to the dough.

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24 Comments

2pots2cook says

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Perfect ingredients lead to perfect result 🙂

- Jen says
  
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  yessss! And you will love these results!
  
Rhonda says

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Wondering if you have nutrition nformation breakdown on your recipes. Even approximates would help.Looking at Mini Caramel Apple Pies and winter Fruit Salad.

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Rhonda, you can calculate all nutritional info at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator enjoy!
  
Nancy Maloy says

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I made the Mini Caramel Apple Pies last night. I did grease and flour the pan well and cooled over night. I didn’t have any problems removing from the cupcake pan. Of course we did a taste test just to make sure they were as good as they looked lol….delicious…will be putting caramel sauce and ice cream on theses babies for dessert tonight. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Nancy, thanks for taking the time to comment! I’m so pleased they easily came out of the pan and were as good as they looked 🙂 I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
  
Anne-Louise Hill says

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Once again another successful dessert
I did cut out or decreased some of the sugar and it remained absolutely delicious.
Thanks again for your inspiring recipes.
I was amazed at how easy they came out of the tins.
I’m a forever fan and recommend your site to all my patients.

- Jen says
  
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  Thank you so much Anne-Louise Hill, I’m so pleased it was a hit! Thank you for making my recipes and recommending them!
  
Sarah Standerfer says

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I have made these once and they were absolutely delicious but my sugar cookie crusts were a little crumbly. I was wondering at what temp and how long did everyone cook the crusts? Thanks again for the great recipe.

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Sara, I bake the crust according to the recipe directions but it is possible your oven runs hot so maybe try a few minutes less. I hope that does the trick!
  
Cindy says

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Did you use a mini muffin tin or regular size?

- Jen says
  
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  Regular size. Enjoy!
  
Kathy says

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Hi wondering if you know if you can premake these and freeze them? TIA

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Kathy, I haven’t personally tried it but in theory you should be able to freeze the cookie crust and filling separately (don’t assemble or they will become mushy). When freezing, make sure all the elements cool completely and that the apples still have a little bite to them. Good luck!
  
Pia Espinosa says

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Hi! I’ve made these a few times and such a hit. I’d like to make this and your mini pumpkin cheesecakes, so wondering if I could make this in a regular size pie baking dish?

- Jen says
  
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  I’m so happy to hear these are a hit and I’m excited you’re making the mini pumpkin cheesecake this year – so good!! I honestly have never made this in a regular baking dish, but in theory it should work great. Good luck!
  
Morgan says

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SO yummy! This recipe was very to easy to follow and everything about it is perfect. My family loved this dessert. . I made some maple pumpkin spice whip cream to put on top, and It was a real showstopper. Thanks so much for creating this recipe and sharing it!

- Jen says
  
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  I am LOVING the idea of maple pumpkin spice whipped cream paired with these apple pies – yum! I’m so these pies were such a hit! Happy Thanksgiving!
  
Denise A Thompson says

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Could you use cupcake liners for these instead of greasing and flouring?

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Denise, you can still use cupcake liners but I would grease them with a nonstick cooking spray with flour.
  
Amy says

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I brought these to party last month and they were such a hit! Making them again this week, and I’m wondering if it’s possible to freeze them?

- Jen says
  
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  I’m so happy to hear that! And yes, freezing them should work just fine!
  
Sue says

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I made these last night for dessert and they were amazing! I left out the caramel because most of my family does not love caramel (I know, I know, they’re crazy!) but they were still amazing! I too do not care for pie crust, but the sugar cookie crust was perfect! How do you think the sugar cookie crust would do as a crust for a whole pie?

- Jen says
  
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  Thank you for such a wonderful comment, Sue! I so appreciate it! That means more caramel for you, right? 🙂 The sugar cookie crust should be ok for a whole pie! Just press into a greased pie dish and bake 12-15 minutes. Happy baking!