Fall season is here and homemade apple pie is a must. I love classic apple pie all year round, but it is a must for my Thanksgiving table as well.

One of the easiest ways to streamline your Thanksgiving dessert prep is to make as much of your meal in advance as possible. I make my stuffing, green bean casserole, and au gratin cauliflower ahead of time and then bake on Thanksgiving Day.

In terms of desserts, I make all my pie dough early in the week as well as prep any fillings or toppings to make pie making a breeze. Prepping Caramel Apple Pie Filling a few days before Thanksgiving is the perfect make-ahead step for a variety of delicious fall desserts.

Ingredients needed for this Caramel Apple Pie Filling Recipe:

• Apples
• Brown Sugar
• All purpose flour
• Vanilla
• Heavy Cream
• Lemon Juice
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Supplies needed:

• Large Bowl
• Dutch oven or large saucepan
• Supplies needed for Pie:
• Rolling Pin
• Plastic Wrap
• Aluminum Foil
• Pie Pan

The Process:

Add apples to a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients and stir them together toss to combine, Drizzle in the cream, vanilla and toss. Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven and then add apple mixture. Cook over medium-low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Apples should be soft but not fully cooked, (with a touch of crispness.)

At this point you can store your filling in mason jars or another heat-safe container and store in the fridge for up to a week before using.

To Make The Pie:

Start with homemade pie crust. Roll out your bottom crust and drape it over your pie dish. If making a crumb topped pie, I recommend par-baking the crust with pie weights. (A great post on that here.) If you are using a top crust or lattice crust, you can add the filling and drape the crust on top of the pie. Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to trim the edge of the crust and crimp as desired. Brush your top crust with egg white or heavy cream for an extra golden brown crust.

Bake your pie at 400 degrees F for about 45-55 minutes, until the flaky crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Serve warm or room temperature with salted caramel sauce and ice cream!

What are the best apples are best to use with this recipe:

In general when it comes to apple recipes, a variety of apples is best. However I also think you can use what you have and most tart apples work just fine. We had recently picked a lot of apples so I had some honey crisp and gala for this recipe. Granny Smith apples are always a safe bet too!

Ways to use Homemade Caramel Apple Pie Filling Recipe:

• Dutch Apple Pie:  My Caramel Dutch Apple Pie is the perfect use for this filling. You can make the topping ahead of time too!
• Traditional Apple Pie: This Easy Caramel Apple Pie is a double crust pie that is more classic. Adding this filling to the pie would be perfect.
• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp: Not in the mood to make a crust? This crisp couldn’t be easier. Just toss the filling into a pie plate and add a crumb topping.
• Apple Pie Sundae: You can also making an amazing dessert by adding this apple mixture to a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with homemade caramel sauce.

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