These apple pie stacks make apple pie quick and easy! The recipe uses a shortcut method that includes cutting a crust into shards, baking it, and stacking apple pie filling on top with vanilla ice cream. But the best part of the recipe is the salted caramel sauce that makes the filling delicious!
Shortcut Crust for Apple Pie Stacks
One task that takes a long time for apple pie making is the lengthy baking time. But not anymore! This recipe uses a store-bought boxed crust (or you can make your favorite crust) cut into pie-shaped shards and baked in minutes. The unique way this pie is made ensures there is no soggy crust!
Prepare the Crust with this Shortcut
Cut the crust into at least 12 pie shapes or more if you want smaller pieces for garnish. (There is no need to spread out the crust cuts because they shrink when cooked and will naturally separate.) Then add extra flavor to the crust by brushing it with melted butter and a sprinkling of coarse sugar.
Easy to Make Caramel Sauce
The caramel sauce is the secret ingredient for this recipe! And it is so easy to make salted caramel that you will want to use it for other recipes. It has six ingredients and cooks in only one minute.
Apple Pie Filling Shortcut
After the caramel is made, start the pie filling. Use a mixture of your favorite tart and sweet apples, such as Granny Smith and Gala. First, peel and cut the apples into thin slices and then toss them with lemon juice to enhance their flavor.
Cook the Apples
It only takes about 5 minutes to cook the apples–cooking in a skillet gives the apples and cider a larger cooking surface which means they cook quickly. Then add apple cider and cook the apples until most of the cider evaporates. The cider residue will sweeten and intensify the flavor of the apples.
Assembling the Apple Pie Stacks
This recipe makes enough for 6 dessert plates of apple pie stacks. Make the dessert by placing two pie crust pieces on a dessert plate. If you cut more than 12 pie pieces in the crust, use some to garnish the ice cream. (This dessert makes 6 servings, so divide the crust pieces by 6 to determine how many you can place on each plate.)
Then add a heaping spoonful or 1/6 of the apple filling to the crust pieces on the plate. Top the stack with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and add any extra cut crust pieces as garnish. Enjoy!
Other Apple Recipes You Might Enjoy
Here are some other apple recipes you might enjoy:
- Apple Cider Cupcakes
- Apple Cider Doughnuts
- Grated Apple Pie
- Cinnamon Apple Moscow Mule
- Apple Dumplings
- Salted Caramel Apple Bars
Easy to Make Apple Pie Stacks
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 round pie crust (premade) (or 1 crust from your favorite recipe)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Caramel Sauce
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup cream (heavy or whipping)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, fine grind
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Apples
- 3 medium tart apples, peeled (such as Granny Smith)
- 3 medium sweet apples, peeled (such as gala)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup apple cider (or apple juice)
Extras
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet.
- Unroll the dough and place it on the baking sheet. Cut the dough into at least 12 pie pieces. You can cut more if you would like smaller pieces. Do not separate them. They will shrink during baking and separate.
- Brush the dough with melted butter and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Caramel Sauce
- Combine the sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan, bringing it to a boil over medium heat, stirring the entire time. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream, salt, and vanilla. Set aside.
Apples
- Peel and thinly slice the apples and toss them with lemon juice.
- Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet using medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, and salt. Saute for 3 or 4 minutes or until the apples soften. Add the cider and simmer until most of the cider evaporates. Add the caramel sauce and stir.
- To assemble the dessert, place 2 pie-crust shards onto a plate. Place 1/6 of the apple pie filling on top. Add a scoop of ice cream. (If you cut more than 12 pie pieces, use any extra for topping the ice cream scoop.) Serve immediately.