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Summer Kick Off Giveaway – May 20, 2013
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Slow Cooker Recipe
Apple Caramel Pie
They say you learn something new everyday. Well, today a lot of us here at the office learned that you can bake a pie in the slow cooker.
We wanted to make something comforting – something as comforting as baseball and apple pie. And then it hit us, why not make that apple pie in the slow cooker?
We felt brave and experimental and the Apple Caramel Pie turned out fabulous! The staff at The Good Cooking Store couldn’t stop raving about the light crust and soft taste of caramel in each bite. (Of course we all added big scoops of vanilla ice cream to top it off.)
So here’s to learning something new everyday and good ol’ apple pie.
Apple Caramel Pie
Fix-It and Forget-It Revised & Updated, page 248
Makes 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4- to 5-qt.
Ingredients:
2-crust refrigerated pie dough pkg.
2 22-oz. cans apple pie filling
1 tsp. cinnamon
12 caramel candies
1. Press one crust into half the bottom of a cold slow cooker, and an inch or so up half its interior side. Overlap by ¼ inch the second crust with the first crust in center of slow cooker bottom. Press remainder of second crust an inch or so up the remaining side of the cooker. Press seams flat where two crusts meet.
***Update***
We realized that it might be helpful to include a photo of the two pie crusts placed in the slow cooker. Here’s what it looks like when both crusts have been pressed into the slow cooker following the directions above.
2. Cover. Cook on High 1½ hours.
3. In a bowl, mix together pie filling, cinnamon, and caramels.
4. Pour mixture into hot crust.
5. Cover. Cook on High an additional 1½ hours.
Tip: When we made this decadent pie, we had to overlap the crusts by more then ¼ inch on the bottom of the slow cooker. The crust was still large enough to move up more then an inch of the interior side. Because of this, we baked the pie for 1½ hours on low in Step 5. As we mentioned, it turned out deee-licious!
I love these cook books, they are the very best you can find.
I can’t understand how the pie crusts are put in the cooker?? Is there a pic you could provide? The directions don’t make any sense to me.
> Margi, visually divide the slow cooker into two parts (like half a moon). Place the crust on one half of the bottom – with about a 1/4 inch on the other half. Then place the 2nd crust on the bottom of the other half – with about 1/4 inch on the other side so that the two halves overlap.
I hope that makes sense.
Hi Margi! Thanks for asking. We’ve added a picture that shows the process of Step 1. Hope this helps!
> Margie, essentially what you are doing is using two pie crusts to make one… joining them at the center by overlapping and pressing down the seam. They are using the big oval slow cookers. ( It didn’t make sense to me either at first.
I have one of the older round and deep crock pots and I think one pie crust will work for me. Of course, I will have to cut the filling in half so the pie won’t be so thick.
Easier to make a pie the reg. way.
Except when you don’t have an oven.>
> This would be a great way to make a desert while on vacation or in the summer when it’s too hot to bake.
What kind/how big are the caramels, are they melted first or mixed in whole?
Margi, in step 3, we mixed the caramels whole. They melt nicely in the slow cooker.
I don’t understand the crust directions, either.
Hi Anita, Thanks for your question. We’ve added a photo after that step which should answer your question. Thanks!
Confusing with the crust imstruction, cannot visualize how to do it.
Hi Kelly! Thanks for your question. We added a picture to the blog to show how to place the crust in the slow cooker.
Love your cookbook!! Haven’t tried this one yet, but plan on it soon.
In your tip, you say ‘because of this we baked the pie for 1 1/2 hr on low in Step 5.’ Did this turn out better than doing it for the 1 1/2 hr on high?
yes, please clarify!
Hi Nancy! We loved how our pie turned out when we baked it on low for 1 1/2 hours! It was baked through, soft, and full of flavor! We suggest keeping an eye on your pie so it’s made according to your preference. Happy baking!
Regarding the pie crust placement, if you are looking at the bottom of the slow cooker, the first one goes into the bottom and covers half the bottom and them up the sides, and the second overlaps the the other and goes up the other side. I think that is how they meant to say it.
A picture of the crust instruction would have been very helpful…..
Hi Kevin! Thanks for the suggestion! We added a picture to Step 1 to show the process.
@Margie: I think they mean that one pie crust probably isn’t enough to completely cover the bottom of your slow cooker (which may be considerably larger than a pie pan!). The crust needs to cover the bottom and come up the sides a little, just like you would lay it in a pie pan. I think a single pie crust is meant to cover only half of the bottom of your slow cooker.
The second pie crust is meant to meet the first pie crust in the middle of the bottom of your slow cooker. My cooker is circular-shaped, is a couple more inches in diameter than a regular pie pan…and I’m thinking if I folded a pie crust in half to make a half-circle shape, and then pressed it flat along the bottom, then two pie crusts would nicely cover the bottom of my cooker while allowing the crust to go up the sides a little so as to hold the pie filling. This pie won’t have a top crust, like a regular apple pie.
I like this recipe; I’m going to try making it this weekend.
Crust instructions, as I understand them…you put one of your pie crust on the left half of your slow cooker making sure you place it so an inch of it goes up the sides and at least 1/4″ of it lays beyond the middle of the slow cooker. Then you are going to repeat the same process with the second pie crust only on the right side of the cooker. You have to make sure 1/4″ of the crust lays beyond the middle of the cooker because that is where the two crust are going to meet. You press them down together in the center to make them one crust.
Hope this helps.
*than
I wonder if you can use a smaller cooker and just one can of apple pie filling and one crust completely covering the bottom and some of the sides. We don’t need that much apple pie sitting around for me to eat while hubby is at work. I think I’ll still use 12 caramels though
I don’t really understand either how 2 rounds can overlap each other by 1/4″ in the center. Won’t you still be left with part of the slow cooker uncovered? Also, I have an oval one… I wonder how I would arrange the crusts?
Hi Lisa! Take another look at the blog. We updated it with a picture to show how the crust fits in the slow cooker. Thanks for asking!
Could this also work with any other pie filling? I think it would make a great Blackberry pie!
my question is just like Margi’s….what about the carmels…what type did they use? are they melted or thrown in whole? so many problems for such an easy recipe…lol sorry
Hi Elaine! We used caramels found in the candy aisle of our local grocery store. Add them whole and they will melt nicely over the pie (and make it absolutely wonderful!)
I don’t know about anyone else but what don’t yu people understand about this rrcipe? Just follow the directions they r easy!
Yes, it does seem to be a little confusing but I agree with Shari. Her directions seem to be the best explained. I also would like to know about the caramel. It seems that they are placed in cold since they have to melt into the recipe? Does sound good though, I have to try this one.
Thanks for the picture. Will be making this as a blackberry pie tonight.
Does the dough brown?????? I love a good crust on pies.
Slow cooker or oven…….. this recipe looks so easy and yummy. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for the pic of the crusts, now I get it. I was envisioning a round crock pot and wonder if that will work, seems like the crusts would overlap a lot in a round one and someone mentioned only using one crust and half the mixture. Will give this a try!
So are you saying cook the crust on HIGH 1 1/2 hours then add the filling and cook on LOW (instead of high) 1 1/2 hours?
Hi, when it is done, do you just scoop out what you want or do you take out the whole thing and put it in a dish?
Hi Debbie! Thanks for your question! We acutally did both! We cut out a slice from the slow cooker so that it looked like a slice of pie on a plate. We also simply scooped some pie into a bowl and added ice cream. Choose whichever method you prefer!
Yes, Carolynne. You cook the pie crust 1 1/2 hours on high, then add filling, and bake 1 1/2 hours more on low.
Your pictures show this made in an oval crock… what if we have a round one? Not sure how I would over lap the crusts, or if I would need to… And, if I only need one crust for the bottom, could I add the other crust on top? How would the cooking instructions change for that? (I have 2 crocks… one is round, wider and shorter; the other is round, narrower and taller – both are 6 qt) Thanks! Sounds delish with the caramels!
Hi Lauren! The shape of your slow cooker does not matter. Still take time to overlay your crusts on the bottom of the slow cooker so that the pie filling does not leak through the bottom.
We have never tried putting a crust on top of the pie. Because the slow cooker does not produce heat from the top (as the oven does) we don’t think the top crust would bake completely. If you would like to give it a try, keep a close eye on the top crust to make sure it is baked thoroughly. Be aware that the cooking time may need adjusted.
Oh my gosh this looks good. Looks like I will have to put up some apple pie filling this fall!
Sounds awesome and your instructions and pic is easy to understand! Can’t wait to fix this one! Add some whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream . . .Yum!
I think it would be over the top to use fresh apples. I wonder if anyone has tried this?
At one hour and 10 minutes I smelled my pie crust burning… Confirmed my thought that my current cooker is too hot….
found the instructions very easy to do. and the pie turned out great…dont like turning on the oven when its hot out and this recipe worked out wonderfully! how hard is it to open cans of pie filling, unwrap caramels and add cinnamon? i also added some craisins and walnuts and it turned out great..no leftovers! thanks for the information..next time gonna try canned peaches with some cornstarch to thicken..
This looks and sounds delicious. I have bought your cookbooks and love the recipes, especially in the summer when it’s too hot to turn on the stove. I just fix one of your recipes in the crock pot and forget it. It’s wonderful, and everything I’ve fixed, my husband has loved. Can’t wait to try the chicken cordon bleu with the apple pie recipe, although I will use other fruits also. Keep up the good work. Love the books.
I think this would be great with a cookie crust. Hubby doesn’t like pie crust, so many recipes are made with a sugar cookie crust or a graham one at our house. Any idea how a cookie crust would fare instead of a pie crust if I tried that?
or-adding some red hot candies for a little extra spice might be good too! I am gonna have to try this one- yummm!>
Do you put nonstick spray in before the pie crust? If not, is it easy to clean?
Hi Bobbi! We did not spray our slow cooker before making the pie. If you’re concerned about the clean-up process, spray your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray first. We love using our Cuisipro refillable spray pump. We put vegetable oil in our pump to spray our slow cooker. For more information on this kitchen gadget, contact The Good Cooking Store toll-free at 877-525-7745. Thanks for asking!
I’m trying this now…. my crock pot must be a lot smaller than yours, as I can only fit 1 crust in it, and it’s half way up the sides. Almost an hour into it, the sides slid down and I have a big blob of pie crust in the bottom.
Can you please clear up the last step? Do you cook it on high for 1 1/2 hours, or on low for 1 1/2 hours? The recipe says high, but your comments say low.
> Ok, I figured it out. It turned out ok. I put one in the oven as a backup, but the crockpot version tasted better! I cooked it on low for the last 1 1/2 hours as stated in the comments.
Hi Lisa M! Our pie came out the best when we cooked it on High for 1 1/2 hours in step 2. Then we cooked it on Low for 1 1/2 hours in step 5. Thanks for asking!
Can fresh apples be used? I never use canned apples.
Sounds great I can’t wait to try it. The directions didn’t give me any problems to understand at all. I just read thru every post and anything I wondered about was asked and answered in complete detail. Thanks
I think I might try this on our next camping trip! Looks SO easy and RV ovens are so hard to deal with. The crockpot would made that a snap!
I’d also like the clarification regarding ‘prepping’ the crockpot for the pie shell – is Pam ok, or should butter be used? I tried Pam on another crockpot apple cake, where butter had been advised, and the whole outside got burnt. Any help would be great!
Hi Rici! We did not spray our slow cooker before making the pie. If you would like to prep your slow cooker, we suggest a non-stick cooking spray. We love using our Cuisipro refillable spray pump. We put vegetable oil in our pump to spray our slow cooker. For more information on this kitchen gadget, contact The Good Cooking Store toll-free at 877-525-7745. Happy slow cooking!
You have no short form for a print out on the slow cooker for the apple pie?
Jim
How do you get the pie out of the slow cooker without breaking it?
Was wondering if I lined the crock pot with either an approved plastic liner or non stick tin foil could I lift the pie out for serving on the table. Your thoughts please because I’d hate to waste something that sounds soooo very good. The 64 year old male cooking novice but trying.
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Going to try this receipe next week for a church dinner. I am going to make my own apple pie filling from scrath with some very nice apples from the Amish vegetable stand, will let you know how it turned out, If it all goes at the dinner I gues even my fresh apples instead of the apple pie filling in a can worked. This sounds yummy and cant’t waite to fix it.
I made this recipe yesterday and used the name-brand refrigerated pie dough. That stuff tasted and smelled like poison! Has anyone tried this recipe using a home-made crust?
When I went to put the crust into a 5-1/2 quart slow cooker, one crust almost was enough, so they overlapped by a large margin, with plenty going up the sides to accommodate the filling. I’m thinking that using only one crust in a 3-quart Crock Pot should be fine – and reducing by half the remaining ingredients.
This is my second time making this recipe! The first time I made it was in the summer, and it was nice to have fresh baked pie in the summer without my house feeling hot afterward. My whole family, including my mother-in-law, loved this pie! I am making it this year for our New Year’s Eve dessert! My kids are so excited to be having it again! They’ve put this on their “must have more often” list!
This is a VERY easy recipe!
This recipe looks absolutely easy and delicious! My hubby & I got a 6-quart slow cooker for Christmas, so I think this recipe will be fun and delicious and I will make it for our home church cell group
I just love this site and ALL the recipes and love sharing them on FB..Have a wonderful afternoon and night!