How to Turn an Apple into a Mini Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Ahh, apple pie. Childhood. Warmth. Love. America.

Making the dough from scratch, rolling it out, putting it in a pie dish, weaving a perfect lattice crust just like our ancestors did in their olden-timey cabins. Kind of quaint, right?

Forget that. It’s 2018, and we have DVRs to catch up on. That’s where we come in. This pie is so easy, you will be basking in its riches in 30 minutes flat.

Here’s the secret: Make your pie in the apple. Yep, just hollow out the core, sauté it up in brown sugar and butter, add it back in to the apple, and wrap it all up in (store-bought) pie dough. We topped ours off with pecans, because pecan pie is also awesome and who says we can’t have it all?

Best of all? It’s an individual portion, so no sharing is involved.

Watch how we make it in the video above, then follow the recipe below to make it happen in your own kitchen. And if you’re hungry for more food hacks, we’ve got you covered.

Apple Pie Inside of an Apple Recipe

Serves 2

2 Granny Smith apples
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tbsp. butter, divided
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. finely chopped pecans
2 9-inch store-bought refrigerated pie crusts
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut off the tops of the apples (do not discard) and hollow out the core with a spoon, leaving the bottom in tact. Dice the top of the apple around the stems.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add brown sugar, 2 tbsp. butter, salt, cinnamon, and diced apples. Cook, swirling occasionally, until it bubbles rapidly and caramel forms, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3. Unroll the pie crusts and place the hollowed out apples on top. Cut a circle, leaving about a 1½-in. border around the apples. (There will be lots of leftover dough — you can form it into a ball, transfer to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze and then roll it out for a future pie.)

4. Pour the caramel mixture into the apples and top with pecans. Fold the dough over the apples, pleating to make a circle. Brush the dough with butter and sprinkle the top with sugar to coat.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned. (Check it at 20 and if it looks nicely browned, take it out. If it overbakes it can fall apart.) Remove from oven and serve with vanilla ice cream.