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Made with shortcrust pastry and spiced apple compote and dipped in homemade caramel and crunchy salted peanuts, these caramel apple pie pops are like apple pie, on a stick!
Why Do I Love These Caramel Apple Pie Pops?
I’m an unabashed lover of all things caramel. Caramel blondies, caramel candies, caramel cookies, caramel sauce…give me aaaallll of the caramel, all of the time.
I also enjoy the combination of caramel and apples (see also: these caramel apple lollipops, or my chewy apple cider caramels), especially as the seasons begin to change. As the crisp autumn air rolls in, I’m ready to embrace all things caramel apple, and these apple pie lollipops are no exception.
These handheld fruit pies are great for autumn gatherings, offering a fun way to enjoy a classic slice of Americana, on the go. The combination of buttery shortcrust pastry, homemade spiced apple compote, chewy caramel, and salty, crunchy peanuts reminds me of a September afternoon at the York State Fair, where peanut-covered caramel apples were never in short supply.
Ingredients for Making Apple Pie Pops
To make these apple pie lollipops, you’ll need the ingredients for three separate components—the apple filling, the pie crusts, and the caramel coating. Begin by gathering the following:
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- Granny Smith apples – You’ll need 1-2 apples, or about 2 cups of diced apple pieces. I prefer a tart apple like Granny Smith to balance the caramel.
- Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar dds sweetness to the apple compote, and forms the base for the chewy caramel.
- Unsalted butter – You’ll need butter for the compote, as well as the caramel.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg make these apple pies taste just like fall.
- Cornflour (cornstarch) – Cornflour thickens the compote ever so slightly, so it’s scoopable rather than runny.
- Shortcrust pastry – Or pie crust. You’ll need one sheet, about 10 x 14 inches in size. If using a frozen crust, thaw it according to the package directions before getting started.
- Egg – A thin coat of lightly beaten egg gives these apple pie pops their golden brown color.
- Whipping cream – Or heavy cream, if you’re in the US. The addition of whipping cream makes the caramel ultra-smooth and, well, creamy!
- Corn syrup – Light corn syrup or liquid glucose helps to prevent the caramel from crystallizing.
- Crushed salted peanuts – I like peanuts because they remind me of a classic caramel apple, but feel free to omit these to make your pies allergy-friendly. You can also substitute another crushed nut, or dip the pops in rainbow sprinkles instead.
How to Make Apple Pie Lollipops
These apple pie pops include three separate components: a spiced apple compote filling, a flaky pie crust, and a chewy caramel coating.
To make apple pie lollipops, start by making the apple filling. Stir together diced green apples, sugar, butter, and spices, then simmer the mixture over low heat until the apples break down and begin to turn mushy. Once it’s done, set the compote aside to cool while you prepare the other components—if you spoon hot apples over cold pastry, it will melt.
Next, unroll the shortcrust pastry on a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured countertop, then cut 16 discs with a round metal cutter. Arrange half of the discs on a tray, place a popsicle stick on top of each disc, then spoon the apple filling on top. Egg wash the edges, top with another pastry disc, and crimp with a fork. Apply a coating of egg wash, then bake until the apple pies are deeply golden brown.
Preparing the Homemade Caramel
To make the caramel, warm the cream and butter over low heat. At the same time, cook the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a separate pan until it resembles honey (about 365° F / 185° C on a candy thermometer). Then, pour the warm cream into the caramelized sugar mixture and cook again, this time to 244-245° F, or about 118° C.
Then comes the fun part! Working quickly, tilt the pan and dunk the tops of each pie in the caramel sauce, and sprinkle with crushed salted peanuts to finish.
A few tips for making caramel: First, do not attempt this recipe without a candy thermometer. Too hot, and you’ll make toffee or brittle. Not hot enough, and you’ll make caramel sauce. You’re aiming for a caramel firm enough to hold its shape, yet soft enough to chew easily.
And second, choose a good, heavy-bottomed saucepan so that the caramel cooks evenly. Do not use a nonstick pan. And use a pan slightly bigger than you think you’ll need—the caramel will burble and bubble when you pour in the cream!
Special Tools and Equipment
To make these apple pie lollipops, you will need a few special items:
- Wooden lollipop sticks – You’ll need to use wooden sticks (like these) for this recipe, rather than paper, which will burn in the oven.
- Candy thermometer – As mentioned above, a digital candy thermometer is a must for making the caramel portion of this recipe. I like this one, but any good-quality candy thermometer will work.
- Silicone mat – You’ll need a large silicone baking mat for lining the countertop. I find silicone easiest to work with, but if you don’t have a silicone mat, line your counter with baking parchment instead. Do not use wax paper—it will stick to the caramel.
- Pastry brush – For applying the egg wash. Choose a pastry brush with natural bristles, rather than silicone.
- Rolling mat, and rolling pin – You’ll need a rolling mat and rolling pin for preparing the shortcrust pastry.
- Round metal cutter – You’ll need a 3-inch round metal cutter to cut the pie crust into evenly-sized circles.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
These caramel apple pie pops taste best on the day they are made. Store leftover apple pie lollipops in an airtight container at room temperature, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, for up to two days.
You can make the apple compote up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the pies.
Other caramel apple recipes you might enjoy:
Caramel Apple Lollipops
Sea Salt Apple Cider Caramels
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Caramel Apple Hand Pies
- Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
- Yield: 8 3-inch round pies 1x
Description
Made with shortcrust pastry and spiced apple compote and dipped in homemade caramel and crushed peanuts, these caramel apple pie pops are like apple pie, on a stick!
Ingredients
Apple filling:
175–200 grams diced Granny Smith apples (1 large or 2 medium apples, or about 2 cups diced apples)
55 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
15 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 grams cornflour/cornstarch (2 teaspoons)
Hand pies:
1 sheet store-bought shortcrust pastry or pie crust (each roughly 10 x 14 inches in size)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Caramel:
60 milliliters whipping cream (1/4 cup)
15 grams unsalted butter (1 tablespoon)
70 grams granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
15 milliliters water (1 tablespoon)
20 grams light corn syrup, or liquid glucose (1 tablespoon)
Crushed salted peanuts, to decorate (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F / 205° C. Line a rimmed half-sheet baking tray with parchment, and set aside until ready to use.
Apple filling:
In a medium saucepan, stir together the diced apples, sugar, butter, and spices. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until apples soften and start to break down.
Remove from heat and stir in the cornflour/cornstarch.
Transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool, at least 30 minutes.
Apple Pies:
On a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured countertop, unroll one sheet of shortcrust pastry.
With a 3-inch round cutter, cut the pastry into discs. Re-roll the scraps and cut the remaining discs. When finished, you should have 16 discs total.
Arrange half of the discs on the prepared tray, allowing room to add the sticks.
Place a popsicle stick on top of each disc, pressing down gently to make sure it stays in place.
Spoon apple filling on top of the discs, allowing a half-inch border around the outside edge. Use the apples only, and discard any juices left in the bottom of the bowl.
With a pastry brush, lightly brush beaten egg around the edges of each disc.
Top with a second disc of pastry.
Use your fingertips to seal the edges, then crimp with a fork.
With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the discs with beaten egg.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
While pies cool, prepare the caramel topping.
Caramel Topping:
Line a large tray with a silicone mat.
In a small saucepan, warm cream and butter over low heat. (Do not boil.)
In a separate pan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring, brushing down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush as needed.
Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a medium caramel color (about 365° F / 185° C on a candy thermometer; your mixture should resemble honey.)
Remove pan from heat and pour warm cream mixture into the caramelized sugar mixture, then wait for a moment until the bubbles subside.
Return pan to medium-low heat and cook mixture to approximately 244-245° F / 118° C.
Remove from heat. Tilt the pan and quickly dip the top half of each pie in the caramel. Transfer to prepared tray and sprinkle with the crushed peanuts.
Set aside to cool until caramel sets.
Serve immediately. Store leftover pops in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment, for up to two days.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
- Category: Turnovers and Hand Pies
- Method: Oven + Stovetop