Apple-Praline Pie

This apple pie gets a Southern makeover with a buttery brown sugar and pecan praline tucked both inside and on top. You get the classic tart-sweet apple slices, plus deep caramel notes from two separate praline layers that melt into the fruit as it bakes.

Tart Granny Smith apples are the right call here because the filling is genuinely sweet between the corn syrup, sugar, and brown sugar praline. Softer apples would collapse into applesauce, Grannies hold their slice and balance all that richness with bright acidity.

Cookie-cutter shapes in the top crust do double duty: they look pretty and they let steam escape so the filling doesn’t bubble over. The final dollop of praline mixture over the baked top crust is what gives the finished pie its glossy, caramelized crown.

Chef Tips

• Toss the apple slices with the lemon zest and a squeeze of juice before layering. A little acid keeps the apples bright and prevents browning as you build the pie.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet. Praline fillings bubble up and drip, and a sheet saves you from a burnt oven floor.
• Let it cool completely before slicing. Warm pie slices collapse and run, a fully cooled pie cuts clean and holds its shape.

Variations

• Swap pecans for walnuts or a mix of both for a different nutty profile.
• Use half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp for a slightly sweeter, more complex apple flavor.
• Drizzle finished pie with salted caramel sauce before serving for extra decadence.