When it comes to Fall pies and capturing the essence of delicious Fall eats Danish apple pie with caramel pretzel crumb topping.
Delicious apples, enveloped in a cinnamon bun danish mixture, with soft caramel, throughout, topped off with a pretzel crumb topping.
Cinnamon Danish Apple Pie with Caramel Pretzel Crumb topping is the must-try recipe of this FALL season!
Whether you chose red apples or green apples for baking into this pie will really be a personal preference.
Fragrant wafting aromas of cinnamon, butter, and soft pretzels will fill your home.
There’s nothing like a fresh-baked pie.
Just in case you are already craving pies, make sure to try out my dutch crumb apple pie that is a very popular recipe.
There’s depth in taste with every bite inside this cinnamon danish apple pie.
In fact, the cinnamon Danish is inspired by Trader Joe’s.
As a Trader Joe self-proclaimed disciple, I often share their incredible products (and no they don’t pay me, but they should!).
Today’s episode of In The Kitchen With Dana offers up the best of Fall Desserts!
From the caramel to the apple, and the lightly crunchy pretzels, this recipe has sweet and salty covered from the top layer to the bottom!
Cinnamon Danish Apple Pie With Caramel Pretzel Crumb Topping
Honestly, I don’t know what part of this pie to tell you about first.
There’s a lot to it, but really there’s nothing to it.
Let me start with this, refrigerate any leftovers.
However, if I am being transparent, there won’t be any leftovers!
I Didn’t Use A Pie Pan – Call Me A Rebel Baker LOL!
Nope!
Instead, I used a cake pan, not a pie pan.
Yep, a stainless steel 9″ pan that I made a 12″ pie Crust for.
It’s the best thing I ever did!
With the pretzel caramel topping, you will be happy to have a deeper dish for your pie!
This means, yes you could use a deep pie dish, but, again, I did not.
In so many of my recipes, I use my favorite 360 bakeware.
Also, I can offer you the bakeware at 20% if you need new cake pans.
Grab my Soft Caramel Recipe Here and use it for ice cream and this recipe!
A Word About Xanthan Gum and Cinnamon Danish Apple Pie
I use Xanthan Gum in a lot of my cooking.
Do not use more than I suggest or you will have a very dry, thick mess.
For those that have not used it and want to buy it, you can get Xanthan Gum online, and sometimes it is cheaper than in the store (eyeroll) like this brand!
However, if you prefer not to use Xantham in your recipe you can eliminate it, your Danish batter may not be as thick as mine.
A little bit goes a long way, and after you mix it in, wait for about 2-3 minutes to see how it is setting up.
Don’t add more or you won’t be able to SPREAD this.
TIP For Pie Crust & Cinnamon Danish Apple Pie
If you prefer to use a purchased pie crust, go for it.
I am sharing my mom’s pie crust recipe, and it was her mom’s recipe (the baker whom I write about a lot so buckle up and get ready for the perfect crust).
The funny thing about their crust is that when I check out pie crust on the internet, a lot of people have the exact same recipe.
Maybe pie crust is just that basic or is it?
Here’s something you might want to know.
If you want to flavor the pie crust you can.
Do you remember that I made those Air Fried Pie Crust Snowmen?
However, if you make a pie crust I suggest using a round silicone baking mat to help you make the right size pie crust!
Plus when you go to flip it into the dish, it does not break!
It’s a Trader Joe’s Thing But…
Again, I love Trader Joe’s.
The employees are the best and I never lack for finding a product that I can incorporate into a meal differently.
So, if you are familiar with Cinnamon Bun Spread at Trader Joe’s then you will totally understand it’s depth.
In fact, I think you will already have dunked your apples in it, or maybe even carrots (oh, was that just me, sorry!).
If you don’t Shop at Trader Joe’s then grab the Cinnamon Bun Spread here.
It’s a seasonal item and you gotta grab it before it’s G-O-N-E.
Just in case you don’t get your hands on it, you can make cinnamon bun spread by adding some honey and more cinnamon.
Of course, you will want to add a little more butter as well.
But you can totally eliminate the ingredient and just add cinnamon to the danish mixture.
Last, use cinnamon butter but not too much (and this is where Xanthan Gum becomes your best friend!)
Here’s a piece right out of the oven, I know I should let it set, but I want you to see it at its most vulnerable moment!
I wasn’t going to show you this photo, because it blurred a bit, as I was running to grab a call in the midst.
However, you gotta see this, it’s so, well… yummy looking!
Caramel and Pretzel Crumb Topping
So, to be clear, the caramel (unless you place it on top as I did, see the black blotches) will burn.
However, I totally love that flavor in small doses, you may not.
Therefore (and here’s a secret twist) the caramel is atop the apples, not atop the pretzel.
Yep, your crumb topping starts as soon as the apples are placed.
To that end, try to make sure to scatter the crumb topping atop any exposed caramels.
See my caramels atop the little burned pieces, you may not enjoy that.
However, in my world, it’s like really toasted marshmallow, so I am into that taste, strange as it may be!
In order to do that, make crumb topping cover almost the entire surface.
For a really tasty treat, you could use flavored pretzels.
Just make sure to really make the pretzel bites small enough that you don’t cut the roof of your mouth when you bite.
That totally sucks, right?
Recipe for Cinnamon Danish Apple Pie With Carmel Pretzel Crumb Topping.
Cinnamon Danish Apple Pie With Caramel Pretzel Crumb Topping
Ingredients
- PIE CRUST - Store-bought of homemade
- Homemade Crust (not photo'd but here's my fast and fab recipe.
- 2 1/4 C Flour
- 3/4 C cold butter (sliced into pieces)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (you could use white sugar if you prefer)
- 3-6 Tbsp Water
- DANISH FILLING
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- Medium Egg
- 1 Tsp of Cinnamon
- 1/3 C Confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 2 Tsp Flour
- Trader Joe's Cinnamon Bun Spread (optional)
- 1/8 Tsp Xanthan Gum
- 2 Tablespoons of Soft Caramel (homemade or store-bought)
- APPLE FILLING
- 4 medium apples peeled and sliced thin
- Cinnamon for dusting tops of apples
- 2 Tsp of White Sugar
- PRETZEL TOPPING
- 3/4 C caramel bits (KRAFT in the baking aisle)
- 1/4 stick melted butter
- 1 C of pretzels smashed
- 8 more caramel bits (optional)
- 1/4 Brown sugar.
- BEFORE SERVING
- Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
FOR THE PIE CRUST (my mom's recipe)
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter.
Work the butter pieces into the mixture.
Add in water one tablespoon at a time, don't add too much or the dough will get sticky.
Just add enough water to make all the combined ingredients together.
Scrape all together. then roll into a circle (bigger than the pan you are using)
This pie dough recipe was 12" when I was done and placed it a 9" pan.
Prick base with a fork tine (just a few times).
NOW PREHEAT OVEN to 375°F
CINNAMON ROLL DANISH FILLING
In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese and the egg.
Next, add cinnamon bun flavoring (Trader Joe's seasonal item)
Now Confection Sugar, vanilla, flour, a generous dash of cinnamon, and soft caramel.
Then Xanthan gum.
Spoon danish filling into the pie base and spread evenly.
PIE FILLING
Add peeled apples, in layers, starting with the outermost layer, and working to the inside.
Repeat until all the apples are used, then sprinkle freely with cinnamon.
Now sprinkle with the white sugar.
PRETZEL CRUMB TOPPING 
Toss on the mini caramel bites atop the apples, try not to let the bites to the outer rim of the pie (if not covered they burn. 
Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter, and brown sugar.
Combine well.
Spread atop the pie.
Make sure to cover caramel bits below.
You can top with a few more caramel bits if you like, but they do burn (I love that flavor so I do that).
Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.
I will suggest a baking tray below the cake pan if you have filled too much for spillover.
Once golden brown, remove from oven.
Remove from oven using caution for the hot pan.
Allow to cool and set, and serve. 
Due to the danish filling, I suggest refrigerating leftovers. Yeah, like there will be any, lol!
OPTIONAL - before serving top with salted caramel sauce (store-bought ice cream topping0
Notes
Caramel burns atop the pie.
Keep a watch on the pie at the high baking temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8 slicesServing Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 900Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 816mgCarbohydrates: 129gFiber: 6gSugar: 75gProtein: 11g
Nutrional content is inaccurate
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