Fall is finally here, which means it’s time to break out the holiday recipes. Everyone knows the traditional Thanksgiving dinner table is incomplete without a pie, so for your holiday meal, why not spice up the all-American apple pie by adding caramel? The classic dessert is livened with an inventive kick of caramel and oats.

Whether it be pumpkin or apple, pie is the most revered Thanksgiving dessert.

Apple pie is a staple during the holidays. Use caramel to keep it from becoming ordinary! Not only does this recipe dazzle your taste buds, it fits perfectly into the cozy fall season. Expect the delicious aroma to linger for days.

Averiecooks.com’s recipe is a Pinterest favorite for a modern take on the time-honored dessert. The simplicity of this apple pie makes it appealing. Your family will think you spent hours in the kitchen over a hot stove. In reality, you will just put together a few ingredients and let them bake in the oven.

Families are brought together in the holiday season to celebrate, eat, and reconnect with one another. There’s nothing better than spending Thanksgiving with those you love. Cooking plays a major role in this holiday, as tradition calls for families across the country to provide a home cooked meal, so the recipes need to be spot on.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (half of one stick)

1 large egg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely measured

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole rolled old-fashioned oats (not quick cook or instant)

One 21-ounce can apple pie filling (I used Comstock More Fruit Cinnamon ‘n Spice Apple filling)

One 9-inch frozen pie crust (or make your own using your favorite recipe)

Caramel sauce

Ice cream or whipped topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power. Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the egg; then add the egg, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, and whisk to combine until batter is smooth (All spices and salt should be added to taste and use what you have on hand; omitting what you don’t have and mixing and matching with other spices such as ginger or pumpkin pie spice is okay).

Add the flour, oats, and stir to incorporate. Fold in the apple pie filling. Pour filling mixture into frozen pie crust (I didn’t bother pre-thawing it) and lightly smooth filling with a spatula. It’s okay to fill pie crust up nearly to the brim; I did and it did not overflow. As insurance, place pie crust on a baking tray so if it does overflow a bit, it won’t pool in the bottom of the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top has just set and is not jiggly, and is golden. I baked mine for about 54 minutes and when I took it out of the oven, the filling had risen and was a bit domed and puffed, and as pie cooled, the dome sank and it flattened out. Allow pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Prior to serving, optionally drizzle with caramel sauce or serve with ice cream.

Pie should be kept covered and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; I prefer refrigerating it rather than keeping it at room temperature and I store my pie inside a large two-gallon sized plastic food storage bag in the refrigerator.