German Caramelized Onion and Apple Pie
Caramelized onions & tart apple slices create a rich, creamy, sweet-and-savory version of German onion pie known as Zwiebelkuchen mit Äpfeln.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (homemade or store bought)
- 1 large sweet or yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3 ½ cups)
- 1 medium tart apple, thinly sliced (about 2 ½ to 3 cups) (I recommend using a Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Empire apple)
- 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Grease a 10-inch pie tin or tart tin with butter. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll out the pie crust until it’s large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie tin (about ¼ inch or ½ cm thick). Gently transfer the rolled-out pie crust to the greased pie tin. Poke some holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork.
- Line the inside of the pie crust with a piece of parchment paper, then fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or dry rice.Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Carefully remove the parchment paper and dry rice or beans from the pie crust. Set aside to cool.
- While the pie crust par-bakes, prepare the filling. Thinly slice the peeled onion and the unpeeled apple to be roughly all the same thickness. (You can peel the apple too, but I prefer to leave the peel on so the apples don’t become too mushy.)
- Melt the butter in a large pan on medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until they’re softened, golden brown, and caramelized, after about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the thinly sliced apples and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the apples begin to soften.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the spices, thyme, eggs, and sour cream or crème fraiche. Add the cooked sliced onions and apples to the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the filling mixture into the partially baked pie crust. Place it back in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set.Let cool for at least 20 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Pie Crust Tip: When handling pie crust, it's important to keep the butter cold and hard. If you feel the butter is starting to soften or melt, place it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to harden the butter again before it's baked.
- Onion Hack: Place your onion in the fridge for about 30 minutes before slicing it. This will help prevent the pungent onion juices from causing your eyes to water.
- No Soggy Bottoms: Don't skip par baking the pie crust. Partially baking the crust before adding the filling ensures the bottom doesn't become soggy and mushy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 186kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 323IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
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