L ast week I learned that I have a ways to go on my fort building skills – but you want to know what else I learned? When it comes to making apple pie tacos, I’m right up there with the best of them.

Oh WOW, these were SO good.

If you’re looking to make a tasty fall treat, one with some oomph, then these deserve your sincere consideration.

Apple Pie Tacos with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce, adapted from Spend with Pennies and Smitten Kitchen. 

Makes 9 tacos (give or take – it will depend on the size of your cookie cutter)

Taco Shells

  • 3 large flour tortillas
  • Peanut oil (or any other neutral tasting oil for frying)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon

Apple Pie Filling

  • 2 large apples (I used Granny Smith)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup water

Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp salted butter
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream at room temperature

Optional (but let’s be real, pretty necessary) add-ons

  • whipped cream
  • vanilla ice cream

First things first – you get to make your taco shells. If you have a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, this part will be a breeze. I improvised with a round bowl and cut around it with a sharp little knife. My bowl was 4 1/2 inches across and I was able to squeeze 3 circles out of each large tortilla.

Next, I mixed up the sugar and cinnamon and spread it on a plate. This is a prime time to practice some zen gardening and write things in the “sand.”

Heat just over an inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. I’d never really fried anything before, so this was new territory for me. So exhilarating. You know your oil is ready when it starts to get bubbly – toss in a scrap of tortilla and if it sizzles, you’re good to go.

Now, make your tacos one at a time. Put your taco in the oil, let it get slightly browned on one side for 20 seconds or so, then flip it to the other side.

From here, take tongs (or, in my case, my fingers and a fork…baking requires some improv in a new kitchen) and fold the taco in half while leaving space for the filling that will go in the middle. Hold it there while it browns on one side, then flip it to the other side to brown and get crispy.

 Remove your taco from the oil and shake briefly over a paper towel. Next, rub both sides into that delicious cinnamon sugar goodness.
After you’ve made all of your taco shells, it’s time to make the apple pie filling.

Peel your apples and slice into 1/4” bites. Squeeze some lemon juice over them.
Over medium heat, mix your apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add about half of your water and let the apples simmer for about 4 minutes. Stir the cornstarch into the rest of the water and then pour that over the apple mixture. Continue cooking until most of the water has evaporated and the apples are soft.

Set the apple mixture aside while you quickly made your salted caramel mixture. I used this recipe but just cut everything in half.
Now for the fun part: making your tacos into tacos. Scoop in some apple pie filling, top with whipped cream, then drizzle on the salted caramel. If you want to be really decadent, put ice cream into the taco before you add the apple filling.

I must admit, these were the absolute BEST when they went straight from stovetop to my mouth. (Someone had to taste test before serving them officially.) But I made these in the afternoon and then surprised Bobby with them much later that evening – and he still raved about them.

(P.S. No, we did not eat 8 tacos in one sitting – I refrigerated the apple filling and caramel sauce but left the taco shells on a plate on the counter. We were feasting on these a couple days later and they still got an A+.)

Definitely going into the dessert repertoire. Eat up, friends!