I wanted an easy no-bake pie. I wanted to learn to make caramel. I wanted to learn to make chocolate ganache. I thought introducing the tartness and texture of the apple would be interesting.

I found a pretty simple recipe for the pie. I added apples and it sort of worked, sort of didn't. The liquid in the apples (which I tried my best to remove) caused the caramel to have trouble setting. I removed some of the caramel. It still never had the texture I wanted. Having said that, it tasted amazing, so here's what I did, don't judge me.

1 package Oreos (up to 36)
1 Cup Butter (2 sticks, separated)
2 apples diced or sliced (use a sieve and try to squeeze the juice out of them as best you can)
2/3 Cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 Cup heavy whipping cream (divided)
1 bag (12 oz.) dark chocolate chips

Finely crush the Oreos with a food processor or blender. Stir crumbs together with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter until well combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Freeze crust for 10 minutes until set. (Note: I found the whole package of Oreos to be too much pie crust for a shallow 9" pie pan. Next time I will use a tart pan that is wider, or fewer Oreos. Also it was fucking delicious so maybe don't change a thing.)

Combine remaining 8 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream until smooth. Cool caramel about 15 minutes.

Here's where I folded in the cut apples and tried not to make the mixture too wet. Pour the caramel over the Oreo crust, then return to freezer for about 30-45 minutes until just chilled and set. (You don’t want the caramel to fully freeze.) (The liquid from the apple made this take a little longer and also not set as well. It's all going to be fine, you're doing great.)

Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate over the caramel and freeze for a final 30 minutes, until just chilled and set. OR refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle the top with a flaky sea salt or kosher salt.

I found it difficult to cut a pretty slice (the ganache wanted to stick to the knife and separate from the rest of the pie). But with a little teamwork I got this:

Salted Chocolate Caramel Apple Pie