Heat the butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Add in the diced apples and salt and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until softened.

In a small cup, whisk the water with the tapioca and vanilla to make a slurry.

Once the apples have softened, add in the slurry, then drizzle in the maple syrup.

Turn the heat to medium and stir until the apples have thickened. Once thick, immediately remove from heat. 

Then, stir in cinnamon, taste and add more if desired.

I recommend refrigerating the can of coconut cream at least 4 hours before starting. This makes it easier to separate the solids from the liquids. Refrigerate it upside down.

When ready, start by adding all the ingredients to a sauce pan and mix over medium to low heat.

Stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Use the back of a spoon and once the caramel sauce coats it without falling off it's done.

Remove from heat and let cool before pouring into a storage container.

Start by making the apple pie filling, otherwise you can use canned apple pie filling and skip this step.

Add the apples to the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Then layer in this order (and do not mix). Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce evenly over the apples. Sprinkle evenly with 1 box yellow cake mix. Cut 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter into thin slices and arrange over the cake mix in an even layer, covering the entire surface as best you can.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. The top should look golden brown, be bubbling, and have a crispy crust formed on top.

Let set for 5 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream and more caramel sauce if desired.