There is nothing more wholesome than a homemade apple pie cooling on your windowsill. Take a page from Grandma’s book and make this American classic apple pie recipe today!
Best Apple Pie Recipe
I can’t make this apple pie without my kids coming up to me every 5 minutes asking me when it’s ready. It seriously smells so wonderful you’ll be drooling long before you serve up slices.
Easy Apple Pie Recipe
This apple pie recipe is so easy too. And it will come out perfectly every single time you make it, perfect for holidays or taking to potlucks. Or simply because you have so many apples you don’t know what to do! That’s the best excuse I’ve ever had to make a pie!
Apple Pie Ingredients
- Apples – The star ingredient in the apple pie filling recipe!
- Deep dish pie crust – Find it in the frozen section, ready to go!
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – These essential spices bring out the best in those apples!
- Lemon – Lemon juice and the zest keep the apples from going brown and bring out the fresh fruitiness of them.
How do you Make Apple Pie from Scratch
I know the ingredient list looks a little long, but don’t let that intimidate you. Most of it involves pantry staples. It takes only 30 minutes to prep and that’s largely because of slicing, peeling, and coring those apples. You’ll use a frozen deep dish pie crust, make the filling, and bake it. If you wan to go the extra mile you can make your own cold water pie crust from scratch with pie dough but it will take significantly more time. This one is quick, easy, and delicious!
Once you make this simple apple pie recipe with buttery pie crust, I assure you that you will never buy another ready-made pie. And you’ll never attempt to make one with that canned apple garbage they sell on the shelves. It tastes so much better fresh, and you’ll have this one ready almost as fast as you can say “apple pie!”
Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.
Jane Austen
Expert Tips and Tricks for Homemade Apple Pie
- Mix your apples – When choosing the best apples for apple pie, I always go with a mix. Using 2 different kinds of apples (in this case honey crisp and granny smith) creates the best flavors of tart and sweet.
- Don’t let your apple pie crust get warm – You should thaw it out in your fridge while you get the filling ready. (Click here to learn how to make apple pie crust)
- Keep the apple slices thin – This allows them to cook up evenly so you don’t have random chunks of crunchy apples in your pie.
Which Apples are Best for Apple Pie?
If you have the option, I’d choose granny smith and honey crisp apples to give you sweet, tart, and firm texture and taste. If that’s not possible, golden delicious will also work. Idared is a nice tart variety while northern spy is a sweet choice. Any fresh apple is best as long as you mix sweet and tart together!
How do you Make Apple Pie Filling from Scratch
Some recipes call for cooking the filling, but that’s not necessary. This homemade apple pie recipe keeps things simple yet yields fully delicious results. I’ve had people beg me for the recipe at holiday potlucks.
Making homemade apple pie filling is easy. You’ll take your sliced apples (making sure they’re not too thick or too thin), add them with sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon (juice and zest), plus vanilla extract. Mix it up and it’s ready! That’s how easy it is to make this apple pie recipe from scratch!
How many pounds of apples do you need for a pie?
In total, you will nee 2.5 pounds of apples for a pie. It’s nice to mix up the types of apples as I do in this recipe, but if you only have one kind of apple, that’s fine too.
Do you cook apples before making apple pie?
Some recipes will have you cook the apples before you make the pie. In this recipe, you’ll simply combine the filling ingredients together and then pour it into your crust.
How do you thicken apple pie filling?
Because this filling isn’t cooked before going into the shell, you won’t have to worry. Apples aren’t like other fruits and berries that unleash extra liquid. You won’t need to use a thickener to get the right texture or consistency.
What is the difference between regular and Dutch apple pie?
The difference is in the topping. Regular apple pie has a pie crust that is usually sprinkled with sugar to add an extra crispness and sweetness. Dutch apple pie uses a streusel topping made from flour, butter, and sugar.
Why are my apples hard in my apple pie?
If your apples aren’t yet ripe, they can result in a hard filling. So too can cutting the slices too thick. Make sure you’re using ripe apples and cutting them to a good size.
Should you prebake crust for apple pie?
You can certainly do so, especially if you’re very worried about a soggy bottom. But it’s not entirely necessary to prebake the crust for your apple pie.
How Long to Bake Apple Pie
You can pre-bake the crust briefly to keep the bottom from getting soggy. Then make sure your oven is ready at 375F to cook for 50 to 60 minutes. Thanks to brushing the top with egg, you will have a golden buttery crust that flakes perfectly with your fork when it’s ready to eat. Let it cool just a bit before serving so it won’t be runny.
At what temperature is an apple pie done?
You should notice the crust is golden brown but the temperature will register internally at 175F. If you can’t tell, just use that thermometer to know for sure.
How do I know when my apple pie is done?
In this recipe, it will take 50 to 60 minutes at 375F. The crust will be golden and the apple mixture will seem bubbly inside. You can also use the thermometer to make sure it’s 175F inside.
How do you make an apple pie without a soggy bottom?
If you’re worried about a soggy bottom, blind bake the crust first. With a frozen crust though and such a low temperature, you should be fine without it in this recipe.
Best Toppings to Serve with Apple Pie
I always recommend vanilla ice cream to serve with apple pie. It is the best way to top it off! But you can use whipped cream if you prefer. Or use both! My kids also like warm caramel topping on top of the ice cream and then with the whipped cream added to that. It’s delightful still warm or even completely cooled.
How to Store Apple Pie
Apple pie can stay on your counter at room temperature covered with plastic wrap or go in the fridge. You should be sure to eat it all up before 2 days have gone by. We never have this problem in our house! It always disappears fast!
Can you Freeze Apple Pie?
Absolutely! You should freeze it before you bake it if you can, but you can also freeze a completely baked apple pie. Apple pie will be safe in the freezer up to 6 months.
How to Reheat Apple Pie
Reheating apple pie is easy. Simply preheat your oven to 350F, put the pie on a baking sheet, and cover loosely with aluminum foil. It should take about 15 to 20 minutes to warm up the internal temp.
Watch How To Make Apple Pie (Video)
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Classic Apple Pie Recipe
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 409
Classic American apple pie recipe like grandma use to make with tender warm apples in a sweet flaky pie crust. The perfect holiday dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 Frozen pie dish (deep dish)
- 1 Pie crust for topping
- 1 1/4 lbs honey crisp apples (cored, sliced, peeled)
- 1 1/4 lbs granny smith apples (cored, sliced, peeled)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tub vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F. Take frozen pie crusts from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge.
In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until all apple slices are coated in the mixture.
Once pie crust is thawed, use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Fill the crust with the apple filling. Place pie crust on top and press the fork down along the edge of the bottom crust to seal. Brush the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar. Cut four slits into the top of the pie to create a vent.
Bake the pie for 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing, top with vanilla ice cream and serve.
Calories: 409kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Nutrition
Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
