Homemade Apple Pie

The Only Apple Pie Recipe You Will Ever Need

There is something about the smell of a homemade apple pie baking in the oven that instantly feels like home. This is a truly simple apple pie recipe built on a flaky, buttery crust and a warmly spiced, juicy apple pie filling made completely from scratch. If you have been searching for a fresh apple pie recipe easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for a holiday table, this is it.

Forget the apple pie recipe easy canned filling shortcuts. Once you taste apples simmered in their own juices with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of brown sugar, you will understand why homemade apple pie filling is worth the extra twenty minutes.

Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good pastry cutter, an accurate pie dish, and fresh, firm apples are what separate a soggy, sad pie from a bakery worthy showstopper. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:

Choosing the Best Apples for Pie

Not all apples are created equal when it comes to baking. For the best apple pie recipe filling homemade result, you want a mix of tart and sweet, firm apples that hold their shape.

• Granny Smith brings tartness and structure
• Honeycrisp adds natural sweetness and juice
• Braeburn or Jonagold work well as substitutes

Using a blend rather than a single variety gives you layered flavor and a filling that is never mushy or one dimensional.

Chef's Tip: Let your sliced apples sit with the sugar and lemon juice for at least 15 minutes before filling the crust. This draws out excess liquid so your pie does not turn watery once baked.

How to Make a Apple Pie With a Perfect Crust

The crust is where most homemade apple pie attempts go wrong, but it does not have to be complicated. The trick to a perfectly simple apple pie crust is keeping everything cold. Cold butter, cold water, and a cold bowl if your kitchen runs warm.

Work the butter into the flour just until you see pea sized chunks. Those little pockets of fat are what create those irresistible flaky layers as the pie bakes. Resist the urge to overwork the dough, a few visible butter streaks are exactly what you want.

Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:

Homemade Apple Pie

This homemade apple pie recipe features a flaky golden crust and a perfectly spiced, easy apple pie filling made from fresh apples. Simple, comforting, and worth every bite.

Prep:30 mins

Cook:55 mins

Total:85 mins

Yield:8 servings

Cuisine:American

Yield: 8 servingsCalories: 412Protein: 4g

Carbs: 58gFat: 19gSat. Fat: 9gFiber: 3gSugar: 32gSodium: 260mg

Ingredients

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• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed, divided for double crust
• 1 tsp granulated sugar, for the crust
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 cup ice water, plus more as needed
• 7 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, for the filling
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, to thicken the filling
• 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional

Instruction

1

In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt for the crust. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse or cut in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea sized pieces of butter.

2

Drizzle in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch until evenly coated. Let sit for 15 minutes to release the juices.

4

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

5

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into a 12 inch circle and fit it into a 9 inch pie dish, letting the excess hang over the edge.

6

Pour the apple filling into the crust, mounding it slightly in the center, and dot with a tablespoon of extra butter if desired.

7

Roll out the second disc of dough and place it over the filling, or cut it into strips for a lattice top. Trim and crimp the edges to seal.

8

Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut a few small slits in the top to let steam escape.

9

Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

10

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

11

Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set.

Equipment

• 9 inch pie dish
• Rolling pin
• Pastry cutter or food processor
• Large mixing bowls
• Baking sheet
• Wire cooling rack

Notes

For the best texture, keep your butter and water ice cold, this is the secret to a flaky crust. The pie can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated unbaked, or the baked pie can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.

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Serving, Storing, and Make-Ahead Tips

This pie is best enjoyed the day it is baked, once it has had time to cool and set, but it also stores beautifully. A few things to keep in mind:

• Let the pie cool for at least three hours before slicing so the filling has time to firm up
• Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days
• For longer storage, refrigerate for up to five days and reheat slices in the oven to revive that crisp crust

Serve warm slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream for the classic finishing touch. However you serve it, this homemade apple pie recipe is proof that the simplest, most classic desserts are often the ones we crave the most.