Homemade Apple Pie
Our absolute favorite Homemade Apple Pie has a deliciously gooey, sweetly spiced apple filling that is nestled in a flaky, tender pie crust. It’s the perfect recipe to enjoy fall flavors and fresh-picked apples this season! Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert.
Apple pie served with vanilla ice cream is my all-time favorite dessert, so I really wanted to come up with my own incredible apple pie recipe. It’s taken me over a year, but I’m super excited to be sharing it with you just in time for apple season and the holidays that follow. This pie turned out decadent and delicious, and is quite possibly the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted!
It bakes wonderfully with no air bubbles or gaps between the crust and filling. And it has the perfect balance of flaky crust with sweet and spicy filling. I know making an apple pie from scratch can be intimidating, but this is a fool-proof recipe! Yes, fool-proof is a bold claim, but I really think it is. And if you’ve never baked a pie before, I encourage you to give this a whirl. It is such a classic American dessert that everyone should have a go-to recipe for making an apple pie that does not disappoint.
Best homemade apple pie
You’ve decided to give this homemade apple pie recipe a try? Yay! I’m going to break the process down for you into simple steps, so your pie turns out amazing. I promise, making an apple pie from scratch is easier than you think… you just need a little time. So, put Taylor Swift on repeat and let’s get to baking! I’ve baked 2 apple pies in the last 2 weeks while listening to the Evermore album and it’s therapy, I tell you. It’s good for the soul. 😉
Grab a cup of coffee, settle in and let’s discuss.
what’s in a homemade apple pie?
This easy apple pie recipe uses simple baking ingredients that you likely have on hand. Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need:
- Pie crust. This recipe is from scratch and uses a homemade pie crust. It’s easier than you might think and only requires 4 ingredients – all-purpose flour, salt, shortening and cold water. If you want to save time, feel free to use store-bought pie crusts.
- Apples. Feel free to use your favorite baking apple. More notes on what type of apple to use, below. I like to use a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples for my pie for a nice balance of sweet and tart.
- Sugar. We’re using granulated sugar to sweeten the apple pie filling perfectly.
- Flour. To thicken up the filling, so that it’s not too juicy.
- Spices. A combination of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg pairs wonderfully with the apples and gives the pie a warm, cozy flavor.
- Salt. This will help pull the flavors together.
- Butter. For added flavor, I love to add a small amount of butter on top of the filling before adding the top pie crust.
- Egg & milk. Whisk these together and brush the mixture on top of the pie crust to give it a beautiful golden brown color.
- Coarse sugar. Totally optional, but I love the extra sweetness of some coarse sugar sprinkled on top of the pie crust before baking. If you don’t have any coarse sugar, you can just sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top or skip this step.
Homemade pie crust
Let’s start with the crust. This homemade pie crust is super simple and only requires 4 ingredients – all-purpose flour, salt, shortening and cold water.
- Mix dry ingredients. The first step is to whisk together the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add shortening. Use a pastry cutter (the one I own) or two forks to cut the shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is fine). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.
- Add water. Begin adding cold water and toss with a fork until the mixture is moistened. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps.
- Roll dough. Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour before assembling the pie. You can make the filling while the dough is chilling.
Apple pie filling
The most complicated part of making the apple pie filling is peeling and slicing the apples. Here’s a great apple peeler and corer that makes for quick apple prep.
TO PEEL OR NOT TO PEEL
This can go either way. Peeling your apples makes for a more tender pie that melds together beautifully. However, leaving the skins on your apples adds a bit of extra color and texture. Or you can always take the middle road and do a little of both.
This apple pie filling recipe is a simple mix of sugar, flour, spices and salt that gets tossed with the apple slices until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as the oven preheats; this time allows the apples to begin letting off their juice.
best apples for apple pie filling
There are so many different kinds of apples to choose from, so it may get confusing when deciding which type will work best for your pie, but have no fear, I’ll help you get it all sorted out.
In my opinion, using a variety of apples in apple pie yields the best results. I always recommend using half tart and half sweet. Tart Granny Smith apples paired with a sweet variety such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jazz, and/or Fuji apples is such a flavorful mix.
how to make an apple pie
Now, it’s time for the assembly.
- Roll dough. Roll the pie crust dough over lightly floured wax paper.
- Transfer crust to pie dish. Slide your wax paper over to your pie dish and in one quick motion flip the crust onto the dish. Press in gently.
- Spoon in the apple pie filling. Transfer the filling to the pie dish using a slotted spoon (making sure to leave as much juice as possible in the bowl) and smooth the top. Add pats of butter to the top. Next, repeat the process with the second pie crust.
- Top crust. Fold the top crust down under the bottom crust, and press it against your dish. Crimp the edges to seal. You can get fancy with a pattern, or go “rustic” with a more undone and less polished look. If you’re not using a special pattern that will allow pie to vent, cut 3-4 slits on top of the pie. If you’d like to lattice the top pie dough, but don’t know where to get started, here’s a lattice pie dough tutorial. And here’s one for braiding pie crust dough.
- Egg wash + sugar. Beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water or milk and brush the top with the egg mixture. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top.
- Bake. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake in a 425ºF oven for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft and the filling bubbles through the top of the pie slits. Do NOT remove the pie until you see bubbles.
- Cool and serve. Once baked, allow pie to cool for 3 hours before slicing and serving. It’s hard to wait, but if you cut into it while it’s still warm the filling will be too runny.
pie-making tips
- Pie dish. This is the inexpensive pie dish that I use and love. It’s 9-1/2″, and I recommend using the recipe instructions for a 10″ pie plate.
- Crust. When combining the ingredients for the pie crust, it’s important to not add too much water. If you do, the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out. You’ll also want to be sure you’re using the “spoon & level” method when measuring flour. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup. Instead, use a spoon to add the flour into the measuring cup. Do not pack the flour down and do not tap the measuring cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Alternatively, you can use a food scale to measure the ingredients.
- Apples. Be sure your apples are sliced in similar thickness – about 1/4″ is perfect. Once your pie is baked, you don’t want some solid apples and some thin, mushy apples.
- Assembly. Sprinkle a bit of flour over a sheet of wax paper. Then, roll the dough out on the wax paper. This will allow you to simply lift the wax paper up and flip it onto the pie dish. It makes it very easy and you often avoid ripped crust! I’ve found that slightly wetting the countertop before laying the wax paper down, then flouring the wax paper surface creates the best area for rolling. The water helps hold the wax paper down, and the flour will keep the dough from attaching to the wax paper.
- Baking. After the first 15 minutes of bake time, I recommend placing a pie crust shield on the crust’s edges (or cover with foil) to prevent it from over-browning too quickly. Here’s a tutorial for a DIY pie crust shield.
Favorite toppings
There are two classic toppings for an apple pie. My personal favorite is a cold, creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream. Another go-to topping is whipped cream, which is almost as delicious as vanilla ice cream. Apple pie is also pretty awesome just plain, too, without any topping at all.
The cold ice cream combined with the warm apple pie is pretty epic though…
Storing apple pie
Make Ahead. Apple pie is a great dessert to make ahead of time! Make 1 day ahead of when you plan to serve it. Once it’s baked and after it cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storing leftovers. After this pie has baked completely, store covered either at room temperature for 1 to 2 days and then in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, though, I doubt it lasts that long. 😉
Freezing apple pie. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Almost nothing is more delicious and cozy as this homemade apple pie paired with vanilla ice cream. Serve this deliciousness during the summer to celebrate America and definitely add it to the dessert menu for Thanksgiving.
more favorite pie recipes
If you try this homemade apple pie recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Homemade Apple Pie
Ingredients
2-Crust Pie (8 to 9-inch pie dish)
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (151g) shortening
- 4-5 tablespoons cold water
2-Crust Pie (10-inch pie dish)
- 2 2/3 cup (325g) all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (191g) shortening
- 7-9 tablespoons cold water
Apple filling (8 to 9-inch pie dish)
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (32g) all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg
- dash of salt
- 6 cups tart + sweet apples (I like to mix Granny Smith apples with a sweet apple like Honeycrisp), cored and sliced to about 1/4" thickness (roughly 6 medium apples)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, cut into slices
Apple filling (10-inch pie dish)
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (41g) flour*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg
- dash of salt
- 8 cups tart apples, cored and sliced thin (roughly 7 medium apples)**
- 3 tablespoons (42g) butter, cut into slices
Topping
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water or milk for egg wash topping
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
For the crust
- To make the crust, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the shortening. Using a pastry cutter (the one I own) or two forks, cut the shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick. Begin adding cold water and toss with a fork until the mixture is moistened. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.
- Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour before assembling the pie. You can make the filling while the dough is chilling.
For the filling
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF. In a large bowl, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir the sugar, flour, spices and salt with the apples until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as the oven preheats; this time allows the apples to begin letting off their juice.
Assembling the pie
- Lay out wax paper and sprinkle a bit of flour over it to roll out the dough on. This will allow you to simply lift the wax paper up and flip it onto the pie dish. It makes it very easy and you often avoid ripped crust! I’ve found that slightly wetting the countertop before laying the wax paper down, then flouring the wax paper surface creates the best area for rolling. The water helps hold the wax paper down, and the flour will keep the dough from attaching to the wax paper.
- Slide your wax paper over to your pie dish and in one quick motion flip the crust onto the dish. Press in gently. Transfer the filling to the pie dish using a slotted spoon (making sure to leave as much juice as possible in the bowl) and smooth the top. Add pats of butter to the top. Repeat with the top crust.
- Fold the top crust down under the bottom crust, and press it against your dish. Crimp the edges to seal. You can get fancy with a pattern, or go “rustic” with a more undone and less polished look. Cut 3-4 slits on top of the pie.
- Beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water or milk and brush the top with egg mixture. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft and the filling bubbles through the top of the pie slits. Do NOT remove that pie until you see bubbles. (After the first 15 minutes of bake time, I recommend placing a pie crust shield on the crust’s edges (or cover with foil) to prevent it from over-browning too quickly. Here's a tutorial for making a DIY pie crust shield.)
- Once it’s finished baking, set it on the counter to rest at room temp at least 1 hour (3 hours is best) before serving. It’s hard to wait, but if you cut into it while it’s still warm the filling will be too runny. If desired, serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Cover pie leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days and then in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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