Perfect Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
Homemade apple pie doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few easy steps, fresh apples, and my Homemade Pie Crust, you can bake a pie that tastes like it came straight from a bakery. This is my go-to recipe every fall-it’s simple, reliable, and always gets rave reviews.
I’ve made this pie so many times over the years, and it’s one of those recipes that never fails. The crust comes together easily, the filling is perfectly balanced, and it makes your whole kitchen smell like the perfect blend of spices. I usually serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream- because that’s the best part, right?
If you love fall recipes just as much as I do, I’ve got a few more for you to try. You have got to try my Homemade Pecan Cinnamon Rolls for that perfect surprise on Christmas morning. For more apple flavor, try my Apple Cinnamon Scones or my Apple Spice Cupcakes or my Easy Apple Crisp. You can’t go wrong with either of those.
Best Apples for Baking
There are so many varieties of apples, it can be hard to know which ones are the best to use in apple pie. The following are a few of my favorites that I feel work in this recipe.
- Granny Smith– Probably the most popular, and most recognizable pie apple, with their bright green skin. Their tart flavor, with just a hint of sweetness, and firm flesh, work really well in apple pie. They are an inexpensive apple and are sold in grocery stores everywhere.
- Pink Lady– Perfectly sweet, a little bit of tartness, and a firm flesh. Firm flesh is key to a good pie apple. Otherwise, you would end up with apple sauce. With their recognizable pink flesh, these beauties are a really great choice for apple pie. They are sold in stores everywhere, though a little more on the pricey side.
- Northern Spy– This apple is not usually found at grocery stores, it is sold at apple orchards. This is my favorite apple on this list. It is perfectly sweet and tart and crunchy. It makes the most delicious apple pie. If you can get your hands on Northern Spy apples, do yourself a favor and get some!
- Ever Crisp– The Evercrisp apple is a hybrid of the Fuji and Honeycrisp apple. You can definitely taste hints of Honey Crisp in this apple. It has a firmer flesh and better crunch with a good blend of sweet and tart. Sweet and tart with firm flesh, that is the apple pie apple trifecta. You can’t go wrong with any one of these apples.
Ingredients
- Apples The Belle of the Ball. Some apples I really love for baking are: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Ever Crisp, and Northern Spy.
- Sugar I like to use a mixture of white and brown sugar.
- Flour Just a bit to help thicken the pie filling.
- Spices Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger (fresh ginger is really good) for delicious flavor. You can also use Pumpkin Pie spice. I’ve done it both ways and it tastes really good either way.
- Vanilla Extract Just a teaspoon is all you’ll need.
- Pie Crust Homemade or store bought will work, though homemade crust will make this pie shine.
- Egg wash Optional, but helps the crust take on a nice, golden sheen.
- Coarse sugar Optional, but looks really great sprinkled on your homemade pie crust.
How to Make Apple Pie
Step One Prepare your pie plate. If using a homemade pie crust, remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before rolling it out. Add the homemade or store bought crust to a 9 inch pie plate. If using homemade, roll the dough out onto a floured work surface to about an eighth of an inch thick and 12 inches round, turning it after every few rolls. Transfer the rolled out dough onto the pie plate using the rolling pin.
Step Two Peel and slice the apples. I use an apple slicer to slice the apples and then I slice them in half lengthwise to make the slices thinner. This helps them cook more evenly. You don’t want to end up with some really soft apples and some really hard apples.
Step Three In a large bowl, add apples, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon allspice. Mix to combine.
Step Four To give the apples a head start on cooking, ensuring they are nice and soft in the pie, you’ll want to pre-cook them. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the apple mixture. Cook until the apples are softened a bit, about 5 minutes. No need to overcook them on the stove, we just want to give them a nice head start.
Step Five Add the apple mixture to the prepared pie plate. Roll out the second pie crust just as you did for the first one. If doing the lattice design, refer to the instructions below. Otherwise, lay the pie crust on top of the apple pie, trim the edges and fold over to make the fluted edges. Make four slits in the middle in a circle.
Step Six Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower to 350 and bake for 45 minutes. To protect your beautiful pie crust edges from burning, you’ll want to use a pie crust shield. You can either make this out of aluminum foil or buy one. Personally, I prefer using a premade one from the store. You’ll never have to struggle with making a pie shield again!
I forgot to take a photo of the pie crust shield on the full pie, so I had to recreate it with this almost gone pie. Clearly we enjoyed it.
The pie should be golden brown on top and bubbly in the middle when it’s done. Let the pie sit for at least two hours before slicing into. This will allow the filling to set and the flavors to develop. This might be the hardest part of the pie making process!
How to Lattice a Pie Crust
Step One Roll out your pie dough on a floured work surface to a 12 inch circle about 1/8″ thick.
Step Two Cut strips of pie dough with either a pizza cutter or a bench scraper. You can cut thick strips or a mix of thick and thinner strips. I like a mix of strips, it adds character.
Step Three Lay strips of pie dough across the pie about 1/2″ apart.
Step Four Peel back every other strip of dough and lay a strip of dough across the pie going the opposite way of the other strips.
Step Five Fold the strips back over the strip of pie dough, then peel back the strips of dough that had not been peeled back the first time. Lay another strip of dough the opposite way of the other strips.
Step Six Fold the strips of dough back over the strip of pie dough. Repeat this process until you have worked your way over the whole pie.
Step Seven Fold the dough on the edges over to form the crust. You can do either a fluted edge or a crimped age. To crimp the edges, use a fork to make indents going opposite ways.
Add a scoop of ice cream and you’ve got yourself a real treat!
Why I Love This Recipe
Taste? It tastes amazing! The apples, the spices, the thick syrupy goodness from the sugar. It’s a classic for a reason.
Smell? Out of this world! They don’t make candles out of this scent for nothing. Who wouldn’t want the scent of fresh baked apple pie filling up their house?
Is it easy to make? The thought of making a home made pie can seem daunting, but it’s not that difficult. I believe anyone who wants to make an apple pie can do it if they put it the effort. You’ll be surprised at how well you will do.
Would I make it again? Yes, again and again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple pie can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to three days.
Yes, apple pie freezes wonderfully. Prepare the apple pie right up until you are ready to bake it, minus the egg wash. Freeze in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to three months. When you are ready to bake, bake frozen pie for 15 minutes at 425 F, then lower temperature to 375 F and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the apple mixture is bubbling. Once you lower the temperature, you’ll want to place a pie shield around the crust, or aluminum foil, to protect the crust from burning. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
It comes down to personal preference, but the apples need to be crisp and firm and not too watery. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Northern Spy and Ever Crisp are all good apple choices for apple pie. Many people love Honey Crisp apples for pie, but I have found them to be lacking in flavor and a bit too watery for my taste, and they aren’t always very crisp.
You may have chosen an apple that has a higher water content (Honeycrisp) or doesn’t have a crisp flesh (McIntosh). You may also have used over ripe apples, or not added enough thickener, such as cornstarch or flour. If you’re unsure of what apple to use, you can’t go wrong with Granny Smith apples.
Other Recipes to Try
- Easy One Bowl Apple Spice Cupcakes
- Easy Homemade Apple Crisp
- The Best Blueberry Scones
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Cinnamon Scones with Maple Glaze
Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 2 homemade or store-bought pie crusts.
- 2 1/4 pounds sliced apples, about 7-10 apples
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Peel and slice apples. Slice the apples a bit thin so they fit better into the pie crust.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Roll the pie crust out into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll the dough partially over the rolling pin to help transfer the dough to the pie plate. Fit the dough into the pie plate. Set it in the fridge while you prepare the apple mixture.
- In a large bowl, add the apples, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Mix to combine everything.
- Add to a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring intermittently. You don't want the filling to burn. You also don't want it to overcook, you're just trying to soften it a bit, not make it too soft.
- Get the prepared pie plate out of the fridge and add the cooked apples to the pie plate.
- Roll out the second pie crust to 12 inches around and 1/8 inch thick. You can make the lattice design as described in the post, or just lay the second crust on top of the pie and make a few slits on top to release steam. Trim the excess dough, leaving about a half-inch hanging. Fold over to form the crust and either crimp or flute the edges to seal the seams. You can also fold the crust edges underneath all the way around to form a simple crust edge.
- Whisk the egg and 3 tablespoons of milk together. Brush the egg wash onto the pie crust. Sprinkle the coarse sugar all over the pie crust.
- Bake the pie at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 F and bake for 50-60 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the filling bubbling. You can add a pie crust shield to prevent the crust from over-browning, though I have not had an issue with the crust over cooking in my oven.
Notes
- Refrigerate the prepared pie plate while you are preparing the apple mixture.
- Apple pie can sit out on the counter covered with plastic wrap for two days. It can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, for up to five days.
- Apple pie freezes very well both baked and unbaked. If you are freezing the pie, I recommend baking it in a tinfoil pie plate. Place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. You can bake straight from the freezer, following the same baking instructions, though you will end up baking the pie a bit longer.
- If freezing after baking, cool the pie down completely before freezing. Place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw out in the fridge overnight. If you want to reheat the pie, slice individual pieces and heat in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warm enough for your liking.
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