This Classic Apple Pie recipe will have your taste buds soaring! If you’re anything like me, you understand the magical appeal of a warm, freshly baked apple pie straight out of the oven. The nostalgic aroma of cinnamon and apples, the golden, flaky crust that crumbles oh-so-perfectly, it’s a treat that never goes out of style.
Apple pie isn’t just a dessert; it’s an experience! It’s the epitome of comfort and a surefire way to evoke warm, fuzzy feelings. There’s just nothing better than a big slice of apple pie with a scoop of ice cream on top. Plus, making apple pie is a fantastic way to bring your family together, especially during the holiday season. Get the kids involved in helping you make this all-time favorite that never fails to impress and satisfy a craving for something sweet.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Taste Test: Mixing up apple varieties in a pie is helpful, and you and your little helpers can give each new kind a taste! Apples are one of my favorite fall ingredients to make Homemade Applesauce, Chocolate Covered Apple Lollipops or even savory Sheet Pan Sausage with Cabbage and Apples!
- Picture Perfect Practice: Homemade Pie Crust can seem intimidating, but practice makes (almost) perfect! You can try out various ways of rolling your dough out, as well as how to crimp the edges. Practice even more and make Maple Pumpkin Pie or Chicken Pot Pie!
- Kids Can Cook: Especially if you have a fun “apple peeler corer slicer” your kids can get right in on the action. If not, they can peel the traditional way and let you slice.
The Ingredients
- Double Layer Homemade Pie Crust: I love making pie crust from scratch because it just brings back so many memories.
- Apples: I recommend a mixture of varieties, so that you get both the sweet and tart mixed in.
- Sugar: Much like when baking cookies, combining both brown and white adds depth of flavor.
- Spices: Warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are delicious.
- Filling Additions: Butter, lemon juice, and flour help your filling thicken and just blend everything together.
Substitutions and Variations
- Egg Wash: Do you love a nice crisp crust with lots of deep color? That’s where an egg wash comes in. Whip up an egg and a tablespoon of water with a fork, then brush over the entire top of the pie.
- Sweeten the Deal: You can add a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top after the egg wash for even more crunch.
- Store bought Crust: I get it, you won’t always have extra time to work out a pie crust from scratch. You are always welcome to pick up ready made dough sheets or a frozen deep dish pie crust. Follow package instructions for how to thaw or warm up the dough before using.
How to Make Classic Apple Pie
Step 1: Prepare pie crust and chill.
Step 2: Roll out bottom crust and place in pie plate.
Step 3: Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and butter.
Step 4: Gently cook apple slices so they aren’t super firm.
Step 5: Add pie filling to prepared bottom crust in pie plate.
Step 6: Add top crust and crimp shut. If desired, add decoration and an egg wash.
Step 7: Bake until perfectly golden all around. Serve warm (after about an hour) with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Video
Tips and Tricks
- Perfecting the crust: Remember, a flaky, buttery crust is the backbone of any excellent apple pie. Keep your butter cold, and don’t overwork the dough – you want those delightful flaky layers. A little patience here goes a long way. Watch my video for How to Make the Perfect Pie Crust for some tips!
- Apple selection: Go for a mix of tart and sweet apples to achieve that ideal balance of flavors. Slice them evenly, around 1/4 inch thick, for even cooking and distribution of flavors.
- Let it cool: As tempting as it may be to dig in right away, let your pie cool for at least an hour or longer before serving. This allows the filling to set and ensures you get those neat, picture-perfect slices.
FAQs
You can make this pie ahead of time, even, as well as store leftovers. You can do up to 24 hours on the counter or 4 days covered and refrigerated. Either way, allow it to come to room temperature before serving and you can even gently reheat it in the oven. I think apple pie tastes great at all temperatures thought!
Everyone immediately thinks of Granny Smith, and this is a great option! It is tart and holds its shape very well during baking, so that you have recognizable apple slices in your pie. Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Braeburn are also great options. Select 3-4 varieties to use in your pie, as each will cook down differently as well as hold its distinct flavor.
I find that one of the easiest ways is to gently press the crust with one finger between the knuckles of the other hand. This will give you the classic wavy edge you are looking for. But especially if you place extra special cut outs on top, no one will be concerned if your edges are messy! They will know it was baked with love.
The trick here is to let the pie rest for at least an hour after baking. I know hot fresh pie sounds amazing, but waiting is best. This will allow the filling to cool and set, from the flour, butter, and pectin in the apples. Then your slice will hold up nicely on a plate rather than the filling slowly sliding out.
More Apple Recipes to Enjoy
From the satisfying crisp of the crust to the luscious, cinnamon-infused apple filling, every bite is an absolute delight! Let me know what you think of this Classic Apple Pie recipe! Leave a comment and rating below.
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Apple Pie
Ingredients
- homemade pie crust or store-bought pie crust
- 8 apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Juice of 1 small Lemon, (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- ice cream or whipped cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Prepare pie crust and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugars, flour and lemon juice in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- In a large sauté pan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the apples and any drippings in the bowl and cook the apples for 5-7 minutes or until they just start to soften. You don’t want them to be too soft. Set aside the mixture and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- On a floured surface, roll out half of the pie dough just wider than a deep dish pie plate. Carefully slide the dough into the pie plate, tuck under any excess dough.
- Spoon the apples into the pie plate (it’s ok if they’re still a bit warm) and refrigerate while you roll out the remaining dough. If you don’t have space in your refrigerator you can place in a freezer for up to 10 minutes.
- Roll out the remaining piece of pie dough until just wider than the pie plate.
- Remove the apple filled pie plate from the refrigerator or freezer and top with remaining piece of pie dough folding the dough over the bottom piece of dough. Crimp the edges.
- Gently brush with the egg wash if desired to make the crust more golden.
- Place the pie plate on a baking sheet (to catch any liquid that may spill over) and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is golden.
- Remove pie from the oven and allow to remain at room temperature for 1-3 hours. This allows the juices to settle and makes it easier to slice the pie.
- Cut the pie into wedges and top with whipped cream or ice cream.
This pie was so good for thanksgiving! Everyone loved it. Apples were soft & delicious.
Amazing! Glad you loved this one 🙂 Thanks for the kind comment.