With a mountain of gooey cinnamon apples nestled below a wonderfully buttery and flaky pie crust, that is most definitely my favourite apple pie recipe. To deliver out the perfect apple taste and texture, pre-cook the filling for about 5 minutes on the range. Bake and funky the pie, after which high with vanilla ice cream for the final word homestyle dessert.
One reader, Sami, commented: “THE greatest apple pie recipe EVER!!!! I made this for Thanksgiving, and it was an enormous hit. I really like using completely different apple sorts and went with 4 Granny Smith, two Fuji, and two Honeycrisp. Every apple sort has a special taste and a special texture when cooked, which my household completely liked. ★★★★★”

I’m a best-selling revealed cookbook creator, and I bake as a career. So you possibly can think about I’m typically requested about my *favourite* dessert. And, with out hesitation, my reply is ALWAYS home made pie.
Particularly, apple pie. Under you’ll discover my favourite pie… and baking recipe… on the planet. It’s my #1 selection out of all of the Thanksgiving pies, however I definitely don’t restrict it to the autumn season. I’ve been making this recipe for years, and after testing a number of completely different fillings, spices, apple varieties, and different little tweaks, I think about the recipe beneath to be my best possible apple pie.
Right here’s what just a few extra readers are saying:
Alexia commented: “WOW! The most effective apple pie I’ve ever had or made. As with all the recipes I’ve tried from Sally, it’s a keeper for positive! ★★★★★“
Sofia commented: “Everybody I make this for says it’s the perfect apple pie they’ve ever had!! ★★★★★“
Caitlin commented: “My FAVORITE apple pie! I’ve tried a handful of different recipes and felt none of them received it fairly ‘proper.’ This one was successful and I can’t wait to make it time and again! ★★★★★“
Right here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Pie, Too
- Traditional recipe, with none difficult elements
- Golden flaky double pie crust supplies a crisp distinction to the delicate and juicy filling
- Caramelized filling peeking via the lattice
- Deliciously candy, cinnamon-spiced filling
- Tall slices with oodles of tender apples that aren’t overly mushy
- Comforting, nostalgia-filled taste
- Utterly out-of-this-world with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on high


This pie is deep-dish model, however you don’t want an excellent particular pie dish to get began. Any 1.5- to 2-inch-deep pie dish works right here. You’ll merely pile these apple slices good and excessive!
Let’s get began.
Start With High quality Pie Crust
You want a sturdy crust to carry within the mountain of apples. Whether or not you’re a pie crust newbie or professional, I encourage you to learn via my pie crust recipe. There’s nothing fairly like home made pie crust and my grandmother’s recipe has persistently confirmed its authority over the previous a number of many years. It’s our household’s favourite, and I’ve been utilizing it ever since I may carry a rolling pin.
This recipe makes use of each butter and shortening to supply a top quality mixture of sturdy, flaky, and buttery. I even have an all butter pie crust in case you’re . However for greatest style and texture, I swear through the use of each shortening and butter. You’ll be able to style the distinction.


Key Elements You Want
After you have your pie dough prepared, you possibly can collect the remainder of the elements. My apple pie recipe has a deliciously gooey, candy, and spiced apple filling. The elements within the filling are my go-to selections for many apple pie recipes together with my apple cheddar pie and salted caramel apple pie, too.

- Apples – It’s greatest to make use of quite a lot of apples in apple pie. Similar to once we make apple cake, I like to recommend utilizing half tart and half candy. I really like tart Granny Smith apples paired with a candy selection similar to Pink Woman, Honeycrisp, Jazz, or Fuji. Here’s a full listing of the perfect apples for baking.
- Spices – Apple pie isn’t apple pie with out heat spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I all the time add allspice to the filling for a little bit one thing further.
- Lemon – A contact of lemon is essential right here. You don’t use sufficient to truly style the lemon; add a splash to stop the apples from browning and to maintain the flavour vibrant. (Taste is a bit flat with out it, so don’t skip this!)
- Sugar – Sugar sweetens the pie filling. You’ll be able to truly use white granulated sugar or brown sugar right here. I sometimes use white sugar so the apple and spice flavors actually shine.
- Flour – Flour thickens the pie filling.
Do you crave further taste? You’ll love this apple cranberry pie or chai-spiced apple pie.

What Are the Greatest Apples to Use for Apple Pie?
Firmer apples are perfect for baking a pie. Keep away from delicate, mealy, and mushy apples. For depth of taste, it’s greatest to bake with a mixture of tart and candy apples. For apple pie, I normally use 4–5 tart and 4 candy.
- Tart apples for baking: Granny Smith (for my part, that is the perfect total apple for baking), Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Candy apples for baking: Jazz, Pazazz (generally tougher to seek out however scrumptious!), Honeycrisp, Pink Woman, and Fuji
For an in depth listing of my favourite apple varieties and when to make use of every, you possibly can go to my submit The Greatest Apples for Baking.
In Footage: The right way to Make Excellent Apple Pie
Roll out the underside pie dough. Tuck the dough right into a deep-dish pie plate. Refrigerate as you put together the filling. Keep in mind, chilly pie dough is vital to pie-making.

Make the filling. Stir all the filling elements collectively in a big bowl. An optionally available step, and one thing I’ve been doing extra just lately, is to pre-cook the filling on the range for just some minutes. This begins to melt the apple slices, and helps to meld the flavors collectively. I discover it makes for a juicier, and much more flavorful filling!

Pile the filling into the pie dish. Don’t simply pour within the apples. As a substitute, ensure the slices are compact inside. Tuck them in tightly so there’s hardly any air pockets. The filling is already so juicy:

Add the highest pie crust. I’ve a complete tutorial on how one can lattice pie crust, which is how I high the pictured pie. Alternatively, you can also make a double-crust pie by laying the second rolled-out pie crust on high. Slit some vents on high with a pointy knife.

Don’t wish to mess with a high crust? Attempt my apple crumble pie, or make an apple galette.
Flute the sides. Right here is my video for how one can flute pie crust. You might additionally merely crimp the sides with a fork, a way I present in the identical video.

Brush with egg wash. Egg wash is a mixture of egg and milk, and it’s what provides the pie crust its golden sheen. Pie crust appears very uninteresting with out the egg wash. For a little bit crunch and sparkle, I all the time add a sprinkle of coarse sugar on high, too.


Bake: Bake the apple pie till the crust is golden brown, and the filling is effervescent via the vents, about 1 hour. Baking the pie at an preliminary excessive temperature helps set the crust. After about 25 minutes, scale back the oven temperature because the recipe card instructs beneath.
Once I decrease the oven temperature, I add a pie crust defend. You should buy one, or you can also make a DIY pie crust defend out of aluminum foil. Tear off a big sq. of aluminum foil, fold it in half, after which reduce a half-circle within the middle of the folded edge. Unfold it and place it on the pie. This can defend the sides, to make sure the crust doesn’t burn.

How Do I Know When Apple Pie Is Achieved?
A visible cue is useful when figuring out the pie’s doneness. If the crust is golden, and the filling is effervescent across the edges, the apple pie is completed. If you wish to be exact, the inner temperature of the filling taken with an immediate learn thermometer must be round 200°F (93°C) when accomplished.

Cool the pie: The longer you let apple pie cool, the extra the filling will set. I like to recommend cooling for at the least 3 full hours earlier than slicing and serving. I do know, it’s practically inconceivable to attend!
4 Apple Pie Success Ideas
- Uniform-Dimension Apples: Be certain your apple slices are uniform in dimension. Why? You don’t need some thick strong apples and a few skinny mushy apples. You need all of them to be tender, whereas retaining some texture. Goal for about 1/4-inch-thick slices. If the apple slices are too skinny, they’ll simply pack themselves down and also you’ll be in your method to making an applesauce pie.
- Use a Ton of Apples: You may be stunned what number of apple slices can match right into a pie crust. Pile them so excessive that it appears ridiculous. I’ve made this recipe lots of of instances, and I’m nonetheless shocked with what number of I can squeeze in!
- Use the Appropriate Pan: My all-time favourite pie dish is deep-dish model, but additionally excellent for normal (non-deep-dish model) pies as properly. You desire a pie dish that’s at the least 1.5 to 2 inches deep.
- Flute or Crimp the Edges: To stick the highest and backside crust collectively, and to seal within the juicy filling, make sure you flute or crimp the pie crust edges.

Prime the slices with vanilla ice cream and, if desired, a drizzle of salted caramel… as a result of we don’t fiddle on the subject of dessert. A dollop of whipped cream could be wonderful right here, too!
For those who’re in search of individual-portion desserts, chances are you’ll love these apple turnovers, apple pie baked apples, particular person apple crumbles, or my apple hand pies. No scarcity of apples round right here.


You don’t have to pre-cook the filling earlier than spooning it into the pie crust, nevertheless it’s a fast step I like to recommend. Simply 5 minutes on the range begins the softening course of, and in addition helps the flavors begin to mingle. I’ve by no means regretted taking this step, and it’s definitely catapulted my apple pies from good to nice.
You don’t need to pre-bake the underside pie crust for this pie. There’s merely no must take this further step as a result of the apple pie bakes for a extremely very long time within the oven. In case your pies have soggy crusts, you will not be baking them lengthy sufficient. See How Do I Know When Apple Pie Is Achieved above. Moreover, and that is vital, I strongly suggest utilizing a glass pie dish. Glass conducts warmth slowly and evenly, and you’ll actually *see* if the underside crust is completed.
Selfmade apple pie—with its mixture of candy, juicy apples and heat, comforting spices all encased in a buttery, golden crust—is such a quintessential American dessert. Each scrumptious chunk evokes a way of residence, nostalgia, and custom, and I do know you’ll like it as a lot as I do!

My Greatest Apple Pie Recipe
Prep Time: 3 hours
Prepare dinner Time: 1 hour
Complete Time: 7 hours (consists of cooling)
Yield: 8-10 servings
Class: Pie
Technique: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
With a mountain of gooey, cinnamon-kissed apples nestled below a wonderfully buttery and flaky pie crust, that is most definitely my favourite apple pie recipe. To deliver out the perfect apple taste and texture, pre-cook the filling for under about 5 minutes on the range. Bake and funky the pie, after which high with vanilla ice cream for the final word homestyle dessert.
Directions
- The crust: Put together both pie crust recipe via step 5.
- Make the filling: In a big bowl, stir the apple slices, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg collectively till totally mixed.
- Non-obligatory pre-cook: Pour the apple filling into a really giant skillet, or dutch oven, and place over medium warmth. Stir and prepare dinner for five minutes till the apples start to melt. Take away from warmth and put aside. This step is optionally available, however I’ve discovered it makes for a juicier, extra flavorful filling as a result of it helps start to melt the apples. For those who can, take the few further minutes to do that, as a result of the flavour is value it!
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work floor, roll out one of many discs of chilled dough (maintain the opposite one within the fridge). Flip the dough a few quarter flip after each few rolls till you've gotten a circle 12 inches in diameter. Rigorously place the dough right into a 9-inch pie dish that’s 1.5 to 2 inches deep. Tuck the dough in along with your fingers, ensuring it's clean. Spoon the filling into the crust. It’s okay whether it is nonetheless heat from the precooking step.
- End assembling: Take away the opposite disc of chilled pie dough from the fridge. Roll the dough right into a circle that's 12 inches diameter. Utilizing a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, reduce strips of dough; within the pictured pie, I reduce 12 1-inch-wide strips. Rigorously thread the strips over and below each other, pulling again strips as essential to weave. (Right here’s a lattice pie crust tutorial in case you want visuals.) Press the sides of the strips into the underside pie crust edges to seal. Use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim off extra dough. Crimp or flute the pie crust edges to seal.
- Calmly brush the highest of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the highest with coarse sugar, if utilizing.
- Place the pie onto a big baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Then, preserving the pie within the oven, scale back the oven temperature all the way down to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust defend (see Word for home made defend) on the sides to stop them from over-browning. Proceed baking the pie till the filling is effervescent across the edges, 35–40 extra minutes. This appears like a very long time, however under-baking the pie means an unfinished filling with agency apples with paste-like flour. If you wish to be exact, the inner temperature of the filling taken with an immediate learn thermometer must be round 200°F (93°C) when accomplished. Tip: If wanted in the direction of the tip of bake time, take away the pie crust defend and tent a complete piece of foil on high of the pie if the highest appears prefer it’s getting too brown.
- Take away pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and funky for at the least 3 hours earlier than slicing and serving. Filling can be too juicy if the pie is heat whenever you slice it.
- Cowl leftovers tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward / Freezing Directions: A pair methods to make forward of time! Make 1 day prematurely: After it cools, cowl tightly and maintain at room temperature. The pie crust dough may also be ready forward of time and saved within the fridge for as much as 5 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Baked pie additionally freezes properly for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge and permit to return to room temperature earlier than serving. Ready fillings may also be frozen as much as 3 months, thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Apple Peeler | Glass Mixing Bowl | Rubber Spatula | Giant Skillet or Dutch Oven (for optionally available pre-cook) | Rolling Pin | Pie Dish | Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter | Kitchen Shears | Pastry Brush | Giant Baking Sheet | Pie Crust Defend | Cooling Rack
- Apples: See weblog submit above for the perfect apples to make use of. I normally use about 4 to five Granny Smith and 4 Jazz or Pink Woman apples.
- Aluminum Foil Pie Crust Defend: You should buy a pie crust defend or make one from aluminum foil. Reduce a 14-inch sq. of aluminum foil. Fold in half. Reduce out a 5-inch semi-circle on the folded edge. Unfold. Rigorously match the aluminum foil over the pie crust edges, securing down on the perimeters as greatest you possibly can (cautious, the pie is scorching!), leaving the middle of the pie uncovered.
- Hand Pies: If you wish to make smaller particular person apple pies, attempt my apple hand pies recipe.