Our classic Apple Pie Recipe with an irresistible homemade apple pie filling always gets glowing reviews from everyone who takes a bite. From the best flaky pie crust to the generous saucy center, this is the pie everyone has to make for Thanksgiving!
Homemade apple pie is easier than you think. This crust comes together fast and requires basic ingredients, and the filling is scrumptious and equally simple to make.
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We love apple recipes, from Baked Apples to Apple Turnovers, and let’s not forget Sharlotka Apple Cake. If you love apples, this easy apple pie is a must-try! Imagine saucy apples bubbling through that flaky lattice crust – irresistibly good!
Apple Pie Video Tutorial
Watch me make the best apple pie recipe, and we know you’ll crave it until you make it. This easy Apple Pie is a treasured recipe with hundreds of glowing reviews. It’s simple to make but looks just like a professional baker spent hours in the kitchen to make it, and it tastes that way too. It’s buttery, flakey, gooey, and sweet, just perfect.
Apple Pie Recipe
You’ll love the homemade flakey pie crust – we use this same crust for Blueberry Pie and Cherry Pie. It’s also perfect for savory pies like Chicken Pot Pie. It’s a keeper!
The homemade apple pie filling is adapted slightly from the famous Grandma Ople apple pie. The method for this filling is surprising, but it will win you over. It’s well worth the extra 5 minutes and you’ll never want canned apple pie filling again.
Ingredients for Apple Pie
You may be surprised to hear you only need pantry staples and some fresh apples to make this apple pie recipe.
- Pie crusts – you’ll need two disks of homemade pie crust. We love this apple pie crust just as much as the filling. Since it’s an all-butter homemade pie crust (no shortening), it’s flaky and tender. The bottom is never soggy but forms a crispness at the edges. You can use storebought, but homemade is best.
- Apples – We use Granny Smith in this pie recipe for the best flavor and texture. Avoid overripe or mushy apples. See my notes on apple substitutions below.
- Butter – use unsalted to add richness to the saucy filling.
- Flour – helps to thicken up the filling.
- Cinnamon – adds a warm, spiced flavor to the apples. You could also add a pinch of nutmeg.
- Sugar – add sugar to taste depending on the types of apples used (see apple options below).
- Egg Wash – combine egg and water gives the crust a golden brown, shiny finish.
The Best Apples for Apple Pie
Granny Smith apples are tart and crisp and the gold standard for baking, but any sweet/tart and crisp apples or even a mix of apples will do, and you can adjust the sugar accordingly. We use a full cup of sugar for tart Granny Smith and slightly less when substituting sweeter apples such as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
Our Favorite Tools to Make Pie
You don’t need fancy equipment to make an apple pie from scratch, and once you have the right recipe for pie dough, it’s as easy as pie!
- Food processor or pastry blender
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter, or a knife
- Pie Plate – 9″ wide, deep dish
- Apple Slicer – I highly recommend this time-saving tool. I even bought one for my Mom!
How to Make Apple Pie
- Prepare the pie crust recipe and chill in the refrigerator as instructed. When ready to assemble your pie, preheat the oven to 425˚F with a rack in the center of the oven.
- Make the Filling Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat then whisk in 3 Tbsp flour and continue whisking constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar (if using a sweeter apple, adjust the sugar). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and continue whisking for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Do not overcook.
- Prepare apples – peel core and slice apples into about 1/4″ thick slices. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss to combine, then pour on the filling mixture and stir to coat the apples.
- Roll the Crust – Over a floured surface, roll the first chilled pie disk into a 12-inch diameter disk then transfer to a 9-inch, deep pie pan. Add the apples over the crust, mounding in the center (avoid getting apple filling on the edges of the pie crust, which will make it difficult to seal).
- Lattice Top – Roll the second disk into an 11-inch diameter circle and cut into 10 strips. Arrange half of the strips over the pie and weave in the second layer of strips. See my easy tutorial on how to make a lattice crust. Finish the pie by crimping the edges. In a separate dish, beat together the egg and water and brush over the lattice crust (you will have some eggwash left over).
- Bake at 425˚F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue baking for another 45 minutes until you see thick juices bubbling through the lattice crust.
How to Keep Pie From Browning Too Fast
If you find the edges of your pie are browning too quickly, you can use a pie shield or simply cut a 3″ circle out of the center of a square sheet of foil and loosely place it with the dull side down over the top of your pie.
Tips for the Best Apple Pie
- Don’t overheat the filling – Avoid overheating the sauce or cooking for too long, which can cause it to separate or get too thick. If this happens, don’t panic, you can still toss the apples together with the sauce, and it will come together in the oven.
- Chill the crust – make sure to chill the pie crust according to the instructions or the butter will melt out of the crust and it will go flat.
- Let it cool – allow the pie to cool and set for at least an hour before slicing. If you serve it hot, it will slide apart.
Make-Ahead & Storage
With all the bustle of the holidays , it’s nice to know you can check this pie off your list early. Be sure to cool completely to room temperature before covering and storing.
- Storing at Room Temperature: The pie keeps well covered on the counter for up to 2 days.
- To Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: store in a freezer-friendly airtight container for up to 6 months
- To Reheat: thaw in the fridge or on the counter and then reheat in a 350°F oven until warm
Everything about this apple pie is good, from the flaky buttery homemade crust to the unbeatable apple pie filling. Let me know if it graces your holiday table.
More Fall Baking Recipes
Fall always puts me in the mood for baking. All of these recipes are on our regular rotation. These recipes are easy to make and are so good, they are our go-to Thanksgiving recipes!
- Pumpkin Cake
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Baklava
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Bread with honey butter
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Apple Crisp
The BEST Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for double pie crust
- 2 1/4 lbs Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored 6-7 apples (7 cups thinly sliced)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg , + 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash
Instructions
- Make the pie crust recipe and chill per instructions while preparing the filling. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering for 3 minutes, whisking frequently then remove from heat.
- Peel, remove cores, and thinly slice 7 cups of apples and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat the apple slices.
- Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out the bottom pie crust to a 12" diameter circle. Wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to the 9" pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding slightly in the center and being careful not to get the filling on the edges which would make it difficult to seal.
- Roll the second crust into an 11" round and cut into 10 even-thickness strips using a pizza cutter. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top (see video tutorial). Beat together 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water and brush the top with egg mixture.
- Bake at 425˚F in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue baking for another 45 minutes or until the apples are soft and the filling is bubbling through the vents.* Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hands down the absolute best apple pie! I have baked it in my Traeger too using apple pellets, and it turned out fantastic. I am getting ready for an upcoming trip in our 5th wheel travel trailer and the freezer would be too small for a baked pie, so I thought about preparing a head of time, so I was wondering if I could can the apple pie filling (I would add ClearJel)?
Hi Janice! I have not tried canning this. The pie freezes well before baking so you could freeze the filling separately.
Hi Natasha. I wrote a review yesterday with and received a “it’s processing” comment. Today, however, my review has disappeared. Any idea why it might have disappeared or been removed?
Hi Michael, I can still see your comment/review and replied to you. Please look in the comment section and you should see it too.
Hi Natasha. My daughter and I really enjoyed this recipt. I do have one problem I hope you can help me with. We’ve made this pie twice, and followed your instructions to the letter. However, the apples never hold u&ù_u basically turm to mush. We even reduced the baking time (15min@425 & 350 for 30min) and still got more mushy apples that whole apples. Any suggestions?
Hi Michael! What kind of apples are you using? See my note above “The Best Apples for Apple Pie.” Some apples get very mushy and soft and don’t work well for apple pie.
My daughter and I use the green granny apples you recommended
Thanks for clarifying, Michael. Were your apples overripe or sliced too thin?
I thought maybe the apples were cut too thin, So I decided to cut the apples fairly thick and most of the apples still were mushy.
Lovely apple pie! My husband Rupert loves this pie more than anything last year i thought he was cheating on me with my neighbour Beth and I told her you stay away from Rupert and then I baked him this very pie and said if you cheat on me you will never taste this pie again and since then he has never cheated on me since!!
What are your thoughts on doubling this into a slab pie and freezing it? better to freeze this before or after baking? This is our favorite apple pie recipe!
It should be fine to double the recipe into a slab pie! It’s recommend to freeze before baking. Hope you love it!
OMG this pie was soooo good! I just couldn’t wait one hour for it to cool. True my portion was a bit liquidy, but it was still delicious. Not at all how Mom made her apple pies; sorry Mom. I used a frozen store-bought crust, and had way too many chopped cinnamon apples, so I threw them in a Ziplock bag to freeze for next time. What a treat for Canada Day.
Hands down thee best apple pie I’ve ever had! It’s made with simple ingredients, it’s quick and everyone who has ever had it from me just can’t get enough!
So glad you love it too! It’s our favorite pie!
Best Apple Pie I made! Everyone loved it. And the crust OMG
Hi Jessica! I’m so glad to hear that. It’s our favorite pie crust!
Natasha, I have made this pie several times, and it is fabulous. I have a question for you. How do you think it would be if I added 1/4c – 1/2c golden raisins to the apples (or perhaps 1/4 c chopped walnuts? I’m feeling a wee bit frisky today LOL. I love every one of your recipes (your banana bread with raisins and walnuts is to die for).
Hi Carol! Thank you so much, I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Those additions sound great. I think they would work.
This is not a review (yet) because the pie is still cooling but I do have a question/comment. I followed the instructions perfectly for the filling but while I was cutting the apples, the filling solidified in the pan and wasn’t the liquid like consistency in the video. I had to rake it out of the pan and still used as my filling but I was wondering what I wrong?
Hi Gail, the apples should release water as they’re cooking to ensure they’re not too thick. If they are too thick you can also add a tad bit more liquid to loosen it up.
I absolutely LOVE her recipes!!! I made this pie for my son-in-law for his birthday a year ago..he still says it was the best!!! So I made another one for Fathers Day!!! it’s a GREAT recipe!!! Thanks Natasha…My son in law and rest for the family also said they LOVED the crust!!! I think the only thing I would do next time is maybe add more apples..!
Hi there! I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for the feedback.
This pie is DELICIOSOOO. Really. I have made like 8 of them. Gosh.
TIP: I slice half the apples and the other half I make them in small dices. The bite on the combination of the two textures is fantastic.
I make a big batch of filling and freeze it. For now they have lasted 1 year in the freezer for me and still taste delicious when baked.