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
Yes, use this recipe…it is the absolute best!!!!
Thank you for that wonderful review, Stacy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just tried this Apple pie recipe. It does take a lot of time to prepare but I made my crust dough the night before so that saved a bit of time. It was my first time making a pie crust from scratch (at 66 years old). Your instructions are very easy to follow. I couldn’t find a pIace to attach a pic – not as pretty as yours but was fun to make & I can’t wait to taste it tonight for our dessert!
Hello Deb, good thing you prepared the dough ahead of time. You just really need to have a bit of patience for this one but it’s totally worth it. I hope this becomes a favorite for you!
Hi Natasha, please tell me, can this apple pie be made in the form of glass?😊
Hi, that should work but I would recommend a deep dish pie pan for this recipe or it would overflow a standard pie pan such as one you would use for pumpkin pie.
Just made this for the first time and it is amazing! I made the dough two days ago and left it in the fridge. It was so simple yet so delicious. My entire family devoured it… even my picky 4 year old!
Hello Ali, thank you for sharing your good experience with this recipe. It’s great to hear that your family loved this apple pie! I hope you and your fam will love every recipe that you try.
My daughter and granddaughter said this was definitely the best apple pie ever! The lovely pastry was so easy and the filling delicious, the sauce is brilliant.
That is so sweet of them. Thank you for sharing that with us, Vicki!
very nice crust. Granny Smith a must. Mom always one Mckintosh makes a juicy filling. ” GOOD Eating ‘
Thanks, Joseph and I agree, granny smith is the best one to use for apple pies.
Hi Natasha, Apple pie is one of my favorites and Ive made many with different recipes. This was by far the best apple pie I’ve ever made! Simply delicious! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It is my new go-to!
So wonderful feedback. Thank you so much for your great review, Lori!
I cannot make pie crust for the life of me, but this apple pie filling is to die for. I have this twice for my son and husband and they loved it. Even my daughter-in-law who is not an Apple pie eater loved it. This is a great recipe! Thank you!
Yay so fantastic! Thank you for your great feedback, Anna.
I want to ask if I can use store-bought crust
Hi, I have not tried this with store-bought crust but a few of our readers have reported great results. If you do the experiment I would love to know how you like that.
I used store bought refrigerated pie crust and it came out perfect.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! That’s so great!
I am baking this pie but my oven doesn’t seem to cook the crust where it is too brown on top and soggy on the bottom. I have a thermometer in there but have this issue with all baked goods. Is there a certain rack you put it on. It has 6 levels. On a happier note the pie crust recipe is awesome! Will let you know how this turns out!
Hi Janet, I’ve never had that experience either. Did you use a different kind of pan (possibly a foil pan?). Also, make sure to bake in the center of the oven on conventional bake mode (not convection). I hope that helps.
I love the way my pie tastes, but it falls apart when putting on plate. Yours stayed together. Suggestions
Hi Dorothy, make sure to let it cool before slicing. If the pie is too hot in the center, the filling won’t set and will slide apart when sliced.
I have made this pie and it is ABSOLUTELY the best pie I have made in 30 years. It’s perfect
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Barbara! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This thing was amazing,
I followed the majority of the instructions and added a few twists, I added some vanilla extract and some nutmeg to the apples, and I used my fingers to rub in the butter (because I don’t have a food processor, and the resulting apple pie was incredible. When the pie hit the table, people stoped talking, by the end of that night, the pie glass was empty. Thanks for the awesome recipe Natasha! I look forward to new ones to come.
Yay so fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing that with us. It is so heartwarming to read nice comments and feedback like this.
Hi Natasha
I am going to make your apple pie today. One question: can I substitute gluten free flour for regular plain flour?
Thanks!
Hi Kathleen, I haven’t tested this with gluten-free to advise. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that.
Hi. Sorry if this is a duplicate questio, I can’t find the other one I posted. Do you use a regular or deep dish 9 inch pie plate for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Laura, mine is a deep dish and that would be safer to avoid drips in the oven.
Hi, this looks delicious 😋, I am going to try this today, just wondering is the oven temperature with/without fan?
Hi Claudio, we use an electric oven and put it on the regular bake mode (not convection/ fan mode)
Try adding a cup of cider instead of water, will give the filling a bit more punch.
Thanks for the tip, Aly. I should try that next time.
Hi Natasha. I want to make this very soon and was wondering, is this a regular 9 inch pie plate, or a deep dish? Please let me know. Thank you!
Hello Laura, just the regular dish.
Hi natasha, i love the way you cook. I am a big fan of all your recipes. In fact i cook one of your recipes for dinner every night. I just have a little question. On the apple pie filling, is this recipe good for canning? I have a ton of apples and i will love to can some. Thank you.
Aww, thank you so much for sharing that with me, Cristal! I haven’t tested this by canning it to advise if you happen to experiment though I would love to know how you like that.
I have been making pies for many, many years and can’t wait to try this crust. I always use crisco. I’m making
an apple cobbler for an after funeral meal this week & going to try this crust. My pie recipe is about the same; I squeeze lemon juice over mine and use 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar. I rarely use a recipe for any thing except cakes. I just add a little of this and a little of that. I’m almost 93, so I’ve had a lot of practice.
I hope you love this recipe, Jeanne!
Hello Natasha,
I am a big fan of your reci-‘pies’!!!
One question I have about the crust:
Do I need to put in all of the water? I have tried other crust recipes in which I put in all the liquid, but the crust always comes out way too soft and mushy. (It’s very dry out where I live)
And what would happen if I used brown sugar? Would you recommend it? Could I also add more spices if I please?
Thank you so much!!
Hi Kat, I always use the same amount of cold water – as long as the ingredients are measured correctly (and not overmixed in the food processor), the proportions will work well. I haven’t tried adding anything else – I usually work with the filling for additional spices and flavorings and keep the crust simple.
Oh yeah, that’s what I meant, about the spices, oops.
I was about to print this recipe using metric, but the flour is still in tbsp. How much would it be in grams? Thanks again!!
I also can’t believe you actually replied! Most others never do 🙁
I do my best, you may also use this Ingredient Weight Chart as a guide.