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
Natasha, I love baking ur recipes. I want to make an apple pie from scratch this thanksgiving. I have an issue with my oven though. The temperature sensor does not work properly. I can bake at just one temp. Your recipe calls to reduce the baking temp which won’t be possible for me. Can u suggest if I can make this pie at just one temperature?
Thanks
Hi, without testing it that way, there’s no way to say for sure, but if you are not able to reduce the temperature, you would definitely want to shield the pie so it doesn’t burn and get too brown on the crust. Reducing the temperature helps to give the apples adequate time to soften and cook through.
Hi! Your pie plate looks a bit deeper than mine and I’m wondering If that will have an effect on the recipe?
Hi Alyssa, if it is too shallow, it can overwhelm the pie with the number of apples (maybe cut down a little depending on the size difference). You would definitely want to place a sheet of foil under the pie to catch drips.
I made the apple pie last week and it was amazing!
Thank you soooo much!
Do you have a good recipe for traditional pecan pie?
I’m hosting this Thanksgiving for the first time- i plan on doing most of the dishes from your blog!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! We do not have a pecan pie recipe at this time but I am adding that to my list of suggestions. We have our favorite recipes including pecans and walnuts HERE.
Hi Natasha! If I don’t make a lattice top and just lay the whole crust over the top with a few slits, should I adjust the temperature and/or the cook time? By the way, love watching your videos! You make it fun! Thank you!
Hi Luci, if any adjustments need to be made to bake time for that, they would be minor. I would watch it closely towards the end.
Hello Natasha,
Does the pie crust need to be blind baked prior to baking the whole pie?
Thanks!
Christine
Hi Christine, blind baking the pie crust is not necessary for this apple pie.
I am making this pie with my two boys for Thanksgiving. My first pie ever! Your recipe and straight forward directions give me confidence. Question…
Your video says to make the egg wash with an egg and sugar, but the written recipe says an egg with water. Which is correct? We can’t wait to taste this!!!
Hi Suzie, that was a mistake. It is supposed to be water. I’m not sure why I said sugar.
I plan on making this for a Friendsgiving. Would it be better to make the dough, filling and assemble the pie to be baked at my friends house? Or should I bake it the night before and reheat it?
Hello there, this recipe can be made ahead. You can store it in the fridge already baked and cover it loosely with plastic wrap and reheat it the next day in the oven.
Hi,
If reheating the next day, what temp and how long do you recommend? Will it be soggy if made ahead and reheated?
Hi Rose, we’ve also eaten this fresh, but you can preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the apple pie on a baking sheet; lightly cover the apple pie with aluminum foil. Place the pie in the oven for around 15 to 20 minutes.
Hi Natasha. I made the Apple Latice pie. The only thing I changed was salted butter for the sauce. Only because I didn’t have unsalted butter.
Sounds good, I hope you enjoyed it!
Hello Natasha,
I love your receipe and your enthousiasm in your video. Thanks a lot for that. We perfectly understand when you speak english even if we’re french. The only difficulty is to well transform 1/3 1/2 cup in grams or cl. Even if I check on internet itsn’t really reliable. I would like to taste your apple pie but could you please just confirm me flour quantity for your crush pie because I calculate 120 grm for 225g butter it seems wird. thanks for you reply
Most of our new recipes have already conversion to grams. If you’re at the recipe, click Jump to recipe then click Metric. You may also use this Ingredient Weight Chart for accurate conversion. I hope that helps.
Thanks a lot!!! it was so delicious. Everybody loves it. My daughters and I love watching your videos. You have fans in France. Thanks
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Hello from Singapore! Followed this recipe to the dot and it was awesome! It was also my first time pie from scratch. Thank you, Natasha! Your recipes always work!
Hello Yie, I hope you’re doing great in Singapore. Thanks for sharing that with me and good job for making a great pie on your first try!
Is it possible to freeze this pie for later use? Would I do that before or after baking it? Thank you!
Hi Kelli, I haven’t tested freezing that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I have never made a pie from scratch in my life. This recipe was amazing. Thank you.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha, I made this recipe last year for Thanksgiving and it was amazing! Everyone loved it.
The only thing was that I made it the day before, and the day of, the filling had sunken. The crust was still in a dome, but the filling had sunken from the day before. Is this normal? What can I do to avoid this?
Hi McKayla, I haven’t had that happen with this pie. I would suggest patting down the filling before adding the top crust so there aren’t any air gaps between slices and that will help it settle more naturally without any gaps after baking.
I will do that this year. Thank you!
OMG, this is the best apple pie I have ever tried and this is the only recipe I will ever use for it. The whole pie is gone in a day. Thank you!
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Natalia. We appreciate it!
I was wondering if this apple pie recipe could be made and frozen to be baked later?
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tested that to advise. Let us know how it goes if you decide to do an experiment!
Love this! Tried it out and it tasted really good. The crust was excellent! The filling though turned out to be quite runny and liquid (tasted good nonetheless). I followed the recipe to a tee so i’m not sure what went wrong. Any advice how to avoid a runny filling?
Hello Paul, I’m glad you liked the pie crust. Without being there it is hard to say but it can be anything from oven calibration to the ripeness of the apple – if that makes sense. I do recommend reading through our reader’s comments, we find there are some great suggestions there.
So delicious! I made it for my family and they enjoyed it! I used a different homemade crust recipe and it was still delicious. The apples were yummy and the recipe was not too hard to follow! Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that with me, Abby! I’m so glad you all enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha! just a quick question, can I use this sauce if I want to use plums instead of the apples?
Hello Elvira, I haven’t tried using plums instead of apples but I imagine that should work just fine. I think it’s worth experiment with, if you try it, please share with us how it goes.
Amazing recipe. Absolutely divine!!!!! I used my own crust recipe but this filling was PERFECT. I will be using this from now on.
Hello Nikki, so great to hear that you loved this recipe. I hope you can also try our pie crust recipe next time.
I love your recipes! I was thinking of making an apple cranberry pie this Thanksgiving and your apple pie looks amazing, do you think if I reduce the amount of apples and add cranberries this will work out?
Hello Felice, I have not really tried that yet to advise but I think it’s worth trying. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Hi, I did make this with cranberries! I used a bit fewer appples and about 11/2 c cranberries. It did bubble over a bit but I might have filled the pie to full. But it was delicious.
I’m happy you enjoyed this Felice!