My all-time favorite Apple Pie Recipe! Imagine saucy apples bubbling through that flaky pie crust – irresistibly good! This pie always gets glowing reviews from everyone who takes a bite. This is the pie everyone has to make for Thanksgiving!
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Helpful Reader Review
“I have made a lot of different apple pies for my family over the years. This is by far the best apple pie ever! My family requests it all the time.“ – Elaine ★★★★★
Apple Pie Video Tutorial
Watch my video and see how easy this apple pie is—from the simple crust to that homemade apple pie filling. You’ll crave it until you make it!
Apple Pie Recipe
This easy Apple Pie is a treasured recipe with thousands 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, flaky, gooey, and just perfect.
You’ll love the homemade flaky pastry 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 method for this homemade apple pie 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 crust – 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 store-bought, 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 & Flour – creates a thick and saucy 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 – combining 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, but use less sugar when substituting sweeter apples such as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
How to Make Apple Pie
- Prepare the pie crust recipe and chill in the refrigerator. 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, add flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in water and sugar. Simmer 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 cinnamon and toss to combine, then stir in the filling to coat the apples.
The Best Tool for Apple Recipes
My family loves apple recipes, from Baked Apples to Apple Turnovers. If you love apple desserts, this apple slicer will save you so much prep time! It peels, slices, and cores all in one swoop. You’ll have all of your apples prepped in less than 5 minutes. Imagine saucy apples bubbling through that flaky lattice crust – irresistibly good!
- Roll the Crust – into a 12-inch diameter pie dough and transfer to a 9-inch, deep pie pan. Add the apple filling, 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 with a pizza cutter. Arrange half of the strips over the pie and weave in the second layer of strips (see how to make a lattice crust). Crimp the edges to seal and brush the crust with egg wash.
- 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 for at least 5 minutes.
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 stress, 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, for the juices to thicken up and set, otherwise it will slide apart when sliced.
Everything about this apple pie is good, from the flaky, buttery, homemade crust to the unbeatable apple pie filling. Try this served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Let me know if it graces your holiday table.
P.S. Did you know you can make an apple pie ahead (see the make-ahead tips in the notes below). With all the bustle of the holidays, it’s nice to know you can check this pie off your list early.
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, core, 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 for at least 5 minutes.* Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Store at Room Temp: Cool completely to room temperature before covering and storing. The pie keeps well covered on the counter for up to 2 days.
- To Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezing Pie: store in a freezer-friendly airtight container for up to 3 months. Here’s a tutorial on how to freeze and bake a frozen pie.
- To Reheat: thaw baked pie in the fridge or on the counter and then reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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 that 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
- Pumpkin Roll
Made this – filling is delicious but got very liquidy, even after letting it cool it was like a soup. I might add less of the filling sauce next time as others have suggested and also sub some of the filling for fresh squeezed lemon to give the sweet filling a bit more bite.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Juliet! Yes, it shouldn’t be like soup so I recommend following those tips!
Great recipe! I made it yesterday for a special occasion. It was delicious, and I got many compliments.
Hi there, thanks for sharing your great review with us. I’m glad you got so many compliments for this recipe!
This is the best apple pie recipe I have ever made! Delicious! My husband loved it. I made it with some leftover apples I needed to use up not even sure what type they were. I will now throw away all the other apple pie recipes I have. I’m trying your blueberry pie next.
Thank you!
That’s awesome, Linda. I’m glad the recipe was a hit, thanks for your wonderful feedback!
I haven’t made this yet but planning to do so on Saturday as an anniversary gift for my hubby. I have read some comments regarding the liquid and am wondering the same thing. My apple pies always release so much juice? Would tossing the apples in flour help? I want it perfect. Thank you so much
This is a wonderful recipe!!! The best tasting apple pie I have ever had. I don’t have a pie dish so I made it in a small cake tin. Next time I would put half of that delicious sauce in but as I said it tasted AMAZING just didn’t have that solid slice consistency as it was so juicy. I was so happy with the crust as well. I did sprinkle some sugar on top of the egg wash…not needed at all. I loved this apple pie! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can you leave the pie dough for longer than an hour in the fridge. Do you have to use it the same day you mix it Please and Thank you. Natasha love your recipes.
Hi Sandra, If it’s chilled longer than an hour (say overnight), you will want it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so it is easier to roll out.
Hi Natasha,
I made this yesterday and it looked and tasted great however I had one problem, when I cut into it was basically a pool of liquid. I left it sitting for 2 hours after it came out of the oven. What can I do to avoid this next time? Because I followed all the instructions to the tee. Thank you
Hi Jay, I haven’t had it turn out watery but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure not to use too many apples – also it could be due to the type of apples used. Lastly, make sure to give it enough time in the oven for the pectin to break down and cause those juices to thicken.
This is very delicious. 5/5
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha,
My pan’s height is thin, will this recipe not rise too much for me to bake in my thin pan?
Hi Lauren, if it’s thin but larger in size, that may work, but we use every bit of our pie pan for this recipe.
It is 9 in pan, but thinner in height. Will that work or should I cut ingredients in half?
Hi Lauren, if it isn’t a deeper dish, the filling would overwhelm the recipe. I would cut the filling down.
What if the filling sauce is too thick?
Hi TeeTee, it is normal for it to get a little thick when it hits the cold apples but no worries, it will thin out and bake up well with the pie.
I gave up making pies years ago because the crust never turned out. Used store bought for awhile, but hated those results too. Was gifted six bags of apples and came across this recipe so thought I’d give it a try with fingers crossed. In the words of my husband, this was the very, very, very, very best pie he has ever had. It turned out beautiful too with the lattice crust top. I have a picture but don’t know how to add it to this post. I did add the 1 Tbsp sugar into the egg wash like the video said, instead of the 1 Tbsp water like the printed recipe. There was no noticeable difference in the taste. The lattice crust was golden and crazy delicious and flaky. This is definitely my new go-to recipe for apple pie! The most difficult part of the entire baking process was waiting a full hour for the pie to cool. Thanks Natasha I can’t wait to share this with family and friends.
Hi Susan, I misspoke in the video (like a verbal typo) and there’s no fixing a video audio once it’s out there. Sorry about that and there is no sugar in the egg wash. I’m so happy you loved it anyway and that this has become your new favorite. I wonder if I’m missing out by not putting sugar in my egg wash?
If you want to freeze the pie for later use, would you bake it and then freeze it or do all steps and not bake?
I want to gift them.
Hi Monica, you sure can. 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. I haven’t tried freezing this or making it ahead for a long time, and I worry if you assemble and leave it unbaked for two days, it will get soggy.
Made this pie along with your pie crust three times all with great success! My friends I fed it to loved it too. The first two times I used fuji apples which ended up being a bit sweet even when cutting sugar (still delicious though). When I tried the full recipe with honeycrisp apples it turned out even better! Thank you for the amazing recipe! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Should I use a pie shield on my pie?
Hi Amy, yes you may need to shield the crust with foil (see tips for that in the recipe post above).
Hi Natasha, I have asked about making the Apple pie in advance and thanks for your reply. I know you said to warm it up in the oven the next day but can I leave it out on the counter for several hours and serve at room temp? Will it still be good? I’m gonna bring it to a place where there’s no oven for me warm it up. 😉 thank you very much!!
That will work too but I personally like heating it before serving.
Can I use a pasta cutter wheel for the lattice, for a fancier look?
Hi Amy I think that would be lovely to use a fluted cutter for the lattice.
Can I use the peeler,corer and slicer tool for this recipe?
Hi Amy, I bet that would be helpful to speed up the process than doing it by hand.
Love this! For #5 it says nothing about adding sugar to egg wash just water. It only says to add sugar in the video….
Hi Katie, I misspoke on the video. There is no sugar in the egg wash, just water.
Thanks so much!!! I love this recipe and it is absolutely perfect every time ❤️
You are very welcome, Katie! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for sharing your good feedback with us.
Hello Natasha, yes I used granny smith apples. I followed your instructions exactly. Some one told me apples can be tough. Don’t know if it is true or not. This is a continuation of an e-mail I sent you yesterday. This is the 3rd pie I have made of your recipe. Thank you, Debra
Hi Debra, that’s possible, especially if the apples are picked too soon or not ripe.
Getting ready to make this pie. Just wondering if I am able to make the pie today and bake tomorrow? Thank you 😊
Hi Wendy, I haven’t tested it that way, but I would not assemble the pie until ready to bake. The crust might get soggy if you keep it refrigerated overnight. It would be better to bake the pie and let it rest and cool at room temperature overnight to serve tomorrow.
Should you par-bake the bottom crust first?
Hi Sheila, it is not required in this recipe to prebake.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for this recipe. Do you have any tips with baking it in a countertop oven? I’m worried the pie’s crust might burn before the filling gets cooked through. Or does the aluminum foil step you mentioned above do the trick?
Regards,
Nate
Hi Nate, I haven’t tested this on a countertop oven but you would definitely want to have an aluminum foil shield ready as soon as you see browning so it doesn’t get too dark. It might bake faster in a counter oven since its closer to the heating element, but that is also specific to whatever model you are using. I hope it works well for you!