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
Making your apple pie with cortland apples. In oven now.
Oh that sounds great! Let me know how you like it.
I made your apple pie tonight
My hubby and I loved it.
I hope to make another one next weekend for our neighbors birthday.’Thank You
I am really so happy to hear that you both loved the apple pie.
Okay I’m going to be %100 honest because when I bake I want the same thing
I’m not a fan of the pie crust flavor (which is nothing you did)
The apple filling flavor was a great but runny. (I’m not sure what it’s suppose to be)
I’m not a huge fan of fruit pie in the first place I’m more of a cream pie person so I’m might not be the best judge of it.
It was beautiful and magazine pictures perfect!
Any ideas why it was runny? I used pink lady apples and before I put the filling into the crust I tasted an apple slice with the sauce and it was yummy
HI Amber, maybe it could be the number of apples used or any substitutions made? Also, not baking long enough would affect how the syrup thickens up. Lastly, you want the pie to rest and cool for the juices to thicken before slicing into it.
Hi! How do I make a sugar glaze on top of this crust? Thank you!
Hi, I haven’t tried that for this pie but you could maybe brush the top lightly with milk then sprinkle with coarse sugar or even cinnamon sugar before baking.
I made your Apple Pie and crust tonight. It turned out AMAZING! I love your recipes! Wish I could send you a pic!
Hi Judy, we don’t have a way to upload photos, but you could post it in our private Facebook group or just email it to me, or tag me on Instagram 🙂 My email: hello @ natashaskitchen. com (no spaces).
Great filling. Not sure what I may have done wrong on the pie crust – although everyone raved about it, it was not flaky. 🙂 Wondering if there are any tips of what I may have done wrong (age of ingredients, or something along those lines?) Thanks for sharing … I’d like to try it again for a flakier crust. 🙂
Hi Gracie, it’s so hard to say what the culprit is without being there but like you said it could be due to expired ingredients or any alterations made to the recipe. If there is too much flour, that could be the culprit also. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
So good!
Good to know that you enjoyed this recipe!
delicious! can I substitute
3 tablespoons flour in the filling with 3 tablespoons cornstarch?thanks
Hi Carolyn, I haven’t tried that substitution to advise on it working. If you experiment, I’d love to know how you like it!
By far the best apple pie recipe I’ve ever tried! This will certainly be my go to and yes, that filling is amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Lara!
Thank you Natasha for the apple pie recipe delicious
You’re welcome, Theresa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So good! I subbed in brown sugar for a more caramel taste!
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for sharing that with us!
Insanely delicious. Best apple pie recipe I’ve found. It’s a bit sweet for me so I reduce the sugar to half a cup, which turns out perfectly for my taste.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Claire! I glad you found a way to make it just right for you!
amazing recipe i LOVE, very easy and amazing instructions!
Thank you for your awesome feedback!
This recipe will not fail you! I never leave reviews, but I had to this time. It was the best pie I’ve ever had!
That’s wonderful feedback, Kimberly. Thanks a lot!
This was the best apple pie I ever had.
I’m glad to hear that, Jessie!
Can i can the apple pie filling in the jar?
Hi Shirley, 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.
Ok, let’s try this again…. Made this pie again and again and will be making it over and over during the fall. Loving all your recipes!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Pam!
This apple pie is my favorite. I’ve made it twice now and it does not disappoint. My whole family loves it. The filling it not too sweet or bitter. Perfect!
I’m happy to hear that you all love this recipe!
Can’t wait to make this delicious sounding apple pie! I was hoping to use honeycrisp apples and read your note about using less sugar for a sweeter apple – should I use 3/4 cup of sugar or 150g?? Thank you so much! Can’t wait!!!
Hi Nina, those are the same amount 3/4 cup of sugar is equal to 150g. I hope that helps.
Hello Natalie, looks delicious! Can sugar be replaced with honey or maple syrup? And is it a 1:1 ratio?
Hi Mandy, I imagine that will work but I haven’t experimented on that yet. If you try that, please update us on how it goes.