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
Hi, my daughter and I made apple pie following your recipe. It came out absolutely delicious! Thank you for your recipes ! I used so many of them and it’s always a success!
You’re so welcome Veronica. I’m happy that it came out delicious! I hope you love every recipe that you try.
I made the apple pie today using my favorite crust with the vinegar and egg. I liked the sauce but felt like next time I needed to cut back on the cinnamon a little. other than that it was delicious. sending most of it home with my son as it’s his favorite pie. thank you for all the great recipes. I’m an 83 year old who loves to bake and cook.
You’re welcome Nancy and I’m sure it will already be perfect the next time you make it. Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe and I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Try Macintosh. They will make your recipe. Even better.
Thank you for that wonderful tip Marsha!
Hi there..im really enjoying your recipes. The Apple pie sounds unreal. Just finding it hard to find the pastry recipe. Can please send it to me..thank you..
From Down and under
AUSTRALIA
Is this Pie Crust what you’re looking for?
hello just to make sure that i understand correctly, shall i make one recipe of the pie crust and divide it on two, or double the whole recipe??
Hi Rana, per the ingredients “1 recipe for double pie crust” Just one recipe is enought. I have it linked here for you.
thank you for replying im your biggest fan from Egypt!
i will let you know how it turns out for me <3
Sounds good Rana!
I made this pie over the Christmas holidays and my husband said it was the best pie I ever made! I also took it to a luncheon at church and everyone wanted the recipe! Have two in the oven right now!
Wow! That’s so great! I’m smiling bug reading this comment. Sounds like you found a new party favorite.
This recipe was delicious will be using it every time I make apple Pie, But my filling sauce is always runny how can I thicken it?
Hi Lucy, it should thicken up nicely and be more like a thick sauce than runny. Did you change anything with the filling mix? Were your apples really large? It could have been too much apples if your 6 apples were very large.
Hello,
Do you think pears can be substituted in this recipe?
Hi Rita, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I have been making apple pies for over 40 years and although they tasted delicious, the sauce was always runny.
Last week, I made your recipe and I have to say, it was absolutely divine! It thickened up beautifully just like I liked it. My family loved it!
The only thing I did different was added more cinnamon because my family likes extra cinnamon. From now on, I will only use your recipe! Whenever I make any of your recipes, I know they will turn out perfectly!!
That’s so great, Merie! Thank you for sharing that thoughtful & amazing feedback with us!
Hi, looks delicious.
I wanted to ask how i should change the recipe for a 6″ tray?
Hi Ifasha, you may need to use less filling for a 6″ and reduce bake time but not by a lot. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Easy to follow, I used 6 apples. 3/4 cups of sugar because I’m reducing my sugar intake. I also added lemon rind to the eggs wash.
Taste awesome!
Sorry I couldn’t add the pics
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Oh my goodness! Your apple pie recipe is so easy and so delicious! I halved the recipe and made a mini pie since it’s just two of us. We could have eaten a whole pie easily! I’m scouring your website for a different pie recipe. I was never a big pie person, now I’m all into making pies. In my opinion, don’t forget to slice the apple slices very very thin!!!
Thank you for sharing those tips and for the wonderful review, Kimber! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Can you make pie & freeze it before you bake it?
Hi Cherry, I haven’t tested that to advise. Let us know how it goes if you decide to do an experiment!
I do all the time make and freeze fall harvest preparing for winter
Sorry, another question. I see there’s no salt in pie filling and you are using unsalted butter. Is this correct?
Hi Lynn, that is correct. There is no added salt in the pie filling.
Hi Natasha! Love love love your videos and recipes! This apple pie, can I use frozen apple pie slices? They are naked. Thanks!
Hi Lynn, I haven’t tried frozen apple slices but I think that could work fine if they are thawed first to be able to remove any excess liquid before mixing in the sauce for the filling.
Hi Natasha,
I love your Recipe on the FB!
I will love to make a dough for Pie! Will you can give for that Recipe please? Thank you so much and I do appreciate it.
God Bless you.
Sincerely
Anna Carello
Hi Anna, we have a pie crust recipe here. I hope you love it.
The filling is to die for. I always wanted to get a perfect apple pie filling and finally I found the recipe for it! I made it using your pie dough and they are awesome together! I can’t wait to do it again!
That’s just awesome, Alison!!
Why have I never tried this method before?! I have a pretty set apple pie recipe, but I’ve had inconsistent results in the past in terms of the filling setting up correctly. What I LOVED about this was the fact that the guesswork was removed in terms of amounts of flour and butter. I also kept the ratio of sugar the same but substituted some brown sugar (and a secret ingredient) per my normal recipe. It turned out to be the absolute best apple pie I’ve ever made!
Tip: I see some reviews mentioning soggy pie bottoms… when you crack your egg to make your egg wash, separate the whites from the yolks. Brush the bottom crust with just the white, and reserve the yolk (plus a little water of milk) for the top wash. The whites help to seal the bottom, and it really does wonders in terms of preventing soggy bottoms.
Thank you so much for the amazing review and for the tip about the crust.
Jessica,
Why would you not share your secret ingredient? Recipes are for sharing! After all, Natasha sharing her recipes with us made you a better apple pie baker!
It’s how we all learn and be better and inspired!
So easy … why didn’t I make this before. My kitchen smells delish and my tummy is rumbling. Thank you for all your blogs. You’ve reignited my interest in baking and cooking again. Merry Christmas from sunny Spain.
You’re welcome, Lee!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Merry Christmas!
Hi Natasha! I just recently made this Apple pie and I was so happy with the results! I followed your recipe and it was hands down the best filling ever! Also, this was the first time I did a lattice style crust; I was so proud of myself lol! Thanks for the recipe Merry Christmas!
You should be proud, Lee! A lattice crust is definitely an accomplishment! Thank you so much for sharing that amazing review! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I’m trying to find your Prime Rib Cooking Directions
Can you email that to me
Bernice.smith208@gmail.com
Hi Bernice, we have the Prime Rib recipe here. I hope that helps.
Looking forward to making this pie.
Do you have a recipe for Cranapple pie, or could we just add cranberries to this recipe?
Hi Deb, I don’t have anything like that but it sounds delicious! If you experiment with adding cranberries, please let me know how it goes. I’m so curious!