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 Sunday for my mom’s 80th birthday there was other desserts also but the apple pie seem to be the star. I had a request to make another for our Thanksgiving gathering. Came home with a clean pie plate even. lol
That’s great! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hi!
Will this pie filling give the crust a soggy bottom? I’m using a different piecrust recipe, but I really want to use this pie filling recipe because it looks really delicious, just wondering if it makes the bottom layer of the pie soggy though?
Hi Abbe, the bottom is never soggy using our homemade pie crust recipe, but forms a crispness at the edges which doesn’t get any better!
This recipe was delicious and made with fresh apples from our tree. It is a keeper and have recommended it to so many friends and family. Thank you.
I did freeze a few for the holidays and would like to know the best way to thaw and serve.
Thank you for your great review and for recommending this recipe to your family and friends. We appreciate it!
Can I make the sauce beforehand and store in fridge? Then pour over apples when ready?
Hi Haven, I have not tried freezing the filling. One of my readers said, “I assemble this pie and freeze it before baking. It bakes well from the frozen state.” I hope that helps!
I haven’t made this yet, but I love the famous recipe you mentioned. Have you ever made this with brown sugar in the filling? I’m wondering if that’ll give you a caramel/apple taste.
Hi Diana, I haven’t tested that but one of our readers shared this “Substitute about 1/3 of the sugar with brown sugar and add about 2 ounces of bourbon while simmering, and this pie filling goes up a few notches. Very good the way it’s written, but much better with the little tweaks” I hope that helps.
Substitute about 1/3 of the sugar with brown sugar and add about 2 ounces of bourbon while simmering, and this pie filling goes up a few notches. Very good the way it’s written, but much better with the little tweaks
Thanks for sharing, Steve!
I LOVE your recipes!!! I see that in your apple slab pie, you use puff pastry for the crust. Are you able to use puff pastry as a crust in a pie plate for this recipe too, instead of the traditional crust?
Hi Shannel, This should work in a puff pastry too.
Hi! Do you weigh the apples before or after coring and peeling? My 6-7 apples weigh almost 4 lbs total.
Hi Alana! You can weigh and then peel and core.
Mine did the same and I was wondering too, weigh before or after.
Could I prep this pie the day before and bake the day of Thanksgiving?..……………..
Hi Jess, I haven’t tested that. One of my readers commented on freezing this pie after prepping and baking it from a frozen state.
Can I use regular salted butter instead of the unsalted butter?
Hi Donna! I use unsalted because it allows me to control the level of saltiness. If using salted, be sure to omit the salt in the recipe or it may be too salty.
I dont see salt in this recipe. Is the recipe supposed to include salt?
Hi Mariam, you could add salt if you wanted to, but it wouldn’t affect the sweetness.
Can I use stevia sweetener for the apple pie and if so how much would I put in it
Hi Joyce, I have not tested this alternative to advise. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
I absolutely love apple pie and am so excited to come across this recipe, your blog and recipes are very easy to follow and aesthetically pleasing to look at! Amazing!
I hope you love this and all the other recipes that you will try!
I made this pie for a church luncheon. Made it the morning of the luncheon, so it was still warm when I delivered it. What a crowd pleaser! So many folks were so happy with a homemade pie.
I’m so glad it was a crowd pleaser, Lisa! That’s awesome!
Any tips for freezing? I have a couple thanksgivings several days apart but want to bring this for both! I have used this recipe for a couple years and I LOVE IT!
Hi Lexi! I’m so glad you love it! One of my readers reported good results freezing this before baking and then baking it from a frozen state.
Absolutely delicious. Was looking for a great pie where I could skip precooking the apples. I used 2/3 c of white sugar and 1/3 c of brown sugar. It gave it a hint of caramel.
That’s a good idea, thank you for sharing that with us! We’re glad that you liked it!
I’ve made this several times now (and many of your recipes!) absolutely delicious! Can this be made/baked the day before serving? If so, should it be stored in the refrigerator or room temperature? TIA!
Hi Lindsey, I haven’t tried freezing it but one of my readers said: “I assemble this pie and freeze it before baking. It bakes well from the frozen state.” I hope that helps!
Also, 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. You would heat it until heated through. Some ovens vary greatly; I don’t have an exact number. If I had to guess, it’d be about 15-20 minutes, but allow more time in case it’s not at your desired temp.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving last year and it was a BIG hit! Everyone was so impressed n loved it.
I made the pie the night before, my only question is, how long and at what temperature should I re-bake it to get it warm enough n without compromising the flavors?
I don’t remember how long I did it for last year but want to do it right this year.
Thanks!
I’m so happy it was a hit, Sue! That’s so great! Some ovens vary greatly; I don’t have an exact number. If I had to guess, it’d be about 15-20 minutes, but allow more time in case it’s not at your desired temp.
Thank you for making my first pie I’ve ever baked so delicious! I think maybe next time I’ll add a little brown sugar to get some extra flavor.
Also, I really hope people stop commenting about the sugar vs water thing. You’ve responded to a million comments already about it, can people not use their heads?
Thank you, Courtney! I’m glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
I was wondering if I can use a 10” pie pan, would I have to increase ingredients in anyway? More dough, more apples, more sauce?
Hi there, I think that will work but feel free to increase it a bit but I think it should work without increasing anything.
Idk why but my pie mixture became clumpy and didnt get that caramel look or texture. I’m really confused.
I had that happen also, I just kept mixing it until it finally became smooth.