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
By far, the best apple pie I’ve ever eaten. Even with using a pre-made pie crust which I didn’t lattice, this pie is just outstanding. I did use 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 2/3 cup regular sugar but otherwise followed the recipe as written. This one is a winner !
Hi Colette! I’m glad you loved the recipe! 🙂
Hi Natasha. When I make the sauce the fat from the butter separated from the sugar and flour mixture. It happened as soon as I added the water and sugar. So it wasn’t a sauce for me. What might have caused that?
Hi Alex! I have not had this issue. Are you making any substitutions? I would look through the recipe again and watch the video to see if you missed something or are doing something different. The only other thing I can think of is that the heat may be too high on your burner. I hope that helps!
Best apple pie I’ve ever had, my family agrees. This is now my new #1 and only apple pie recipe! Thank you so much
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that.
This pie recipe is the best I have ever tried. Thank you! I really enjoy your site.
That’s great, Donna! Thank you so much for the feedback.
Hi Natasha! I love this apple pie recipe! It is amazing, but I did have a question. How (if there is any change) would the recipe change if I wanted to *not do the lattice crust on the top? I just wanted to roll it out on top. Would I need to poke holes in the top of the crust? How would the time change, etc.
Hi! Thank you, I’m glad you love it! The process would be similar to this recipe for deep dish apple pie .
This was my first-ever pie and it was SO good. The crust is AMAZING. Mine turned out pretty runny though. I wonder if I needed to bake longer?
Hi Alexis! I’m so glad to hear that. This is our favorite pie crust! The filling will thicken as the pie cools. It also depends on the type of apples you used. In the future, you can also use a little more flour in the filling if needed.
No! not to bake it more. You simply do the following:
To prepare the filling:
melt butter
add apples (that already have sugar on them) (that is brown sugar and white sugar) and cook stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. cover reduce heat simmer until apples soften ( not too much) and the juices are released, about 7 minutes. Then remove the apple pieces and allow to cool. Then simmer the leftover juices until lightly carmelized, about 10 minutes, Later these will be put together (while cool) and then baked into the pie (with out the black birds). Good Luck!
NO! Not that way. Do it exactly like the recipe. It’s amazing! Obviously you have not tried it. I’m sure your way is good but this recipe is really delicious so maybe give it a try.
Absolutely one of the best Apple Pie recipes. I’ve got a second one in the oven right now!
The filling with the butter, flour and sugar make this pie the best! It cuts well and stays in place, a very, very good recipe. It’s my go to…sorry Mom!
That’s wonderful to hear, Laura! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
Such a great recipe! Have made this twice foe Chriatmas gatherings and it was a hit both times. I have never seen a cooked roux before. Worked like a dream.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Darcy. We appreciate it!
This was an amazing apple pie! Not overly sweet. Pink Lady apples worked well. Many compliments on the pie. I cheated and used a frozen pie crust as that is very time consuming and I was short on time.
No worries, I’m glad you loved it!
Easy to make and 😋 Delicious! Perfect blend of spices. This will be my go to apple pie recipe for years to come.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Wendy!
My first time ever making a pie. It was my son’s 16th birthday today and I felt ambitious – apple pie is his favorite. This recipe was SO GOOD and easy for a novice “baker!” Thank you!!
I’m so glad you loved it, Julie. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing pie recipe! Turned out just perfect.
I only wish I saw the note about putting foil under before I baked it because now the entire bottom of my oven is covered in burnt sugar! Ensure you put some foil or a pan underneath while baking!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, McKenna!
Made for Christmas dinner at in-laws. Everybody loved it, which is quite difficult with desserts and everyone’s different tastes. Looked awesome and tasted better. Sweet sauce and tart crisp Granny Smiths had a great balance.
Hi Matthew! That’s great. I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you for trying my recipe.
Made this for Christmas dessert and it was wonderful! Thank you for the recipe, clear instructions and fun video. I don’t normally make pies, I’m more of a cheesecake person, but it was my husband’s request, so I gave yours a try. Def a winner and no comparison to store bought.
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad it was a hit.
Mine looks so pretty, but we aren’t eating it until tomorrow. I haven’t seen anything that says how to store it. I guess it’s ok to refrigerate it? It smells wonderful! Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Shana! Yes, it can stay at room temperature for 1-2 days and it is ok to refrigerate it for longer. I hope you love it!
Christmas Eve dessert last night. Very easy!! Wish I could post a photo caus it looked amazing and it tasted delicious too!! Happy Holidays!
I’m so happy to hear that! Merry Christmas!
Delicious pie recipe — I tend to use Cortland apples and usually melt my butter and pour over the apples, but this recipe took it to the next level by blending all of the ingredients in a pot. I cut down the water and added orange juice instead. Added cinnamon in the melted mixture and added more over the apples. The pie is a nice consistency throughout. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Denice!
Your video says eggwash is mixed with 1 Tbl SUGAR but your written recipe says 1 Tbl WATER. Which is it?
Hi Roxanne! I recommend following the written recipe always, sometimes we update the recipe but cannot update the video since it was already filmed. 🙂 I hope you love this pie!
Can you make the pie 2 days ahead then bake it the day of your dinner or do you have to bake it the day it’s made
Hi Eva! The pie reheats great. You can also assemble it, freeze it and then bake it fresh from a frozen state on the day of. I hope that helps!
I have made this several times and it’s my favorite apple pie recipe! I’m curious about baking it fresh from a frozen state — would I follow all the steps in the recipe and then freeze it, and when I want to bake it, take it out of the freezer and straight into the oven with no defrosting?
Hi Addie, you can bake it from a frozen state. It may take a few more minutes, so keep your eye on it in the oven.
Best Apple pie I ever made. Great recipe. I was almost out of white sugar so added 1/4 cup of brown sugar (only had 3/4 cups of white sugar). Not sure if that added anything to it but it sure didn’t hurt! Will make again. Perfect apple pie. One guest literally licked their plate.
Hi Serena! I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing.