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
Okay, Natasha. I made your apple pie today. My wife and I can only say …………….AWESOME!!!!! Really, it’s the BEST we have ever tasted.
I’m so happy you both enjoyed this pie, Ken! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Yes, all those reviews are spot on! This is the best apple pie filling recipe in the world. I used my own apple pie crust recipe just in case. I probably shouldn’t have done that. Regardless, I got a big thumbs up from everyone. Well done Natasha!
P.S. note to Natasha, would it be possible for you to convert the tablespoon measurements into metric too please?
Aaaw thank you, I appreciate it! You can try to click Metric in the recipe card to convert the ingredients. Hope that helps!
Why have I ever been cooking apple pie any different? I actually replaced half the sugar with rice malt syrup just to reduce the sugar but it was still amazing! It doesn’t even need ice cream it’s so good on it’s own.
Sounds great! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed our recipe, Nicole.
Hi Natasha. I’ve just finished making this the first time and the flavour is amazing. Thank you.
I’m based in Switzerland and probably with the choice of apples my final pie ended up with quite a lot of liquid. Very tasty but maybe not the traditional look. Would you have any tips on how to solve this? Maybe precook the apples separately first and drain off the liquid? Or add cornstarch?
Thanks
Brian
Hi Brian! I’m glad you loved the recipe. You may need to add a little more flour (or cornstarch) to the apple mixture to help next time to help with that.
I use minute tapioca in a box from the pudding section of store. I double what it’s says on the box. Wonderful!
Hi Natasha!!
Just for clarification, do you mix water or granulated sugar for the egg wash?? The recipe says water but the video says sugar. Either way I am sooo excited to try this recipe
Hi Melissa! I recommend following the written recipe. Sometimes we update the recipe but cannot edit the video since it’s already been filmed. I hope that helps.
Well I’m not sure how it came out yet. But by the time I got the apples ready the apple mixture got really thick and wouldn’t pour out. I had to reheat it until it started to flow.
I had a lot of trouble doing the lattice so I just covered the apples with a sheet of the pillsbury dough. Gotta say to doesn’t look very good. But I tried. It’s cooking as I am writing this, it does smell good!!!
I’m a little disappointed in my self for how it looks.🙁
Hi Ted! I bet the flavor will make it all worth it! I hope you love it!
Just wondering if u can just do the filling and store it by either freezing or canning it.
Plan on making the pie but also want to have a stash of the filling for the future pies considering I have heaps of apples at the moment
Hi Alicia, the best way to make it ahead (in my opinion) would be to assemble and fully bake the pie as directed. Let it cool to room temperature then store at room temperature overnight then serve it at room temperature or lightly warm it up in the oven if desired. If you combine the crust and apple filling ahead without baking, it will cause the crust to get soggy. Pre-making the apple filling might cause it to get brown. You can make the dough ahead of time though (see make-ahead instructions in the pie dough post). I hope that is helpful to you!
My crust was fantastic! My filling, not so much. When I cut into the pie my apples were dark brown. I have no idea what happened?
Hi Linda! Did you make any substitutions to the recipe? What type of apples did you use?
Hi Natasha, I used all Granny Smith apples, but I did use 1/4 cup light brown sugar with regular white sugar. Going to try it again with just white sugar.
Lost this recipe and spent about a half hour online refusing to make anything except this one.. found it, 3rd time making it. Will be printing it and putting it inside my spice cabinet door in my kitchen with my kids’ masterpiece drawings LoL Best pie recipe!
Hi Andrea! I’m so glad you found the recipe again. It’s our favorite pie. Thank you for the review.
Hi! this apple pie is amazing, i’ve made it once b4. I’m making it again and wondering if it’s ok if I make it, but just don’t bake it until 2 days later. Thanks!
Hi Mary, the best way to make it ahead (in my opinion) would be to assemble and fully bake the pie as directed. Let it cool to room temperature then store at room temperature overnight then serve it at room temperature or lightly warm it up in the oven if desired. If you combine the crust and apple filling ahead without baking, it will cause the crust to get soggy. Pre-making the apple filling might cause it to get brown. You can make the dough ahead of time though (see make-ahead instructions in the pie dough post). I hope that is helpful to you!
5 stars because it was my first time doing crust and filling of any kind. Let me say that there is room for error with the crust because I messed up on a couple of things AND IT STILL CAME OUT GREAT! The filling was delicious. If I can do it, anyone can. Thank you.
So glad to hear that, Wendi! Thank you for the review and feedback.
Hello, I’m making this for the first time tomorrow, and I was wondering whether adding just a drizzle of Dulce de leche sauce before the lattice goes on would make this pie too sweet?
Hi Emma, we believe we found the perfect balance with this recipe. I haven’t tried it with dulce de leche myself to advise on the outcome, but its worth a try! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
3rd time making this recipe, worked out great. My family loves how well they turn out.
I don’t think I will ever use a different recipe.
Thank yoiu Natasha.
Yay I’m glad your family enjoyed it!
This really is the best apple pie ever. As far as pie recipes go, it doesn’t get any easier. Thanks for the detailed instructions Natasha.
Hi Shaun! That’s wonderful to hear. So glad you love this recipe. It really is our favorite!
My first time making apple pie AND pie crust from scratch!
Simply delicious! I had everything needed in my pantry. Needless to say it was a hit! The crust and pie are keepers. I will be making this for the holidays!
I’m so glad this was a hit, Elainor! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha,
I will be attempting this for my daughters bday. Is it possible to bake it in advanced and it won’t compromise taste or prep the pie a day in advance and bake it on the day it’s needed?
Hi Tessiie! The pie reheats great. You can also assemble it, freeze it and then bake it fresh from a frozen state on the day of. If you wanted to assemble it a day in advance, refrigerate and bake it the next day, that should be fine. Let us know how it turns out. Happy Birthday to your daughter! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I followed recipe, but after the sauce cooled, it became gelatinous rather than smooth and creamy. I heated it a bit to re-melt and was able to pour it on apples. What did I do wrong?
Thanks, Marna
Hi Marna, I am always happy to help troubleshoot. If the sauce is heated for too long or over too high of heat, it will get too thick. If that happens, mix it together with the apples as well as you can and it will still come together and be ok after it’s baked in the oven and the apples release their juices.
This is the best apple pie. The filling is to die for. ISE the apples she suggests. I have made good apple pies. But nothing like this. It’s amazing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Rachael!
I found this recipe from you a few years ago and it is the only apple pie I will make! Everyone raves about it. I love your recipes and channel! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!
Wow, good to hear that this has been your go-to recipe! Lovely to hear that!
Big hit! Whole pie was finished within 10 minutes. The filling is thick & rich! Also VERY easy to make.
That’s wonderful, Cynthia! I’m so glad it was a hit. This is our favorite apple pie! 🙂
Natasha, thanks for sharing this amazing recipe (both apple filling and crust. Sooooo delicious. My family and friends favorite apple pie. For coming Easter Sunday, I will be making 10 apple pies 😋💕. With your tutorial videos, you really make apple pie making so easy and enjoyable. Just one question, for egg wash, do you mean egg and water OR egg and sugar? Hope to hear from you soon! By the way, I already ordered from Amazon your upcoming cookbook. All the best to you and you family!
Wow, 10 pies! That’s amazing. Thank you so much! I appreciate the love and support.
You follow the written instructions and use egg and water for the egg wash. Sometimes we make updated to the recipe but cannot update the video since it’s already filmed. Happy Easter!
Great! Thank you for your quick response, Natasha! About to put my 5th and 6th pies in the oven. Happy Easter to you, too!