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. i havent made this yet but wondering – Can this pie be baked and cooled and then frozen?
Hi Susan, this pie can be assembled and frozen before baking, but I have not tried freezing it after baking to advise, we prefer it fresh. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Does it need to be thawed out then prior to cooking? Or just from freezer to oven?
I believe it would be best baking straight from frozen as thawing it will likely result in a soggy crust.
Hello, Natasha! Can this be baked in an airfryer? I only have an airfryer but I would love to try making this. Anything I need to tweak in the recipe if I am to use an airfryer? Thank you so much!
Hi AN, I have only tested this in an oven, not in an airfyer. I can’t say that it will work properly in an air fryer. If you happen to run an experiment, I imagine there will be a few adjustments and tweaks needed.
The filling was very good, but the apples a little too crunchy for my taste. Next time I’ll leave it longer to bake. I had to put foil paper on top to prevent the crust from burning. But overall, a good recipe..
Natasha I have never made a pie before because I was afraid that the making the pastry was beyond my skill level. I tried your recipe and to my amazement my pie was superb! Thought it was a fluke so made a second one yesterday, and what do you know? Another delicious pie! Thank you for this recipe, I can now bake pies!
That’s wonderful, Lyn! Thank you so may for sharing.
I wanted to expand my cooking skills so I decided to try to make a apple pie. I found this recipe and went for it. It turned out awesome. Not bad for my first pie and I don’t bake. I just got inspired somehow. I live alone (widowed after 32 years) so thank you for your recipes and I did get your cookbook, take care.
Thank you for purchasing my cookbook and for sharing your experience trying out this recipe. Great job! We’re happy to know that it was a success.
Hi Natasha , thanks for sharing your recipes. It the best apple pie ever !!! The whole family love it . Will definitely our recipe on a special occasion. ❤️
So glad you loved it! Thank you.
Hi Natasha , I made your apple pie recipe for thanksgiving, it was a hit the whole family ate it . It was very delicious!!! It’s the best apple pie we’d ever have .
Hi Natasha.
I made this apple pie yesterday. It was great and everyone liked it. But a lot of liquid came out and made a bit of a mess in the oven. I used a 9 inch pie plate. Is there any measurement for depth of the pie plate?
I really had fun making it though. I will make it again. Thanks.
Ambika
Hi! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. It’s about 2.5” based on the description on the website. I linked it in the recipe card, but you can find it here on my Amazon affiliate shop using this link for 9” pie plate
Hi ambika, just a tip in baking apple pie so not to make a mess in the oven , put it in the cookie tray while baking so the tray will catch all the juice from the pie . Hope this help
Marivel
Hi Mariel, thank you for the tip.
I really appreciate it.
🥰 Ambika
Made this today! My husband said it’s the best apple pie he’s had in a long time! Going in my recipe box!
That’s wonderful, Shirley!
My husband told me he “doesn’t eat apple pie” but I made this anyway. Well he ate 80% of it. I’ve made it three times in the last 2 weeks! I made a few tweaks:
1) lessened the sugar to 3/4 cup
2) added 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3) our pie was ready at the 30min mark (instead of 45min) after dropping the temp to 350F – but I baked it in a 9″ Wilton baking round pan.
That’s wonderful. I’m glad it’s been a hit!
Added some cinnamon into the sauce and it turned out great!
Love this recipe ❤️
Nice to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Pies can be tricky. If you follow this recipe exactly the entire pie is guaranteed to be enjoyed to the last bite. Will for sure use this recipe again. I didn’t change one thing. Thank you!
That’s wonderful to hear, Cassie!
This recipe for the apple pie filling is amazing! My family loved it. I used prepared crust and used a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. The best!!!
Thanks so much for this wonderful review!
This was my first attempt at pie crust, and it came out great! Followed the recipe to the letter. Perfect, classic apple pie. We used a mix of Melrose and Suncrisp apples the we picked last weekend. My wife and daughter loved it! Thanks!
Great job! Glad to hear that it was a success on your first attempt. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was very straight forward and super easy to make! I love how you can prepare the dough the night before, but remember to take the dough out in the morning. The sauce is CRUCIAL in this recipe- do not skip! My family absolutely loved it. I will make again and again!
Thanks a lot for your good comments and review, Chantel. Glad to know that yuou loved it!
Made this pie last night with the pie crust recipe as well. So so so good and delicious!!! Used gala apples instead of granny apples (just what I had available), and it’s just so sweet and yummy!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I was wondering if we could can this apple filling recipe or if something needed to be changed in order to do that?
Hi Krysti! I’m not sure if that would work with the ingredients. You’d have to research canning protocols and safety measures.
I’m trying out this recipe this weekend and I’m wondering if I should buy a 9 “ deep dish pie crust, and if so should it be 32oz or 52oz because I’m looking on Amazon and those are the sizes I see
Hi Ashley. I’m not quite sure. I linked the one I used in for this in the blog post above. You can find it here using my Amazon affiliate link for 9” pie dish.
Hi Natasha; love your recipes! My husband made the pie dough, and I the apples. We cooked the pie on a pizza stone, but when we cut into it the apples were still a little too hard. The top browned within the first half hour, so covered with foil. She we have cooked it longer? Used mostly Granny Smith with some Honeycrisps…
Thank you for any advice. PS: still tasted good though…
Hi Andrea! It can also depend on how thick the apples were sliced. If you don’t already use one, I highly encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (affiliate link). This ensures your oven is at the right temperature so your pie doesn’t burn. Every oven bakes differently so it may require some small modifications but following the baking instructions and time should be sufficient for the apples to cook through. Also, be sure to have the wrack in the right oven position, if it’s too close to the heating element it will start to burn.
I have yet to taste it because it’s still in the oven 🤣 BUT mine is doing the same for the crust. Do you have a convection oven? Because I do, so I’m thinking maybe that can be a reason? Anyways, I just added foil paper on top because the crust was getting very dark brown in some spots, so I got scared it could burn lol and the oven grill is almost at the lowest, so not too close .. maybe next time I’ll try to lower it even more. I’ll edit my comment once I taste it 😊
Hi,
Your video says egg wash is one egg with one tablespoon of sugar. But recipe says one egg plus one tablespoon of water. I used the egg and sugar is either one ok? I noticed my pie got very dark right away not sure if was due to sugar?
Hi Stacy. Both can work but we updated the recipe so follow the written instructions.