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 looks delicious but I don’t have butter is there anything that you can replace it with thanks
Hi Yotam, Since it’s an all-butter pie crust (no shortening), it’s flaky and tender which makes this crust such a hit. One of my readers suggestion margarine, but I have not tried that substitution myself to advise it will work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi I used canola oil and it worked great thanks for the recipe
I again would have to say this is the best apple pie recepie I have ever tried plain and simple love it thanks!!!!
Awesome, thanks so much!
This pie is so easy and good! To make a sugar free pie I substitute the sugar for 1/4 C of Erythritol and monk fruit sweetener from Costco. It makes an excellent pie. I have also frozen the filling, it works great either with the sugar or with the sugar substitute. I add the apples to the filling along with the water and sugar and simmer for the 3 minutes. Then I freeze it in a ziploc. Thaw a few hours on the counter, then bake, reducing baking time by 10 minutes.
Thanks so much for sharing, we appreciate that, Diana!
I don’t know how to attach a pic of my pie…..and if I could I would give this recipe a 10 out of 10!!!!!!!
My mother in law always swore and used Northern Spy apples….not many places grow them anymore in flavour of the new, fancy apples. I found some at a farmers market and jumped at the chance to buy and use them for this recipe.
O.M.G.
Apples, butter and sugar…….heavenly…..and of course I’ve changed the way I have made pastry for 45 years, and adopted the ridiculously easy and fast one that Natasha uses. Love ALL OF HER recipes and I have MANY faves. Dependable, fail proof and “company worthy”. Thank you Natasha!
Awww this is just the sweetest review. Thank you so much! I’m so happy you loved the apple pie!
Hands down, the best apple pie!!! Wish I could attach a photo! Thank you, Natasha!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Monica!
Does the bottom not get too soggy without pre-baking the crust? I always have problems with this with my pies and just want to make sure!
Hi Carly, following this recipe exactly the bottom is never soggy for me, but forms a crispness at the edges which doesn’t get any better.
I have always cooked my pies on the bottom rack (with a traditional oven bake) and have never had trouble with soggy crusts.
I would like to home can your apple pie filling. However, I need to swap out cornstarch to use clear gel for canning but I don’t know what the conversion should be. Could tell me please?
Hi Linda! I have not tested canning this filling and do not know if it would meet safe canning requirements. You may try to research canning safety rules to see how you can do this.
I want to make this for my classmates this holiday. Is there anyway to make smaller individual sized versions of this? Would the bake time be a lot shorter? Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Ashley! I haven’t tested these in smaller portions. Likely you can and they would bake faster but without testing it myself, I can’t advise.
Fantastic apple pie recipe! I made this using the pre-made pie crusts. I also used half brown sugar and half white sugar. Added a pinch of nutmeg and a little more cinnamon to the apple mix. Sliced the apples using a mandolin. Consistency was perfect. Thank you for such a great recipe!
That’s wonderful! I’m glad you loved it!
Best apple pie ever!!!! Every single recipe I’ve tried is absolutely great! Keep them coming.
Hi Toni! That’s wonderful. We love this one too!
You are the BEST! My first and usually last place to look for good recipies. Thank you!
Arnold
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
I just made this pie and I added 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and some vanilla and I was in heaven. It came out great. Thanks for sharing.
It’s my pleasure! Thanks so much for sharing that with us Glad to hear that you loved it!
I just made this tonight. I did reduce the sugar in the filling as other suggested but I made the sauce not once but twice. It just didn’t come together and was a bunch of glop. I had to put it into my ninja to whip it together. It just kept separating. I did whisk it continually and did watch the video. Any thoughts about why this happened?
Hi Allison, it’s hard to say without being there, did you possibly add too much flour or cook it down too much? It’s hard to say what happened without being there, I wish I could be more helpful.
Hi! I wasn’t paying attention and dumped my spice in the butter mixture. Will this affect it? Should I start fresh???
Hi Claudia! I think it may be fine.
This happened to me as well and it was because I cooked it too long. I started over and it came out perfect!
The filling was amazing! Thanks for the recipe. Definitely making this again and again.
Thanks for this wonderful review, Nicki!
Absolutely delicious ! My new favorite recipe after making apple pies for years .
I added a few more minutes of cooking time to make sure the apples were cooked through !
That’s wonderful! So glad to hear that.
This recipe is a keeper! I made it tonight and my husband, aka taste tester, loved it!
Yay thanks for the awesome feedback!
This pie was fantastic. Part of the reason I like to make my own desserts is because I can control the sugar level. Saw some other comments about reducing the sugar and adding nutmeg. I reduced the sugar to somewhere between 2/3-3/4C sugar and used a mix of honey crisp and Granny Smith apples. It made for a perfectly tart yet still sweet pie. Great recipe!
Yes, that’s exactly why it’s better to make homemade recipes. I’m glad that it worked so well!
A very yummy success! Question: is the egg wash one tablespoon of water or sugar? Your video says sugar bug recipe says water. I did a little of both just in case!
Thank you! It’s water, I also recommend following the written recipe if unsure.
I made this recipe and it did tast good the only thing it was soupy.
Hi Anita! We’ve had great results with this recipe. Depending on the type of apples you used, some break down more than others. You could also try using a little more flour but be sure to let it bake long enough so the filling has time to thicken. You’ll want to fully preheat your oven before baking as well.
I am an apple pie snob and this recipe blows every other apple pie recipe out of the water. Now, I am sugar conscious and so I decrease the sugar to half a cup. I also sub brown sugar for the white for a more caramel taste. I also add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
This is our favorite apple pie recipe! I’m so glad you love it too.
This recipe is EXACTLY the one from my old Betty Crocker cookbook printed in 1981. Guessing that’s where it came from!
I made this for my grand daughter last week and she said it was amazing! So today I’m trying it with Splenda instead of sugar for us diabetics.
Hi Debbie! That’s wonderful to hear. So glad
it was enjoyed. Let us know how it turns out with splenda!