Our classic Apple Pie Recipe with an irresistible homemade apple pie filling always gets glowing reviews from everyone who takes a bite. From the best flaky pie crust to the generous saucy center, this is the pie everyone has to make for Thanksgiving!
Homemade apple pie is easier than you think. This crust comes together fast and requires basic ingredients, and the filling is scrumptious and equally simple to make.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
We love apple recipes, from Baked Apples to Apple Turnovers, and let’s not forget Sharlotka Apple Cake. If you love apples, this easy apple pie is a must-try! Imagine saucy apples bubbling through that flaky lattice crust – irresistibly good!
Apple Pie Video Tutorial
Watch me make the best apple pie recipe, and we know you’ll crave it until you make it. This easy Apple Pie is a treasured recipe with hundreds 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, flakey, gooey, and sweet, just perfect.
Apple Pie Recipe
You’ll love the homemade flakey 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 homemade apple pie filling is adapted slightly from the famous Grandma Ople apple pie. The method for this 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 crusts – 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 storebought, 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 – use unsalted to add richness to the saucy filling.
- Flour – helps to thicken up the 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 – combine 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, and you can adjust the sugar accordingly. We use a full cup of sugar for tart Granny Smith and slightly less when substituting sweeter apples such as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
Our Favorite Tools to Make Pie
You don’t need fancy equipment to make an apple pie from scratch, and once you have the right recipe for pie dough, it’s as easy as pie!
- Food processor or pastry blender
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter, or a knife
- Pie Plate – 9″ wide, deep dish
- Apple Slicer – I highly recommend this time-saving tool. I even bought one for my Mom!
How to Make Apple Pie
- Prepare the pie crust recipe and chill in the refrigerator as instructed. 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 then whisk in 3 Tbsp flour and continue whisking constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar (if using a sweeter apple, adjust the sugar). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and continue whisking 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 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss to combine, then pour on the filling mixture and stir to coat the apples.
- Roll the Crust – Over a floured surface, roll the first chilled pie disk into a 12-inch diameter disk then transfer to a 9-inch, deep pie pan. Add the apples over the crust, 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. Arrange half of the strips over the pie and weave in the second layer of strips. See my easy tutorial on how to make a lattice crust. Finish the pie by crimping the edges. In a separate dish, beat together the egg and water and brush over the lattice crust (you will have some eggwash left over).
- 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.
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 panic, 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. If you serve it hot, it will slide apart.
Make-Ahead & Storage
With all the bustle of the holidays , it’s nice to know you can check this pie off your list early. Be sure to cool completely to room temperature before covering and storing.
- Storing at Room Temperature: The pie keeps well covered on the counter for up to 2 days.
- To Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: store in a freezer-friendly airtight container for up to 6 months
- To Reheat: thaw in the fridge or on the counter and then reheat in a 350°F oven until warm
Everything about this apple pie is good, from the flaky buttery homemade crust to the unbeatable apple pie filling. Let me know if it graces your holiday table.
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, 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
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, remove cores, 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.* Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hello Natasha, I enjoy your recipes so much! Can I ask why the cinnamon goes directly on the apples instead of into the sauce?
Hi Monica! It goes directly to the apples for even distribution of flavors. It also helps prevent clumping.
I love your apple pie recipe. It’s delicious. My family loves it and it’s so simple, yes!
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
I’m going to try this one for Thanksgiving but I have one question. What kind of apple pie plate ( glass?) do you use so the bottom of the pie cooks through ? Last time I baked a apple pie the bottom wasn’t cooked all the way through. Thank you !
Here’s my Amazon Affiliate link for the 9″ wide, deep dish that I used.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Natasha! I am 65 years old and have yet to find a great apple pie recipe. Well, I will look no further. I made this pie and it was a hit perfectly balnced with everything so thankful for you… also, I just received your cookbook in the mail yesterday. Looking forward to going through it not only are you a great cook but you are so much fun to watch. It’s like hanging out with your Besty and cooking. God bless you and your family.
Wondering if I can substitute flour in the filling? I have a gluten free crust I want to use with your filling recipe?
Hi Terra! You could try using cornstarch, you may need to use half the amount since it’s thickening power is double of flour.
I have a bunch of Granny Smith apples and I want to save them for your apple pie at some later time. this is by far the best apple pie I’ve ever made! I don’t have a lot of freezer room to freeze a couple of whole pies. would it work if I just premade the filling and froze it, and used it once thawed to make the whole pies at a later time? would the pie filling change in any way? Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Kathy. I haven’t tested freezing just the filling, but I would assume that because we freeze the assembled pie unbaked, it would be fine to freeze just the filling as well.
This is a great recipe! I used Cosmic Crisp Apples and followed the recipe step by step. I did have to add an additional 30min to cook the apples ( I tented foil over the pie so my crust wouldn’t burn during the additional time). This will be my forever recipe!!
I freeze this apple pie filling all the time. Allow to thaw in fridge overnight and fill pie shell and bake as directed.
Is it possible to make this and use dairy free butter?
HI Elly, are you referring to Ghee? I haven’t tested that to see how it would work in the crust and in the filling. I think it’s worth testing if you are dairy free. Please let me know how it works out if you test this. I’m sure several readers will be happy to learn if it works well.
I’ve used dairy free butter many times making this and it still tastes great! That includes pie crust and the fillings 👍👍👍
I have made apple pie in the past and they’re good, but the apples never seem to cook through. Suggestions? I will for sure try your recipe!
What kind of apples did you use? Try using a mix of tart apples like Granny Smith and sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp or Fuji. Also, cut your apples thinner and make sure that you’re baking at the right temperature.
I use pink lady all the time, tried this 4 times always, always turned out excellent!! Thank you, Natasha!! Love this recipe. Family favorite everytime!
Ah this is a good thing, it taste so good
So glad you like it!
Quite good! The crust is flaky and it was the perfect balance of sweetness
I had a close-call health scare that I am still recovering from. Had neighbors over today for apple pie. My husband helped to shop and gather the ingredients for me. What a hit! Such a fantastic pie. It helped me to feel almost normal again. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear this was a hit, Doris! I hope you’re feeling better very soon!
I made both the crust and the filling with this recipe. I followed the recipe perfectly and it came out SO good! THE best apple pie I’ve been ever been able to recreate. Thanks for boosting my confidence.
Hi Natosha! You are so very welcome.
This was the best apple pie I’ve ever had! My friend (this was for his birthday) used to own a catering company, and he agreed! We both couldn’t get over how flaky the crust was. This was my first time ever making a pie like this, and I can’t thank you enough. Solid recipe.
Hi Blake! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback.
Pie looked and spelt amazing. Followed directions exactly. Would have liked for it to have had less juice. Next time I’ll add 1 or 2 tablespoons along with the cinnamon to thicken up the juices. Otherwise it’s my new favorite. Thank you Natasha for another delicious recipe!
Hi Deb! You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this pie and was super excited. It was delicious and everyone loved it, but it was runny, even after resting for about 2 hours. Am thinking of making again soon and cutting down the butter in the sauce to half a stick. Hoping that works. The flavors were amazing and it wasn’t too sweet or too cinnamony. A winner for sure.
Can you use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar? Can’t wait to make this with the apples I picked after reading all of these reviews!
Hi Kristina, I think it would be fine but it may change the flavor profile a little bit since brown sugar has a deep, caramel or toffee-like flavor.
I’ve been making apple pies for 65 + years. All of them good. (according to family, friends, pie booths at home town food fairs, and church. OMG! This recipe was the biggest mess I’ve ever encountered from the crust to the filling. It’s baked and cooling now. I hope it is fit to serve my guests. Your recipes are usually wonderful and I use a lot of them but not likely to do this apple pie or crust again. Serious doubts here. But keep the good ones coming.
Hi Sharon! I’m so sorry to hear that. This is one of the most popular recipes on the blog with excellent reviews. I’d be happy to help troubleshoot if you’d like to share what went wrong.
OK, I must reply to my previous comment about the pie. After serious doubts, I am so happy to report on the finished pie. It was wonderful and everyone raved about it. I’m sorry I had doubts. But I will attack the crust differently. I was careful not to knead it, it was just a mess of crumbs when I wanted to roll it out. Maybe a bit more water and or let it warm just a bit before I roll. But I WILL make it again.
You have to knead it to some degree to have a smooth surface.. if it is too crumbling, there is not enough water…if it is too watery, add more flour. The pie crust is very forgiving. It also depends on the elevation and temperature of the room. When I lived in Colorado, I used less water, whereas now, in the UK, I use the amount the recipe asked for. I would watch the video and see how she rolls the dough and texture.
Hi! Thank you for your response to my other question, I will be attempting to make it again this weekend. I was wondering if I could simmer the butter, flour and water only and not add sugar to the sauce you pour over the apples?
Thank you!
Hi Jen! I haven’t tried it without any sugar and I’m not sure if any adjustments would need to be made.
Can I freeze the apples in the filling for baking it at a later time? If so how long can I keep it in the freezer?
Hi Salome, I have some make ahead tips under the “Make-Ahead” section of the recipe post.
I am 30 and have been using this apple pie recipe for a few years now. My fiancée loves the dough, thank you Natasha and Vadim
This is the best Apple Pie I have ever made. My family and friend always want me to make this pie. I use Granny Smith apples and it has never failed. Will be making it for Thanksgiving. Ever recipe I have used of yours always turn out so yummy.