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 there! I haven’t actually made the recipe yet but I am planning to make it this weekend! I just wanted to know if I could pre make the pie filling and refrigerate it until I need it in a day or two? So excited to try this recipe!
Hi Kj! Yes, you can even assemble the whole pie and refrigerate for 1 day or freeze for longer storage, then bake it from frozen.
My husband loves this recipe and I make it for him all the time! Is it possible to bake the pie and then freeze it so he can pull it out and eat whenever he wants? If so, should I freeze it whole or in individual slices? How should he reheat it? And how long will it keep in the freezer if it’s baked before freezing? Thanks Natasha
Hi Roe! Yes, it can be stored in the freezer. See the notes at the bottom of the recipe card for my instructions on this.
This is the best apple pie ever. I am 86 years old and have been cooking pies for 60 years and this is the best apple pie yet.
Hi Mary! This makes me so happy to read. Thank you for sharing. I love this apple pie so much, I’m glad to know it was delicious for you as well.
Help! My husband has made this pie three times now and each time there is an over abundance of liquid with the apples after baking. He’s nailed the pastry but the apples are too soft mushy regardless how he cuts them. What is he missing? He takes one bite and has thrown away pie after pie!
Hi Ellie, was it the same amount of apples that is called for in the recipe (by weight?) – some apples can get pretty large if you’re measuring by count. Also, are the apples ripe without being overripe? They normally aren’t supposed to be mushy.
How do you prevent the apples when sliced from oxidizing and turning brown? I didn’t see anything in your recipe for lemon to prevent the apples from browning before baking.
Hi Barb! We use the apples right away in the sauce and it really doesn’t make much of a difference since they will be slightly discolored from the cinnamon in the filling and naturally darken when cooked anyway.
Hi Natasha! Have you tried using this apple filling for a cobbler version? Thanks for your wonderful recipes!!
Hi MaryAnn! It’s a very similar filling, just in different quantities. Here is my recipe for Apple crisp.
Hi Natasha! I wanted to share my love for your recipes. Your apple pie recipe is the best and my husband’s favorite. Along with your chicken marsala and beef stroganoff recipes. He can’t say enough compliments every time I make them. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes!
Aww, thank you so much, Ann! I’m so glad to hear that.
Hi Natasha! I made this apple pie recipe before and loved it! I’d like to try making mini apple pies, in a cupcake pan, with this recipe. Do you have suggestions for how to tweak the oven temperature or baking time for mini pies?
Hi Tricia, I think that will work just fine. Just prepare the filling, use mini tart shells and bake them! I haven’t tried this myself to know how long they should bake for. Hope you enjoy!
This is the best pie I have ever made and your pie crust tops it all! I finally can enjoy baking pies knowing they’ll turn out perfectly! Thank you!
Hi Doris! That’s wonderful to hear. So glad you loved this recipe!
Great recipe. I did have to bake it for 15 min longer, but it was perfect.
I made this for an apple pie contest. Everyone loved it!!
Crust was amazing and not 1 piece of crust was left behind – no soggy bottoms in this recipe 🙂
Is it possible to cu the sugar in the filling? I never use this much but wanted to make sure I didn’t change the integrity of the recipe. I would have preferred to use 1/2 cup at most. Has anyone tried the recipe with less sugar?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! If you wanna try using less sugar, I suggest experimenting by using just a bit less sugar first and see how it goes!
I’ve just done this. I reduced the sugar by half and it still made a nice caramel. There was a slight sharpness to the flavour which I thought was very nice, but I could see how it would be too tart someone with a sweet tooth. Also I use cooking apples for this recipe and they are way less sweet than Granny Smiths so maybe half would be good for those apples ! I’ll try 3/4 ext time as a trial.
It turned out amazing ! Thank you for all the small and big details to add to help us make this perfectly!!
You’re welcome, Esther! So glad you loved it!
Can the apple filling be canned and used later….to save freezer space?
Hell Deb, I have not tried canning it to advise.
Love every recipe and the humor you put into it. Your videos make recipes easy to prepare … your a delight.
Pie turned out beautifully and delicious
How do I post a picture ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You can share your photos in our Facebook page or group, that way others can be inspired to try the recipe too!
Can I use oil instead of butter (our son can’t have real butter) in the pie crust?
I haven’t made this with oil but vegan butter can work, several of my viewers have reported good results with it.
Can I make this with a crumb topping instead? Would it be at same cooking temperatures if so? Thanks
Her Veronica! Here is my Dutch Apple Pie Recipe with a crumb top.
Great apple pie filling recipe! I have Zestar Red, Candy Crisp, and Honeycrisp apples, my favorite are the three is the Honeycrisp.
This is the only recipe that I use when I make my apple pie , it’s simple delicious!!!!! Love all of your recipes!
I’m so glad to hear my apple pie is a favorite for you!
In oven now. Made it before. Excellent. This time, it’s taking longer.
Hi Lynn, did you make sure your oven was fully preheated before baking?
This turned out so amazingly good!! Best apple pie ever!! Thank you!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU IT LOOKS SO GOOD OMIGOSH
I’m glad you enjoyed it.