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
Can or should you mix apples for this recipe? Thinking Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
Thoughts?
Hi Phyllis! Yes, both of those apples would work great.
I haven’t made this yet, but I have a deep dish pie pan, 52 ounce capacity or 2.6” deep. Would I be able to make this recipe using that pan? If so, what adjustments would I have to make aside from the ingredients? Cook time?
Hi Zach! Your pan is slightly shallower, so it might overflow. You can reduce the filling slightly to make it fit.
The very first pie I’ve ever made and my friends and I agreed it’s the best apple we have had in years. Very easy to assemble and the crust is perfection. I used Fuji apples for a bit sweeter of a filling and I will never make a different apple pie going forward. 10’s across the board!
That’s so great, Chris! Thank you for sharing that awesome feedback with me!
Hi Natasha. I love your videos a d recipes. I have a question. Can I use fresh lemon juice in this recipe in place of the water? I like the way lemon juice tastes in apple pie but I don’t want to ruin it. Thank you.
Hi Livia! I wouldn’t use more than 2 tablespoons, so 1/8 cup. It may be too tart.
This apple pie is delicious and easy to make
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Gina!
Hi! This looks wonderful and I’d love to make it for Thanksgiving. But I don’t see the make ahead instructions. Am I missing it?
Hi Britt, it’s at the bottom of the recipe card below the instructions. I hope you love the the recipe!
Delicious! Made it for my Grandpa & he really liked it.
Amazing!
Delicious!!!
Addictive 😄
All your recipes are easy and delicious. Thank you!
Very easy and simple to follow recipe. My crust wasn’t as fluffy and it was not as golden brown but it was gorgeous and really tasty. Do you have any recommendations on how to make the crust fluffier?
Hi Jessica! Make sure to work with cold butter, don’t over-mix/overwork the dough, and measure your flour correctly. These are all very important to get the right texture in your crust.
This is the only Apple pie recipe I use even in my restaurant 😊 Thank you ❤️❤️
Natasha is a god- send. I have never baked a pie before but the step by step instructions and video made it so easy. I need more practice with dough to make it look prettier but all it all it is so delicious and wasn’t as scary to make as I thought!
Best recipe ever! Since I learned this this October, I have made 5 pies so far, everyone loved it so much
Wow! That’s awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed my recipe!
My pie pans are 9” but not deep dish. They have a 36oz capacity. I want this pie to turn out as best as possible and not have any filling spill out while cooking. I’m thinking of adding all of the filling/apple minus a couple spoonfuls. Thoughts on this? This is my first attempt making apple pies and I’m taking 2 for Thanksgiving.
Hi Callie, that may be best (to not add all filling) you won’t want it to spill out and smoke the oven. I hoep you love this recipe.
This pie was SO delicious! I am definitely saving this as my go to pie recipe. The flavor was amazing and crust was perfect!
Love your pie dish, where is it from? The link you provided takes me to another one.
Hello Bea! Here’s the 9-inch, deep pie pan I used. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Super good, everyone raved about it.
I added a tiny bit of orange peel as it’s my secret ingredient!
Best recipe! Can I make the filling the night before baking ?
Hi Julissa, I haven’t made just the the filling ahead of time. The pie can be assembled and frozen and then baked from frozen.
My house smelled so good baking this sweet apple pie! Absolutely delicious!
This is an excellent Apple Pie recipe! So delicious. I like to serve it with caramel sauce. Thank you, Natasha!
I’m so glad you love it, Debra!
literally the best apple pie, the sauce is top notch. Turned out perfect being my first time making pie from scratch. Your videos make everything easier to follow along. The sauce was just right, not too sweet.
That’s so great to hear, Veronika! Thanks for sharing.