Apple Pie
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Golden, buttery crust, bubbling apples, and plenty of cozy fall flavor—this truly is the perfect homemade apple pie.
As fall rolls in and apple season reaches its peak, there’s no better time to bake a homemade apple pie—whether you want to use up a bushel of apples or whip up a special Thanksgiving dessert. It may seem daunting, but this tried-and-true recipe makes it easy to bake the perfect pie every time.
The secret to making the best apple pie is avoiding common pitfalls, like a soupy filling and a soggy crust, by cooking the apples before filling and baking the pie. This simple step thickens the juices, concentrates their flavor, and ensures a crisp, flaky crust with a rich, cider-flavored apple pie filling.
This, my friends, is the ultimate apple pie recipe! Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce for an extra-special dessert.
“Apple is my husband’s favorite. He walked out the door this morning and said it was the best I’ve made!”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Pie
For the best apple pie, stick with firm, baking apples that hold their shape and don’t turn mushy in the oven. Good choices include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, and Golden Delicious. Using a mix of a few varieties gives the filling the perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the pie crust. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks crumbly, with lots of pea-size bits of butter still visible. Add the water and pulse again until the mixture is evenly moistened and very crumbly.
Step 2: Chill the dough. Turn the dough crumbles out onto your work surface and divide them into two piles — one slightly larger than the other (about 15% bigger). You can just eyeball it, or if you like to be precise, aim for about 13 ounces and 11½ ounces. Shape each pile into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disc. Wrap both discs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or up to 3 days, to let the dough rest.
Step 3: Prepare the apple pie filling. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, toss the apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, flour, and cornstarch. Stir until everything is evenly coated and you don’t see any streaks of dry flour or cornstarch. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the apples soften slightly and the juices start to thicken, 11 to 13 minutes. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet to cool completely before assembling the pie.
Step 4: Prepare the bottom crust. Take the larger disc of dough out of the fridge and let it sit a few minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a 13-inch circle, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Drape the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press it into the pan, then trim the edges. Transfer the apples into the crust and refrigerate while you prepare the top crust.
Step 5: Prepare the top crust. Roll out the second disc of dough into an 11-inch circle. Drape it over the chilled pie and gently press around the edges to seal. Trim any excess dough, then crimp the edges with a fork or flute them with your fingers. Brush the top with egg wash, cream, or milk, and sprinkle with sugar for a golden, sparkly finish. Finally, cut a few slits in the top to let steam escape.
Step 6: Bake. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet (it helps crisp the bottom crust) and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for about 45 minutes more, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack—at least 4 hours—before slicing. As tempting as it is, don’t cut in too soon or you’ll end up with apple soup!
The pie can be baked a day ahead and kept at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze it—either before or after baking—for up to 3 months.
Apple Pie Video Tutorial
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Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 18 tablespoons (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 7 tablespoons ice cold water
For the Filling
- 4½ pounds baking apples (about 8 large apples; see note), peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For Baking
- A beaten egg, heavy cream, or milk, for brushing over crust
- 2 tablespoons granulated or turbinado sugar, for topping the pie
Instructions
- Prepare the Crust: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the pieces of butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly with lots of pea-size clumps of butter within.Add the water and pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened and very crumbly.Dump the dough crumbles onto a work surface and divide into two piles, with one pile about 15% bigger than the other. You can eyeball it, but if you have a kitchen scale, one pile should weigh 13 oz (368 g) and the other 11.5 oz (326 g). Shape into two balls of dough and pat each one into a 5-inch (13-cm) disc. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 3 days to rest.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, mix the apples with lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, flour, and cornstarch. Stir until thoroughly combined and both the flour and cornstarch are dissolved. Place the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the apples soften and the juices thicken, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer the apples and their juices to a baking sheet, spreading them out evenly. Allow them to cool completely.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the lower third position. Place a baking sheet on this rack to preheat as well. (This acts like a pizza stone, providing a hot surface to help the bottom crust of the pie crisp up effectively.)
- Assemble the Pie: Remove the larger disc of dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and place the dough on it; sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough as well. Gently knead the dough with your hands just until it becomes soft and malleable (avoid overworking it—you want it just supple enough to roll out). Roll the dough out into a 13-inch (33-cm) circle, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Carefully lift the dough by draping it over your rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch by 1½-inch (23-cm by 3.75-cm) deep pie pan, preferably metal (as metal conducts heat more effectively, helping the bottom crust crisp up) but ceramic or glass will work too. Gently press the dough into the pan, making sure to ease it into place without stretching. Trim the edges of the dough to extend about ½ inch (1.25 cm) beyond the pie pan's lip.Transfer the cooled apples and their juices into the crust; refrigerate while you prepare the top crust.Remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into an 11-inch (28-cm) circle, following the same process described above. Retrieve the filled pie from the refrigerator and carefully drape the rolled dough over the top. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute them with your fingers to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Work quickly and dust your fingers with flour as needed to prevent the dough from becoming too warm. Brush the top crust with beaten egg, cream, or milk, and evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of granulated or turbinado sugar. Cut four 3-inch (7.5-cm) slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Bake and Cool: Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, at least 4 hours. Resist the temptation to cut into the pie while it’s warm, or you may end up with apple soup!
Notes
- Be sure to use baking apples that hold their shape when cooked, such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious. And use a mix of different varietals for the best flavor.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The pie can be baked up to 1 day ahead of time and stored, loosely covered with foil, at room temperature. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months before or after baking it. (If freezing it unbaked, hold off on brushing the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkling it with sugar; you can do that right before baking.) If baked, let it cool completely and place it in the freezer uncovered. When fully frozen, wrap the pie securely in foil and freeze. If the pie is unbaked, wrap it securely in foil and freeze. When ready to serve, proceed with baking instructions above (the pie is likely to take 10 to 15 minutes longer to bake).
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Would using 1:1 Gluten Free flour make the same delicious pie?
Yes, Hamid, I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, so I can’t say for sure. (Oftentimes, readers will comment that they’ve adapted my baked goods to be gluten-free, but I don’t see any comments mentioning that here, so you’d be the “guinea pig.”) If you want to give it a try I know a lot of readers have had great luck with Cup4Cup and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flours. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Ack, I added the cornstarch and flour to the apples while they sat. Is that okay? Seems to still be making juice. I’ve made this before and it’s so awesome, really hope I didn’t just scupper the whole thing.
It should be fine, Melinda. The syrup might look thicker than mine after microwaving but it should all turn out in the end. 🙂
Thank you! It did 🙂
This pie turned out incredible! the crust is delicious and the filling juicy and full of flavor.
I followed the instructions exactly. I will absolutely make this pie again.
Thanks Jenn
Hi Jenn! Will baking times change at all if I do an all butter crust since I don’t have shortening? Thanks!
Hi Becca, Baking time should be the same. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
How long will this pie last after making, and should I store in the refrigerator?
THank you so much
Hi Melissa, The pie can be made up to a day ahead and it doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn
Love all of your recipes, you’re my go to resource for delicious cooking.
My question: can I use the crust you use for the apple pie to also make a blueberry pie? Are frozen blueberries ok or fresh better? I need two pies for 12 people.
Thanks
Walter
Hi Walter, thanks for your nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use this crust for a blueberry pie. And while I’ve never made a blueberry pie, I’m assuming that both fresh and frozen blueberries would work just fine. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
Hi Jenn,
I was curious if you had a substitute for the vegetable shortening in the crust? Would Lard or Ghee work? And would it still produce the flaky crust. I’ve made this once before and it is very delicious! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I’ve made dozens of them and have all your books…you are my “GO TO Chef” when I need a recipe!
Hi Sarah, Lard should work beautifully. So glad you enjoy the recipes!
Hi Sarah, I’d go with the lard and, yes, it will still produce a flaky crust. Also, thanks for the nice words about the recipes; so glad you like them! 😊
I am curious. Do you have any suggestions on how to make the filling with the juice reduction into hand pies? I have made pies plenty of times and I actually have started to reduce apple cider for sweetener but I would like to try this recipe. But I am planning to give away hand pies as gifts and I am curious if you have any suggestions. That being said I realize if you had tested hand pies you would have stated that so I am looking for thoughts and suggestions not facts😊
Hi CJ, I think it would definitely work, but don’t have a recipe with specific guidance. Sorry!
Hi Jenn,
I would like to freeze this pie unbaked. Do I still need to parbake the bottom crust as described in the recipe first? And then freeze it after adding the filling and top crust but before baking anymore? Thank you!
Hi Shannon, If you’re freezing it, I would still partake the bottom crust, but hold off on brushing the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkling it with sugar; you can do that right before baking.
Hi Jenn! I just finished assembling my pie and popped it in the freezer to bake later this week for Thanksgiving. Should I still start out at 425 for 15 min, then 375 until it’s done? Or just start at 375?
Hi Karla, I’d stick with the recipe (so reducing the oven temp after 15 minutes). Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I have never attempted homemade crust because my son has a dairy allergy. Can I use non dairy margarine in place of the butter? Or is there a better substitute?
Thanks,
AC
Hi AC, A few readers have commented that they’ve used dairy-free “butter” and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I know it’s cheating but could I just use a frozen pie crust from a grocery store to save time?
Sure Alison, that will work. You’ll still need to blind bake it (according to the instructions on the package).