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This classic apple pie recipe pairs a flaky, buttery crust with cinnamon-spiced apples and a rich, cider-like filling that’s never runny.
Over my 25 years of professional cooking, I’ve tested countless apple pie recipes and landed on a few simple techniques that make all the difference. This classic apple pie recipe has a flaky, buttery crust and tender, cinnamon-spiced apples in a rich, cider-like filling.
The secret is cooking the apples before assembling the pie, which concentrates their flavor, helps the filling set beautifully, and keeps the bottom crust crisp. I’ll walk you through the process step by step, from making and rolling the dough to assembling and baking the pie.
Serve this homemade apple pie on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. And if you’d like to get a head start, my apple pie filling can be made ahead of time.
“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
- Pie crust: Made from all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, a touch of baking powder, cold butter, and ice water. The cold butter and water are key to creating a flaky, tender crust.
- Apples: Use firm baking apples that hold their shape when cooked. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, and Golden Delicious are all good choices; a mix gives the filling more complex flavor.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds sweetness along with a rich, caramel-like flavor.Lemon juice: Brightens the filling and balances the sweetness of the apples.
- Cinnamon: Adds just enough warmth and spice without overpowering the apples.
- Flour & cornstarch: Work together to thicken the apple juices so the filling sets beautifully when sliced.
- Egg, cream, or milk: Brushed over the top crust to help it brown beautifully.
- Turbinado or granulated sugar: Adds a sweet, lightly crunchy finish to the crust.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Apple Pie
Make and chill the pie dough: Pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor, then add the cold butter and pulse until crumbly. Add the ice water and pulse just until the dough is evenly moistened—it should still look crumbly rather than forming a ball. Divide the dough, shape into discs, and refrigerate until firm.
Prepare the apple pie filling: Combine the apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, flour, and cornstarch and cook over medium heat, stirring often. The apples are ready when they’ve softened slightly and their juices have thickened. Spread the filling on a baking sheet so it cools quickly and completely.
Assemble: Roll the larger dough disc into a 13-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Add the cooled apple filling, then roll the top crust slightly larger than the pie and drape it over the apples. Seal and crimp the edges, brush with egg, cream, or milk, sprinkle with sugar, and cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
Bake: Bake the pie on a preheated baking sheet in the lower third of the oven—the blast of heat underneath helps crisp the bottom crust. The pie is done when the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
Cool and serve: Let the pie cool completely before slicing, at least 4 hours. This resting time is important: as the filling cools, it thickens and sets so you get neat slices rather than a runny filling. The pie can be baked a day ahead or frozen (baked or unbaked) for longer storage.
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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Hi!!
I want to make this for dessert for tomorrow and I saw i can prepare it the night before and just leave it out . Do you suggest wrapping it up tight? Can i reheat it when we are ready to eat it tomorrow ? Also i have the frozen crust trays do i have to adjust anything ?
Thank you !
K
Hi Kara, Are frozen crust trays ready-made pie crusts? If so, I would follow the instructions on the package for blind baking the bottom crust. And if you make it ahead, no need to wrap tightly; I’d just cover loosely with foil. It keeps well for a few days.
Yes it is pie crusts deep dish ready to fill in 9″ pans . So i want to make it now and it will be served tomorrow after dinner
Got it. You can make it now and warm it briefly in the oven tomorrow. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Cover the pie lightly with foil and heat for about 15 minutes. You don’t want it to get too warm or the pie will be soupy and hard to serve. Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer! I am making this pie now. I put slits in the top but how can I tell if it is bubbling? I guess my slits are less like windows. Also, I pre-cooked my apples for 5-10 minutes and now I am worried that I cooked all the moisture out. Can I make a bit of extra syrup with an apple I have on hand and pour a bit in the slits?
The pie looks amazing in the oven….I’m just worried about it not being gooey enough. I guess I can always cover it up with a scoop of ice cream. I just preordered your cookbook- your recipes are the best!
Hi Chithra, First, don’t worry! So long as you followed the directions, and added the warm apples along with the thickened juices to the bottom crust, your pie will be gooey and delicious! Plus, you don’t want too much liquid or it will ooze out and make the crust soggy. You should be able to see the bubbling a bit, and maybe even hear it. Good luck and please lmk how it turns out! 🙂
I was worried for no reason. It was great! Rave reviews from my family 😊. Thank you for yet another solid gold recipe!
Yay!
If you cook the apples on the stove top, do you add the cornstarch and flour into the apples before you cook them?
Hi Karen, You would add them after.
Hi, Jenn!
Half of the apples I bought are Granny Smith, 1/4 are Fuji and 1/4 are Golden Delicious. I was wondering whether these varietals will keep their shape if I cook the apple/sugar mixture for 10 minutes, as suggested in a few of your reviews. Also, should I bother draining them first or just cook the apples once I’ve coated them with sugar? Lastly, do I still add in the cornstarch and flour to the apple mixture after cooking it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Kim, Yes, those are the perfect apples to use. If you’d like to cook them a bit before filling the pie, you don’t need to drain them. To save yourself from dirtying a bowl, I would combine the apples, sugar, etc. right in the pan, and then add the flour and cornstarch after cooking it. Just be sure to let the apples cool as the pie crust will be difficult to work with if the apples are warm. Hope that clarifies!
Are there any different baking requirements if I want to do a lattice crust?
The only issue with a lattice crust is that you need to add the top crust quickly so that it doesn’t get too warm from the heat of the bottom crust. I’d keep the strips pretty wide so you can move fast. Otherwise, baking requirements would be the same. Hope it turns out well!
Could I make the filling a day or two ahead of time? I’m thinking I could have the filling all ready to go in the fridge and then assemble and bake on Thanksgiving morning, so that I have the freshness of fresh baked, but a little less food prep stress…
Hi Casey, Unfortunately, I don’t think the apples will hold up well. You can, however, bake the whole pie a day ahead of time. It will still be delicious and fresh the next day.
Can I make the dough for the crust of the apple pie the day and refrigerate it unbaked overnight (to bake it the next day?)?
Sure Mardi – pie crust actually benefits from a “rest” in the fridge.
Hi Jenn,
If I were to make this pie one day ahead is it best to cook all the way through and leave on the counter, or in fridge? Or make days ahead and freeze it unbaked and pull out and bake it the same day we want to eat it? If you think freezing it unbaked is best, do I still prebake the bottom crust first? Thank you
Hi Cheryl, I’d make it a day ahead and leave it on the counter. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use butter in place of the shortening without changing the recipe?
Sure, Bette. Please come back and lmk how it turns out!
So I’ve never cooked the pie crust before adding the filling before and I’m nervous, it doesn’t overcook?? And how are you supposed to seal and flute the edges when the bottom half is already cooked?? I’m going to try this for Friendsgiving next weekend, I’d love your advice, looks like a fab recipe!
Hi Erica, Blind baking the crust is the only way to ensure that it’s not soggy – and I promise it doesn’t overcook :). You want to press the top crust against the bottom crust (the heat will help it seal) and then crimp the top crust only. Just work quickly as you don’t want the dough to get too warm.