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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’m making the pie and it’s my first time!!! What do you mean by “in 4 pieces” when you add the shortening?
Hi Colleen, Sorry for the confusion – just spoon it out or cut it into chunks so you’re not adding it all in one piece.
I jenn
Question If i want to make this pie can i make just Blueberries if is yes how much ?
Thanks again
Hi Fanny, I’d be hesitant to suggest blueberries here; all berries release a ton of juice and I’m concerned that it would make the pie soggy. Sorry!
I made it with blueberries it turned out perfect.
I’m exhausted! 4 hours to make a pie! I will come back after I serve it tonight and let you know the results. It’s currently in the oven completing the last step. It looks pretty good, but I do have a couple of burned fingers trying to add the top crust. We will see!
Update: Guests were very happy with the pie. One problem I had is the juice seeped under the bottom crust. Don’t know why, I saw no holes in the baked crust. It was difficult to remove, even after soaking the dish. My fault, there must have been a hole in the crust and I missed it.
I made this today. It’s the first apple pie I’ve ever made – actually, it’s also the first time I’ve made a pie crust. I used my LeCreuset pie bird funnel – it was a beautiful presentation. I also made homemade ice cream with my Cuisinart ice cream maker- yes, I cooked all day! 😉 My husband loved the dessert! The crust is flaky and delicious! This will be my go-to apple pie recipe. I reserved a few apples and pie dough – fried 2 apple tarts – DELISH!!! Thanks for sharing.
I served this pie for a family birthday dinner. My son said no cake this year, I want pie! I have used your website before, and your recipes are great. The apple pie got 6 stars! A little more labor, but worth it!
This is a great pie, I had previously been frustrated with runny pie filling and have taken to cooking the fillings prior to loading the crust. Your recommendation of cooking the crust has also made a big difference, thank you.
This is a great recipe. The instructions and pictures are helpful to have the perfect apple pie. The basics (chilling dough) to the capturing juices are the helpful hints that Grndma used but never got into the “ apple pie recipe” Every recipe has been successful and this is my go to place to find instructions or what to make that is a never fail success..no need for cookbooks
Dear Jenn,
Thank you so much! You have inspired me to become a baker. You’re completely correct in that whomever said “easy as pie” was clearly smoking something whack!
I have been using a packaged pie cust crust. Not pre-made but the mix already done. I have been pleased with the results. Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to give your crust a try. Wow! It’s awesome, but, and it’s a big but, I spent the entire day preparing and making this. I didn’t finish until 10pm so I couldn’t taste it until today. I shared it with my parents and we were all drooling with joy!
I have now made 4 of your desserts and all have been outstanding. Lemon pound cake, lemon tarts, warm lemon pudding cakes, and this apple pie! Today I will be attempting your Bourbon Brown Butter Pecan pie. I think I’ll use my ready to make pie crust mix this time as I just don’t have the time!
Thanks, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah!
So glad you’re having success with the recipes, Eric! Happy Holidays 🙂
Hi Jenn
Love all your recipes! Could you tell me the food processor you use pictured in your Apple pie recipe?
I need to get one and that looks like a good one. Thank you. Donna
Hi Donna, So glad you are enjoying the recipes! I use a 14-cup Cuisinart food processor and am very happy with it. Hope that helps! 🙂
I generally don’t like fruit pies and am totally intimidated by pie crust recipes. However I had too many apples in my fridge, was itching to try something new and somewhat challenging, and figured Jenn’s recipe for apple pie with her ever so clear instructions was my best chance to get over my pie making fear. The result was so perfect, taste and looks wise, that one of my friends commented that she never saw anything like this in real life, just in cook books. It made me look so good.
This did take me a lot of time to make, even though I used this little gadget that peels, cores and cuts apples. It also caused quite a mess in my kitchen. But the result was nothing short of spectacular and the crust was superb.
I let the apples drain for over an hour. Then I weighed the syrup (240 g) and boiled it on the stove top (don’t have a microwave) it til it reached 120 g (I find it easier to weigh things than to use measuring cups). Kept a very close eye on the syrup as it reduced, especially towards the end.
Thanks Jenn for helping conquer my longstanding pie making fear 🙂
Hi Jenn, does the 1.6 kg of apples refer to the net weight after the coring and peeling or before ? I have an excess of apples in my fridge and would like to give this recipe a try !
Thanks 🙂
Hi Malak, the 1.6 kg refers to the amount of apples before they are peeled and cored. Hope you enjoy!
Apple pie is by far my favorite dessert, but I’ve never made one from scratch! I’ve been looking at so many recipes but I believe yours is the best I’ve seen yet! Thank you for all the wonderful tips, I can’t wait to make this recipe for Christmas!