Apple Pie has a golden, crisp crust and a thick, saucy filling with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples. Enjoy this cozy classic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
The Best Apple Pie
When I first met my husband, I quickly learned how much he loves apple desserts! I knew I had to master all things apple, which is how these tasty Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars, Apple Crumble, and Apple Turnover came about. But for some reason, apple pie always scared me. It felt like everyone had great apple pie recipes, and I wasn’t sure I could impress him as much as I did with the other apple treats.
After a lot of testing and researching, I finally gathered the courage to make my own apple pie recipe. And let me tell you, it’s the best I’ve ever had. My apple-loving husband agreed, calling it the best apple pie he’s ever tasted!
Ingredients
- Pie Crusts: Chill before using to keep the crust from becoming too soft.
- Apples: Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor and texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to the filling.
- Lemon: Add so much flavor and keeps the apples fresh.
- Brown Sugar & White Sugar: Lightly pack brown sugar to ensure you get the right amount.
- Spices: Feel free to scale up the spices or down for your spice preference.
- Flour: Thickens the filling. Make sure it’s evenly mixed to avoid lumps.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds extra flavor.
- Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream: Choose plain Greek yogurt for a neutral flavor.
- Egg Wash: Helps seal the pie crust and gives it a golden color.
How To Make Apple Pie
- Chill crusts.
- Prepare apples: Peel, core, and dice.
- Cook apples: With butter, lemon, brown sugar, spices.
- Thicken filling: Add sugar-flour mix, vanilla, yogurt. Chill.
- Assemble pie: Fill bottom crust, add top crust, seal edges.
- Chill assembled pie.
- Bake: 400°F for 55-65 minutes.
- Cool before serving. Serve with fresh ice cream or whipped cream.
Apple Pie Tips
- Chill Everything: Keep crusts, filling, and assembled pie cold for even baking and a flakier crust.
- Sugar Topping: Sprinkle Demerara Baking Sugar, Turbinado sugar, or white sparkling sugar before baking for crunch and to make it look pretty.
- Cooling Time: Let pie cool to room temperature before slicing for a thicker, juicier filling.
- Keep Cold: Use cold ingredients, minimize handling, and refrigerate quickly.
- Egg Wash: Brush inside of crust before filling to prevent sogginess.
Storage
Leftovers
- Room Temperature: Store apple pie covered for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Wrap pie tightly; freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven at 350°F for best texture.
More Dessert Recipes
- Apple Coffee Cake
- Fruit Salsa
- Peach Cobbler
- Apple Fritter Bread
- Applesauce Cake
Apple Pie
With a thick, buttery crust and heavenly spiced apple filling, this Apple Pie is delicious and absolutely timeless!
Equipment
- Pie pan 9.5-inch
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 2 pie crusts
- 8 apples peeled, cored, and diced, see note 1
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Sugar topping as desired, see note 2
Instructions
- Zest lemons with a zester to get 1 teaspoon zest. Juice the lemon using a citrus juicer to get 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Set aside.
- You can buy pie crusts, or make them homemade. Be sure to chill pie crusts (tightly wrapped in plastic wrap) for at least 30 minutes before rolling them out. It's best to keep everything as cold as possible! Chill pie dough, chill apple pie filling, and chill pie before baking.
- Peel and core apples. Dice into 1/2-inch cubes, measure 7 cups, and set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add diced apples, lemon juice, and zest. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until juices thicken and apples begin to soften.
- In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar and flour. Sprinkle over the apple filling on the stovetop and stir. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring often until the filling thickens. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and Greek yogurt (or sour cream). Refrigerate the apple filling until chilled, about 45 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk with a fork until smooth. Set aside.
- Place a pie crust in the bottom of a 9.5-inch pie pan. Lightly brush with egg wash. Spread cooled apple filling evenly over the crust. Cover the top with pie crust (see note 3). Press all around edges to seal the two crusts together. Trim or tuck excess crust so it is flush with rim of the pan. If desired, crimp edges (see note 4). Place assembled pie in fridge and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Take out the pie and brush all but the crimped edges with egg wash. Sprinkle optional sparkling sugar (see note 2) evenly over the pie. Set the pie on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 55–65 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown. If crust is browning too quickly, use a pie shield (see note 5).
- Cool completely, at room temperature, before cutting into pie and serving. If the pie is cut straight out of the oven it'll be runny and wet; it needs time for the filling to become juicy and thick. I typically wait 3–5 hours before cutting into the pie. If desired, serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I recommend a mix of apples; mostly Honeycrisp and a couple of Granny Smith, but you can use any apple you like!
Note 2: You can sprinkle your pie crust with some sugar to add a sweet crunch. I like to use Demerara Baking Sugar, Turbinado sugar, or white sparkling sugar for topping.
Note 3: Elise from SimplyRecipes.com has step-by-step instructions for creating a lattice crust. If you don’t want to do a lattice crust, simply add the entire crust on top of the apple filling. Make sure to cut some vents in the top of the crust with a sharp knife.
Note 4: If you’re unsure how to crimp the edges of your pie, here’s a picture tutorial.
Note 5: You may want a pie shield to keep edges from getting too dark. You can make your own pie shield by following this tutorial.
Nutrition: Nutritional information is calculated using two refrigerated crusts from the grocery store.
Storage: Store apple pie covered for up to 2 days, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or wrap pie tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving. Warm in the oven at 350°F for the best texture reheated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is by far the BEST Apple pie recipe I’ve ever made! The pastry is perfect, and the filling is lusciously sweet, spiced and caramel-like. Five stars!!
I am SO thrilled to hear this! Thanks Tanya! 🙂
I love your detailed instructions.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Kathy!