Apple Pie Filling
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Warm, cinnamon-spiced apples in a rich, gooey syrup—this apple pie filling makes enough for one deep-dish pie and doubles as a delicious topping for pancakes, waffles, and ice cream!
Ever find yourself sneaking bites of leftover apple pie filling, maybe even for breakfast? Same here! Who can resist tender, cinnamon-spiced apples in a rich, caramel-like syrup? The good news is, you don’t need to bake a whole pie to enjoy it—it’s perfect to keep on hand, whether you’re planning to bake later or just have a bunch of apples to use up. This apple pie filling recipe makes enough for one deep-dish pie and doubles as a delicious topping. Try spooning it over pancakes, crepes, or waffles, stirring it into overnight oats, or serving it warm with vanilla ice cream for an easy, comforting fall dessert.
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Pie Filling
- Baking apples – It’s best to use a mix of different varietals like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious for the best flavor. These apples hold their shape during cooking and offer a balance of sweetness and tartness, ensuring your pie filling doesn’t turn mushy.
- Fresh lemon juice – Adds brightness and helps prevent the apples from browning.
- Dark brown sugar – Adds sweetness and a rich, molasses-like depth of flavor.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – Provides warmth and the classic spiced flavor that complements the apples.
- All-purpose flour – Helps thicken the filling to achieve the right consistency.
- Cornstarch – Works with the flour to ensure the filling thickens properly without becoming runny.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
How To Store Apple Pie Filling
To store, let the filling cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge or gently warm it on the stovetop.
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Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 4½ pounds baking apples (about 8 large apples; see note), peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon teaspoon salt
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- 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, and allow them to cool completely.
- To store, let the filling cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw overnight in the fridge or gently warm it on the stovetop.
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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Made this recipe today. Delish! Added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg .
Will definitely be making this again. Thank you .
Thank you for this! I make your delicious apple pie every year for Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ahead and freeze it before baking it. It’s always a challenge to find the space in my freezer. This will make it so much easier! 🙂
Thank you so much for publishing this. I have seen people can apple pie filling, but I don’t have the desire, supplies or need for a lot of apple pie filling. I love that I can make this ahead of the holidays and freeze it for 3 months. It is absolutely delicious! What a great recipe! OH, and it is easy!
Can this be processed with a water bath canner for long term storage, such as with applesauce? Thank you.
Hi Laurel, I haven’t tested this recipe for canning, so to be on the safe side, I suggest freezing instead. Just make the filling as usual, let it cool completely, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container.