Perfect Apple Pie
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Ready to bake the best apple pie ever? This step-by-step guide will help you create the ultimate pie with a buttery, flaky crust and a gooey, cider-flavored filling—an irresistible fall favorite!
As fall rolls in and apple season hits its peak, there’s no better time to bake a homemade apple pie—whether to use up your apples or as a special Thanksgiving dessert. I’ll be honest, all homemade fruit pies are a bit of a project (whoever coined the term “easy as pie” had clearly never made one from scratch!). But with a tried-and-true recipe like this one, you’ll have a perfect pie every time, and trust me, it’s totally worth it.
The key is starting with a foolproof all-butter pie crust and avoiding the usual apple pie pitfalls—a soupy filling and soggy crust—by cooking the apples before filling and baking the pie. This extra step thickens the juices, concentrating their flavor and ensuring a crisp, flaky crust with a gooey, cider-flavored filling. This, my friends, is the ultimate apple pie! 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.
“This pie turned out incredible! the crust is delicious and the filling juicy and full of flavor.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Pie
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the essential structure and stability needed for the crust. Additionally, it thickens the filling by absorbing the juices released during baking. Always measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off to ensure accuracy.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the crust.
- Baking Powder: Helps to slightly leaven the crust.
- Butter: Creates flakiness and richness in the crust.
- Ice Cold Water: Binds the dough together. The temperature of the water helps keep the butter cold. This ensures the crust will come out flaky and tender.
- Baking Apples: For apple pie, use baking varietals such as Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, or Golden Delicious apples (or any combination); they hold their shape when cooked so you don’t end up with applesauce pie!
- Lemon Juice: Prevents the apples from browning and adds a hint of tartness.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Sweetens the filling and adds a rich, molasses-like flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to the filling.
- Cornstarch: Works with the flour to thicken the filling, ensuring it isn’t runny.
- Beaten Egg/Cream/Milk: Brushed over the crust to give it a golden, glossy finish. Any of these 3 options will work nicely.
- Granulated or Turbinado Sugar: Sprinkled on top for added sweetness and a slight crunch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: 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.
Make 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.
Step 2: Prepare the Apple Pie 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 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.)
Step 3: Prepare the Bottom Crust
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 a ceramic or glass pie dish 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.
Step 4: 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 egg wash, cream, or milk.
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of granulated or turbinado sugar.
Cut four 3-inch (7½-cm) slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
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!
Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
Anytime you’re baking with apples whether it’s apple strudel or applesauce, it’s a good idea to use a blend of tart and sweet baking apples for the best flavor. Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious are all good options—try different varietals and see what combinations you like best.
Sure! The pie can be baked up to 1 day ahead of time and stored, loosely covered with foil, at room temperature. If you’d like to reheat it, place the pie on a baking sheet and loosely cover it with foil to protect the crust. Reheat it at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it’s warmed through. Just keep in mind that the filling may get a bit soupy when served warm.
Definitely, apple pie can 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).
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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.
Cook the Apples
- 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 & Bake 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.
- 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
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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Wow, Jenn! Apple is my husband’s favorite. He walked out the door this morning and said it was the best I’ve made! Thanks to you! He mentioned the 2 things you said would make it better, prebaking the crust (he said it was great, crispy) and reducing the apple juices, (he couldn’t put his finger on it, said it tasted caramelly). I’ve also never added brown sugar and that added to the flavor. AND because the pie wasn’t looser, when I sliced a piece it was a perfect slice. Yes, I did a happy dance! 🙂 This is it for us! Thanks not only for sharing your amazing recipes with us but for teaching us why certain things work better.
This was the best tasting pie I’ve made, according to my husband. It’s true, the pie was delicious! The crust was perfect and the apple filling was decadent. Thank you for such a great step by step recipe!
Hey Jenn! I’ve made this pie before and it was fabulous, but I’ve always made it in one sitting. I read another comment that the pie crust wouldn’t be as crisp if made 2 days before but what if I made it a night before and then baked it in the morning?
Hi Daniel, Glad you like it! It should be fine if you made it the night before and then baked in the morning.
This apple pie recipe was a mishegas to make, more steps than any other apple pie I’ve ever made. That being said, the four hours after it came out of the oven was a long four hours. My husband’s first bite and he said it was the best apple pie I’ve ever made. I have to agree. The crust was crunchy, the combination of tartness from the Granny Smiths and the sweetness from the creamy Mackintosh apples (4 Granny Smiths and about six Mackintosh) was delicious and syrupy (not soupy). The recipe used a lot of apples but next time I’ll use more since there was a little air pocket between the filling and the top crust. I thought the amount of cinnamon was scant but it was spot on.
So, yes, I will be making this again. It’s that good.
Jenn, thank you for this amazing recipe! I’ve been making apple pies for 30+ years and have always had rave reviews, even a ribbon or two won at community events. My husband is crazy for my pies and last night told me this one is the best he’s had in his whole life! Wow! It’s the depth of flavor in the apples and the slightly caramelized taste. He loves the crispness of the crust as well. I discovered your site about a year ago and have made dozens of your recipes and have never been disappointed. I have told friends and family members about your site and get many comments back on how much they like your recipes too. I call you my new Ina. 😊 Thank you for sharing your fantastic culinary skills with us!
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This pie took longer to make than the traditional apple pie, but it is by far the BEST apple pie ever!
0 stars and compilcated for nothing
easy to understand why so many low star comments when the recipe itself does not make sense. Crust states 3 tablespoons sugar which would make the crust far too sweet in taste. One reply to a commenter about the amount of sugar was informed only 1 tablespoon of sugar was to go into the crust, the other two were for sprinkling over the pie once the top crust was in place. Yet, reading the instructions it says 2 tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling. If those 2 tablespoons of sugar were supposed to be split from the original 3 tablespoons mentioned in the crust ingredient list, that should have been made very clear, especially for inexperienced home cooks wanting to make their first apple pie.
As for the apple filling, I’ve been making pies for 60 years plus, & never once have I prebaked the bottom crust of my two crust apple pies or any other two crust pies. Also, would not add lemon zest to my apple pie filling as the lemon flavour (along with the lemon juice) would overpower the taste of the apples. The lemon juice on its own would suffice.
I’ve never made my pastry in a food processor as I personally think it would be too easy to overwork the pastry ingredients. Always made my big batch pastry (makes enough for 6 single crusts or 3 double crusts) using 3/4 Lard, 1/4 butter, vinegar, egg and ice cold water. It’s never failed me and has helped me win quite a few first place ribbons in the pie category at fall fairs. I do use all butter for Pate Brisee if making savory tarts or quiche but do at times use an egg beaten with water instead of using all water for the liquid.
I don’t use dark pie pans or non stick pie pans as they just don’t give the results of the old-fashioned aluminum pie pans do, I also get great results with glass pie pans as the bottom crust bakes ups nicely in the glass pie pans. All in all, we all want to bake a lovely pie for our partner or family and friends even if your first try is not perfect!
My goodness, did you actually make this? Sometimes there’s “more than one way to skin a cat.” If you actually tried it and it was that bad, fine. If you didn’t make it, but just looked through the recipe, which apparently didn’t look like yours, you have no business rating this.
The crust was excellent, but the apples tasted too lemony, were undercooked, and runny. Used harolsens with a few honeycrisp
Great taste but apple quantities are completely wrong.
3.5 lbs is way too much and you don’t want to discover that after having peeled and cut that much, especially if you made a double recipe as I have done.
This recipe clearly hasn’t been tested at all.
I weighed 3.5lbs of apples and it was way too much. It was so high and when the apples shrunk while baking the crust formed a huge dome with a gap between it and the apples and the whole thing collapsed when I tried to slice it. Also there was a soupy mess at the bottom. I’m not sure what I did wrong.
I’m sorry you had a problem with the pie! The doming of the crust you described is not unusual with a pie like this, as the apples are not cooked prior to filling the crust and once the apples cook down, the crust is already set. You also mentioned that the filling was soupy – what brand of apples did you use?