An easy Apple Pie recipe with step-by-step photos and tips for making homemade apple pie filling and apple pie crust (either traditional or lattice). This pie is the ultimate crowd pleaser, and just can’t be beat!
Do you love pie recipes as much as I do? Try my Lemon Sour Cream Pie, Triple Berry Pie, or Pumpkin Cheesecake!
Why I love this recipe:
- Holds Together – Easy to slice and serve without any apples sliding around. Everyone gets their fair share of apple filling and the buttery crust!
- Flavorful – Packed full of all the cinnamon and spices you love, this is really the BEST apple pie recipe!
- Perfect Crust – Buttery, flakey, and so EASY to make, this pie crust will make your pie stand out from the rest!
What type of Apples to Use:
Choose tart apples for apple pie, and I always like to use more than one type of apple, to add variety of flavor. My go-to for apple pie is a combination of granny smith and honey crisp apples. I also like to use Janagold (a cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious) or Northern Spy (red and green apple in season October/November and thought of as the perfect Apple Pie apple).
How to make Apple Pie Filling:
Prepare Apples: Peel, core, and cut apple slices. (I use a johnny apple peeler to make this process extra easy as it does it all in one). Make sure your apple slices are cut relatively thinly.
Combine Spices: Whisk together the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and ¾ cup sugar, then set aside.
Coat Apples: Melt butter in a large sauté pan/skillet over medium-high heat then add the apples to the skillet and stir them to coat them in butter. Immediately add the spice and sugar mixture, stirring to coat the apples.
Cook Apples: Lower heat to medium then cook the apple mixture for 3-5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the apples and stir well to coat.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Optional: Pour the mixture out onto a baking sheet to allow it to cool quicker, while you prepare your pie crust.
Add to pie crust: Add cooled pie filling into a pie dish with a cold, unbaked pie crust in it.
Add top crust: Cut the top crust into a few strips, to add a pretty lattice crust, or place the whole pie crust on top of the pie, and cut a few slits on top for seam to escape.
Brush lightly with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Leave the pie in the oven and reduce temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 40 more minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden.
Cool: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely, at least 2-3 hours. This allows the filling to set up so it wont fall apart when slicing.
For best results, store baked apple pie on the counter for a day or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Tips for a perfect Apple Pie Crust:
- Use an unbaked crust – No need to blind bake this pie crust.
- Use two crusts– You’ll need two crusts, one for the bottom of the pie pan and one placed over the filling. I love my pie crust recipe to ensure I have enough crust to work with to make a lattice topping (you can also use a traditional pie crust on top if you’d like).
- Allow the hot apple filling to cool before adding it to the pie crust so that the fats in the pie crust stay cold, creating a flakey crust as it bakes.
- Two oven baking temperatures: We start with the pie at a high temperature to help set the crust. Then lower the temperature to continue cooking.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The pie dough can be made several days in advance, or frozen for months ahead of time. The pie filling can be made a day ahead, stored in a covered container in the fridge. The entire pie can also be made a day ahead of time. Once cool, cover and refrigerate.
To Freeze: The pie crust and apple pie filling can be frozen, separately, for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge and then assemble. Baked apple pie can also be frozen once it has cooled completely. Cover it well with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw for about 1.5 days in the refrigerator before serving.
More recipes using Apples:
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Cobbler
- Apple Cake
- How to Make Caramel Apples
- Waldorf Salad
- Applesauce
- Baked Apples
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Apple Bundt Cake
- Apple Coffee Cake
- The BEST Apple Pancakes
- Apple Pecan Salad
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Recipe
Classic Apple Pie
Equipment
- Johnny Apple Slicer (optional)
Ingredients
- 6 large apples , peeled, cored, and thinly sliced , (3 honey crisp and 3 granny smith)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar , divided
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 recipe homemade pie crust (My recipe makes dough for 2 crusts; 1 for top and 1 for bottom)
- Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. I use a johnny apple peeler which does all three at once. Make sure the apple slices are relatively thinly.
- Make apple pie filling: Whisk together the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and ¾ cup sugar, and set aside. Melt butter in a large pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the apples and sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top. Gently stir to coat the apples.
- Cook: Lower to medium heat and cook the apple mixture for 3-5 minutes, until the apples are slightly tender. Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the apples and toss until well combined. Remove the pan from heat and stir in lemon juice. Optional: Pour the apple pie filling out onto a baking sheet to allow it to cool faster while you prepare your pie crust.*
- Preheat oven: Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven and preheat the oven (with the pan inside) to 425 degrees F. (This is optional, but cooking the pie on a hot baking sheet will help the bottom crust cook and not be soggy.)
- Prepare crusts: Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 12 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Place the pie plate, with the dough, in the fridge while you roll out the second crust. Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface.
- Add filling: Remove the pie crust from the fridge or freezer and pour the apple pie filling into it.
- Add Top Crust: Cover with the second, top layer of dough. You can either place the entire circle of pie dough over the filling and cut a few slits in it to allow the steam to vent, or you can make a simple lattice crust. Pinch and fold the bottom and top crust edges together to create a nice crust and seal them together. Crimp pie edge.
- Brush with egg wash: Lightly brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake: Place pie in oven on top of hot baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Leave the pie in the oven and reduce temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue to cook until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden, about 30 to 40 more minutes.
- Cool: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely, at least 2-3 hours. This allows the filling to set up so it wont fall apart when slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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I originally shared this recipe September 2019. Updated November 2022.
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Curious if the top could be substituted for a Dutch apple topping? Would anything change with the filling prep or cook times?
Has anyone diced the apples instead of doing the slices? How did that turn out? Did you have to make any adjustments?
Newbie at baking pies – do you need to prick the bottom of the pie crust before adding filling?
Hi Lauren! I’ve tried so many of your recipes and love them all! I’ve never commented before, but just had to tell you that I made this apple pie today for one of our residents at work turning 103 that wanted apple pie for her bday. There was a big celebration and pie competition with 12 pies entered…and I WON! Never saw that coming as a first time pie maker. Baking another “award winning” pie tomorrow for friends in town! Thank you for all the great recipes and fun inspiration.
How amazing! Thank you so much for commenting to let me know–and way to go! Thanks for the support <3
Fantastic! This pie was the best I’ve ever had. I’ve always been intimidated by pies, but this recipe was easy and delicious. Thank you!
My husband said it was the best apple pie he’s tasted.
Everyone agreed this pie was delicious!
I love this apple pie recipe! It has a lot more flavor than the one I’ve been using for years. I also love that the filling stays in place when you cut into it!
The apple pie was absolutely delicious, I made it the day before my family’s thanksgiving feast and it sat out on the counter teasing us but we resisted cutting into it but nibbled away on the crust, so good!
Awesome apple pie.
Replaced the majority of regular granulated sugar with a slightly reduced amount of Splenda for a Reduced Sugar Apple Pie variation & my family raved about the new pie recipe. Honestly, this was the best pie I’ve had in a really long time.
I think this is the best pie I ever made. I have tried so many recipes. I love baking but pies are hard for me. My 14 year old and I just made for the 4th of July. We used the lattice and it seems less soupy. The pie crust came out perfect. I put in the fridge but impatient so I put in freezer for 30 minutes. I used extra cinnamon and added cardamon instead of the other spices since its summer. And I used 1 tbs less flour when precooking the apples. I forget the apples were cooking and the apples sauce turned into a wonderful carmel. I think I am also impatient when cooking my filling so it was good to see what it should look like. I was hard to wait 2 hours but when it was pie time we ate it up! The next day, we ate the rest for breakfast. The pie filling wasn’t everywhere and stayed in place. The apples were not too firm or soft. I used a variety including green apples. This will be my go to recipe. I look forward to making the pie crust ahead of time. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
Lauren, I have to tell u that this hands down the best apple pie recipe that I have ever found. I don’t care what any of these other people say about ur recipe not working, it must be operator error because it is perfect. I discovered ur crust recipe a year or so ago and it is awesome, especially after u get the feel down. In addition, I have made ur cherry, pumpkin and lemon meringue and they r always good. In fact, I am currently peddling pies in North Central Montana, all from ur recipes and doing well with rave reviews. I told my wife the other day that if I ever met u I would give u a huge hug and a 💋! Thanx so much for the awesome recipes.
This is the best thing I’ve ever made. Followed it exactly. Just don’t overwork that dough. The chunks of butter and shortening are perfect.
Unfortunately the high temperature started to burn the edges after just 10 minutes so I went ahead and lowered the temperature to 375. I checked it about 5 minutes later and the edges were continuing to burn so I wrapped them in foil and was able to save them from burning completely. Overall, very good recipe. It could be my oven is slightly off, but I don’t think the high temperature was necessary. Ended up baking for a total of 37 minutes. Waiting for it to cool so I can taste it, but it looks great for my first time!
This was my first Apple Pie. Hubby & I loved it! Used a pre-made pie shell, but made pie dough for the lattice on top.
My only variances were on the sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar & 1/4 brown sugar & adding 1 tsp of vanilla. I also did not use milk in the egg wash (didn’t have any). Sprinkled Demerara sugar over the apples after I put them in the pie crust, plus on top of the egg washed lattice. Better than store bought. Thank’s for sharing your recipe 💕.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. My first made from scratch pie- and it turned out great.
Best and easiest apple pie I’ve made!!!
I’ve made your triple berry and apple pie recipes and they are amazing. I sub white/cane sugar with brown sugar for the apple pie, comes out decent. Also, your pie crust recipe is the bomb, I’ve used gluten free all purpose flour a couple times and it seems to hold up fine. Do you ever make gluten free baked goods? Any advice?
Thank you so much! I honestly never bake gluten-free stuff. Sorry!
Lauren!! Put this in your make ahead area! I forget every year to say this! Love this recipe so much!
great tasting, crust flaky, just right, not to tart, very good pie for thanksgiving , will definitely make again, everyone wants another one. real success.
Could you prep the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it? Trying to save time for thanksgiving!
Yes, you can make the filling ahead and store it in the fridge! Enjoy!
We made this and ate it with friends! IT’S FANTASTIC!
We love the recipes on your blog, Laur! They feature at least weekly in our meals. But this one really didn’t work for us. The apples were too mushy soft after ~6 min in the pan, 20 mins above 400, and 30+ mins at regular temperature. And the interior was quite dry, as well. Maybe this would work without a lattice/mine let out too much moisture. It didn’t leak, but I don’t think the consistency was an ideal trade-off. If I make I think again I’ll use less cornstarch, less pan-sauté time, and see how that goes. 🤷🏼♀️