Simply Perfect Apple Pie
Everything you could ever want in an apple pie! Buttery, flaky crust, tart and juicy apples, and sweet, warm holiday spice. It’s simply perfect!
*This post originally published on November 18, 2013. I thought it was due for an update! So, I’ve included new photos, added a how-to video, and given some more detailed instructions and tips for success. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this apple pie recipe as much I do!*
Here I am with another perfect pie recipe!
This has definitely been the year of pies for me. I shared a ton of homemade pies over the summer, and now that fall is here I haven’t slowed down for a second. In the last few weeks, I’ve posted pumpkin pie and pecan pie, and today I am here to share our family favorite: Apple Pie.
My oldest son lives for apple pie. It’s his favorite dessert in all the land, and I am right there with him. It just wouldn’t be fall without apple pie!
This recipe is a total classic. Flaky pastry, tender apples, and plenty of warm cinnamon and spice. The flavors are perfectly balanced, and the contrast between soft fruit and crisp crust is everything!
WHAT KIND OF PASTRY CRUST TO USE FOR APPLE PIE
I have 3 main types of pie crust on this site: Graham Cracker Crust, Tart Crust, and Pie Crust.
The pie crust recipe is definitely the best option for apple pie. Graham cracker crust doesn’t hold together well enough, and there is just too much filling to all fit into a tart!
The pie crust is buttery and flaky, and provides a nice contrast to all the sweet and soft apples in the filling. You can use my recipe or just get it store bought. There’s more info on that below, so read on!
HOW TO MAKE APPLE PIE FROM SCRATCH
The Crust
You can use store bought pie crust if you’re looking for a quick shortcut. Or, you can make my favorite homemade pie crust. It comes out so unbelievably flaky (thanks to my special secret method!) and it’s made with no shortening, so the flavor is off the charts!
Apple Pie Filling
Once the crust is nestled into the pie dish, you can mix up the filling. The ingredients for apple pie are: sliced apples, sugar, spices, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt, and a little flour. It’s as simple as tossing everything together until coated. .
The flour will help to thicken the juices as the pie bakes. This way, your apple pie will hold together nicely and not come out runny!
I like to use granny Smith apples for all my baking, because they’re firm, they hold up well, and the taste is really apple-y and not too sweet. But you can use any kind of firm baking apple you like!
Transfer the filling to the pie dish, and top it with a few tablespoons of butter. Butter will give the pie a richer taste and really make the flavors shine!
How to top apple pie
For the pie you see pictured here, I chose to do a double crust. So there is a layer of crust on the bottom and on the top.
But you could also do a lattice top pie, or just leave it open-faced, or make a Dutch apple pie by topping it with streusel crumb topping.
If you’d like to do a double-crust apple pie like this one, roll out the other half of your pie dough and lay it over the filling. Then just turn up the excess bottom crust, pinching it together with the top crust. (You can see what this looks like in the video below.) Crimp the edge and use a sharp knife to cut some vent holes in the top crust. This way the steam can escape!
HOW LONG TO BAKE APPLE PIE
The name of the game here is to get the apples soft and tender. This is going to take a while! It could be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, depending upon how toothy or soft you like your apple pie.
I like mine to be soft but not mushy. A little bit of bite is good for me! So I usually bake my pie for about 50 minutes.
If you’re not sure if your pie is done, you can check it by inserting a bamboo skewer or thin sharp knife through one of the vent holes. It’s pretty easy to feel how firm or soft the filling is that way.
If you notice that the pie crust is starting to look too brown before the filling is done, you can pop on a pie shield, or just cover those areas loosely with foil.
Straight from the oven, you’ll notice that the juices in the filling are bubbly and liquid. The filling will thicken up a lot as it cools, so give it a good 2 hours to cool before slicing into it.
GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, OR VEGAN APPLE PIE
To make a gluten-free version of this apple pie recipe, substitute 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch for the flour in the filling. For the pie crust, just substitute the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend Look for one that that subs 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
- King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
- Cup4Cup Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
For a dairy-free and/or vegan apple pie, try using your favorite vegan butter substitute, and substitute your favorite non-dairy creamer for the egg wash.
HOW TO SERVE APPLE PIE
This pie can be enjoyed warm or cold, but I definitely prefer it warm! It’s such comfort food.
If you really want to make it extra special, try topping it with vanilla ice cream, and adding a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
CAN APPLE PIE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME
It’s a great idea to get ahead on prep and make pies ahead of time! This way they have plenty of time to cool and firm up, and this saves a lot of stress when you’re entertaining.
You can definitely make the crust at least a few days ahead, and keep it wrapped tightly in the fridge until the day before you plan to serve your apple pie.
The crust can be rolled out, filled, and baked 24 hours before serving. It’s ok to keep it out at room temperature (loosely covered). Then you can just warm it (in a 170 degrees F oven) for about 20 minutes.
Can apple pie be frozen before baking?
Freezing pies ahead is another great way to get a jump on your meal prep.
When freezing pies, it’s a good idea to bake them in foil pans, just so that your pie dish isn’t tied up in the freezer! Wrap really well to prevent freezer burn or funky odors, and keep in the freezer for up to a month.
You don’t even need to thaw it before baking. It can go into the oven frozen. Just bear in mind that it will probably need an extra 20 to 45 minutes of bake time.
How long will apple pie last?
If you have leftovers, they will keep (refrigerated) for several days. After that the crust might start to get a little soggy.
You could also freeze your leftover apple pie. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and it should keep in the freezer for about a month. Thaw at room temperature, rewarm, and enjoy!
This apple pie will be the highlight of your season! It’s such an iconic fall or winter dessert, and your family will love you for it. Enjoy!
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Simply Perfect Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 batch Perfect Pie Crust from Scratch, , prepared & chilled
- 10 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons (2.5 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground nutmeg, (or 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg)
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons (29.57 g) unsalted butter , (cold), cubed
- egg wash, (one egg beaten with a tablespoon of cold water)
- 2 teaspoons raw sugar, , for garnish
Instructions
- Roll out half the pie dough to about 2 inches wider than your pie dish, place it in the bottom of an ungreased pie plate, and refrigerate.
- Place the apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, spices, and salt in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly.
- Fill the chilled pie shell with the apple mixture, working carefully to mound the apples evenly and with as few empty spaces between apple slices as possible.
- Dot with butter and refrigerate.
- Roll out the second disk of pie dough, (large enough to overhang the sides of the pie by at least an inch), and drape the dough over the pie, pressing lightly to conform to the shape of the apples.
- Trim off any excess dough, leaving about a one inch margin all around the pie.
- Roll the top and bottom crusts up and over, pinching together to seal, and crimp.
- Cut steam vents in the top crust with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, brush with egg wash, and garnish with raw sugar.
- Refrigerate the pie for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Bake the pie for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is golden, the juices are bubbling, and the apples are softened but still a little firm (not mushy).
- Cool the pie for at least an 2 hours before slicing.
OMG! This pie is the perfect excuse to use the pie bird I bought just because it was on sale! 😀 So beautiful and yummy!
Yay! I love those little things! I want a pie bird too! 😉
Your pie looks BEAUTIFUL!!!! The crust looks amazing, baked to PERFECTION!!!
Thank you, Maria! I love the crust… it’s so flaky and buttery. That folding and rolling method gives great results! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post, thank you so much for your sweet comment <3
Wow, Allie, I’ve never seen such a beautiful pie! Your photography, your finished product – it’s all totally scrumptious. The name is right – simply perfect!
I’m not much of a baker but you’ve inspired me to give this a try.
Have a great weekend. Found you at Show Stopper Saturday and I’m a new follower.
Hi Robin! Thanks so much for popping over from Show Stopper Saturday! I’m so happy you liked my pie and so happy you took the time to say hello. I hope to see you here again. Happy Holidays! 😀
I’m so excited about this simply perfect apple pie! I would love to try it with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a large spoonful of caramel sauce drizzled on top, although I’m sure it’s delicious just on its own. My stomach is seriously growling at the thought of such combo. Simply delicious!
Oh, Vane, you are totally speaking my language! Nothing’s better than warm apple pie with ice cream and caramel at this time of year! 🙂
Allie, this is seriously the mother of all pies. 12 apples?! I love it! I’ve never made an apple pie before, crazy right? Now that I’m getting over my fear of making the crust, I have to try this. I doubt mine will look as lovely as yours – that’s a perfect pie crust you have there! I especially love that your hubs could smell the pie from the driveway. If I were your neighbour, I’d be following my nose to your food all the time.
Ha ha, thanks Nancy! My neighbors don’t mind too much at all especially since I give them food all the time! But this one was devoured before I even had a chance… So happy you liked the post and thanks for the awesome comment! 🙂
Wow — now THIS is a pie! Love that this pie is so very full of apples. And your crust looks perfectly lovely — golden, flaky, and crispy, just like pastry should be!
Thank you so much, Jamie! It’s all about the apples for me, I try to stuff as many in there as it’ll hold! I’m so happy you liked the post, thanks for reading and for the sweet comment! Hope you have a great weekend!
Allie, this looks absolutely gorgeous! I do not blame your boy for eating 3 slices in one sitting–I’d vote to eat the entire pie 🙂
Ha ha, it didn’t last very long! Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Amy! Hope you and Warren have a lovely holiday… 🙂
Hmmmm sounds delicious Allie, I like how the apples stay crisp within the pie, nobody want’s mushy apples now do they!
I don’t know, my hubby likes mushy but I don’t get that. Go eat some applesauce if that’s what you want! I like to know I’m eating apples, personally. Oh well, it didn’t stop him from devouring a slice or two 😉
Oh my Allie!! This is beyond simply perfect. It’s mind blowing. I love the detailed instructions for the recipe and the care in making this the perfect pie filled with love and tender apples! I LOL when I read this : This baby’s got thermal mass! I cannot agree more. I love your styling very much as well. I don’t know how you make brown shine so well 🙂
Ha ha, only a fellow blogger could understand how hard brown on brown can be! You are so right and I did struggle with that. I’m so happy you like the post. I’ve been making apple pie this way for a long time, and my family loves it! Just had to share what I’ve learned over the years. <3
Wow. Just wow. I am blown away by this pie. It is gorgeous! And you captured it’s gorgeousness so well with these stunning pictures. Man would I love me a slice of this…or two!
Thank you Mimi! It’s not that easy to make a brown pie with brown filling look nice, so I’m glad to hear you like the pics! 😉
Now that is a perfect apple pie! It looks so full and flaky, just how I love it. Thanks for sharing, Allie!
I’m so happy you like it, Ashley! I like it full too, a flat pie is kinda disappointing to me, lol!
Wow, look at that flaky crust! PERFECT apple pie!!!
Thanks, Liz! That folding technique gives such great results. Thank you so much for reading and for the sweet comment!
No wonder why this is your kid’s favorite dessert! It would be mine as well, since it looks terrific! 12 apples??? That’s fabulous, I love apple desserts which actually taste of apples instead of tons of sugar! This baby is going straight to my list, it sounds so awesome 😉
I feel the same way, Consuelo. I want to taste the tart apple flavor, not just cinnamon and sugar. I hope you like the pie! Thanks for reading <3
Wow! This Apple Pie is amazing! I have never seen apple pies that look so gourmet! Your family is very lucky! I will definitely make a gluten free version of this for Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much Ester! I’d love to see your gluten free version, I hope you’ll share it! Happy Thanksgiving!
If it is half as good as yours…I will share it 🙂
This pie looks incredible Allie! So true, nothing says love more than a homemade pie. Hehe, I can just imagine how amazing this smelled baking up in the oven – your hubby must have dashed into the house after a whiff of this magnificent pie 🙂 Thanks for sharing all the great tips and step-by-step photos, this truly sounds like the perfect apple pie! Pinning 🙂
He did, Kelly! I’m so happy you like it, and thank you so much for pinning! xoxo
I am at a loss for words here. You’ve taken such care with every ingredient and step that this pie is more than *simply* perfect. It is utterly perfect. I have never been great at pies, so have always been a little scared of making them, but just seeing how you break down each step makes the whole process so much less intimidating. Thank you so much, Allie! I can’t wait to give this a try 🙂
Wow, Nora! Thank you so very much for your sweet comment! Pies can be scary, I agree, but practice makes perfect and I tried and tried until I got the result I was after. I really hope that the hours I put into learning can help give you a great result! Thanks so much for always being one of my biggest cheerleaders 🙂