A Classic Apple Pie made completely from scratch that’s buttery, flaky, easy to make, and perfect for any time of the year.
Who doesn’t love a good apple pie with some rich vanilla ice cream? It’s always a good time for a piece of pie as far as I’m concerned. This classic recipe is easier than you think so don’t be afraid to make your own apple pie from scratch!
Ingredients
- Apples – Any old apple will not do, you’re looking for an apple with a crisp bite such as; Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith.
- Lemon Juice – Just a tablespoon will prevent your apples from oxidizing and browning before they find their way into the oven. Lemon juice will also add a bit of tartness, it will be good to keep on hand if using sweeter apples.
- Brown Sugar – Does it have to be brown? In short, yes. Brown sugar will give you a pie that is more moist, has richer color, and a deeper caramel flavor.
- Flour – This helps the filling bind and is crucial to the thick, syrupy texture you’ll be looking for after simmering the strained juice on the stovetop.
- Cinnamon – Yes you can make an apple pie without cinnamon, but why would you want to? Some things are just meant to go together and apples and cinnamon is one of them. Plus the smell while it bakes is out of this world.
- Egg – Just one beaten egg and a small amount of liquid creates egg wash. Brushing this over your pie crust before it goes in the oven will give it a more attractive golden appearance, prevent the filling from oozing, and create a glossy finish. For further information on ratios, this site offers a great write up.
How to Make Pie Crust
Check out my fool proof recipe for making your own pie crust, once you’ve tasted this recipe you’ll never go for store bought again. While there are many pie fillings, hundreds probably, I have to say my favorite has to be the classic apple. And the best thing about this pie is that it’s at its best the next day (just in time for breakfast).
How To Make Apple Pie
- Prepare the filling:Â Peel and slice your apples to start, you will want to make sure the apples are sliced thin as this will allow them to get tender in the oven. From there you will combine them with the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour.
- Craft your crust:Â After removing your home made or store bought crust from the fridge you’ll want to allow it to rest for up to 10 minutes, this will make it easier to roll out. Once it’s softened you’ll want to flour your rolling pin, to prevent the dough from sticking, and get to work. Each disc will need to be 1/8 of an inch thick. Place the dough gently onto the pie plate before crimping the edges and removing any excess dough.
- Assemble your pie: Add the filling to your bottom crust, roll out your top crust in the same way described above and drape it over your pie. Crimp and seal your edges before slicing vents in the top crust with a knife or if you really want to impress, cut into long strips and weave a lattice crust. From there you will brush with your egg wash mixture, making sure to seal the edges before popping in a preheated 375 F degree oven.
- Bake the pie: Bake for about an hour or until the crust is golden and starts to brown and juices are bubbling.
This is the BEST apple pie I have ever made and tasted!!! 5 stars from me!!!!
Tips And Tricks
- The crust is the most important thing, so make sure you have a great pie crust that is flaky, buttery, and utterly delicious.
- Make sure you choose the right apples. You’re looking for an apple with a crisp bite such as; Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith.
- Bake it properly, the upper crust needs to be a deep golden-brown! Brush the crust generously with egg wash before baking to ensure it achieves that nice deep color.
- Wait for it to cool slightly before serving, this will ensure you don’t end up with a liquidy pie.
How Long to Bake
Bake the pie at 375 F degrees for about 1 hour or until the apples are tender and the pie crust is golden. If the outer crust starts to brown too much, cover the edges with aluminum foil and continue baking.
How to Store Leftovers
Baked apple pies will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. You can keep it for an additional 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.
To freeze, wrap the pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and store it in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Thaw out the apple pie in the fridge and then reheat it in a 350 F degree oven for 30 minutes or until warm.
Craving More Pies? Try These:
- Perfect Peach Pie
- Apple Pie Cake
- Berry Summer Pie
- Apple Crumble
- Scrumptious Caramel Pear Pie
- Chicken Pot Pie
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Classic Apple Pie
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 pie crust whole recipe for top and bottom crust
Filling
- 8 medium apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
Instructions
- Make the pie crust according to this pie crust recipe. You can also use store bought pie crust.
- While pie crust is resting in the fridge, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. This is required to soften the dough a bit, so that you can roll it out.
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Roll out each disc using a rolling pin. If your dough is sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin add a bit more flour as necessary. Roll it until it’s about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Place the pie dough lightly into a pie plate. I usually roll it on the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate. (see video) Crimp the edge and cut off excess dough.
- Add the apple mixture to the bottom crust
- Roll out the second disc. Gently place on top of the filling and make vents using a sharp knife, or cut into long strips to make a lattice. Trim the excess dough, if needed. Brush generously with beaten egg.
- Bake for about an hour or until the crust is golden and starts to brown and juices are bubbling.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Apples: Use apples such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonathans, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith.Â
- If you’ve got time, prepare the apple mixture the night before and let them sit overnight in your fridge. The sugar will draw out the liquid from the apples, giving you a moist pie filling. Drain the juice from the apple mixture and reduce it in a sauce pan until it’s thick and syrupy, then add it back to the apples.Â
I know recipes taste better using fresh fruit but has it ever been done using canned apples? I have about 9 cans and I’m trying to use them up. Any suggestions?
You can give it a try! The only issue you might run into is if there’s too much liquid in the cans.
Excellent recipe. The pastry worked very well and was nice & easy to make. Thank you!
Hi Steph! Great to hear you liked the recipe!
This pie dough was extremely easy to make. Absolutely delicious!!
Fabulous! Amazing!
hi i live in Australia and just came across your recipe.. can you advise what size pie plate this pastry makes please..
Hi Christina! I used a 9 inch pie plate for this.
thank you Jo… appreciate it the reply .. so far away !!!
My pleasure! 🙂
A bit sweeter than I would like but easy to make and very tasty!!
Feel free to adjust the sugar! We’re so glad you love this recipe.
Thanks for this easy and doable recipe! Took a bit of time for the upper crust but totally worth the effort!
It’s a labor of love but the final product is so worth it!
Needed a good American apple pie recipe for my ex-pat Candadian partner. This is a winner!! Thanks.
This is the BEST apple pie I have ever made and tasted!!! 5 stars from me!!!!
Wow, thank you! So glad you liked the recipe!
So good! And I used your crust 🙂 it’s basically picture perfect and it’s so easy too
That’s awesome!
Dang it’s delicious. I used all Granny Smith and made your dough recipe too. Amazing and it was the perfect recipe for making a pie for the first time.
Hi Jo! I stumbled across this recipe on my quest for the perf apple pie. I do have a question before I get started, is there a way to make the inside more… syrupy? I like my apple pies with a lot of the other filling (aside from the actual apples — haha) and the pictures you posted look like its not really there, or it is kind of watery.
Our pie was still warm when we took photos. Pop it in the fridge and it’ll stiffen right up. You can also use 2 tbsp of cornstarch instead of flour for an extra thick consistency while warm.
I’m looking forward to making this pie for the Jewish New Year. I must have missed one piece of info…what size pie plate do you use?
Just a standard 9″ pie dish
Made them, friends keep ask for more. This the third time. I made with bought pastry though. Thanks, Suree
Nothing like apple pie! I cannot wait for apple season here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. It’s just starting to gear up! 🙂