Apple Pie Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

Here's a breakdown of the main ingredients for this apple pie recipe and why they are important.

For the Double-Crust Pastry

All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the crust. The gluten in flour, when mixed with water, creates elasticity, allowing the dough to be rolled and shaped.

Salt: Enhances the flavor of the crust and controls gluten development.

Cold Shortening: This is crucial for creating a flaky crust. The cold fat separates the flour layers, and as it melts during baking, it creates steam, resulting in flaky layers.

Cold Water: Binds the flour and shortening together. It's important to use cold water to prevent the shortening from melting, which would result in a tough crust.

For the Filling

Sugar: Sweetens the pie and helps to draw out the juices from the apples, creating a syrupy sauce. The amount of sugar can be adjusted based on the tartness of the apples.

All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the apple filling by absorbing some of the juices released during baking.

Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg: These spices add warmth and depth of flavor to the apple pie, complementing the sweetness of the apples.

Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the filling.

Tart Apples: The star of the pie! Tart apples like Granny Smith or Braeburn provide a balance to the sweetness of the sugar and hold their shape well during baking, preventing the filling from becoming mushy.

Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the filling. Dotting the filling with butter helps to create a more luscious and flavorful sauce.

How To Make Apple Pie

Here are the general directions for how to make apple pie. But be sure to follow the recipe and refer to the recipe tips and FAQ sections for even more helpful information. Here’s how to make the best homemade apple pie, even if it’s your first time:

1. Mix the Pastry Ingredients

Cut the shortening into the flour and salt, using a pastry blender or fork until the particles are small. This distributes the fat from the shortening so that the pastry will be flaky throughout. For the flakiest crust, you’ll want to use ice-cold water when making the pastry. Add a few ice cubes to a cup of water, measuring one tablespoon of the water at a time, so that no part of the dough gets overly wet before the entire pastry dough is moist.

2. Shape, Chill, and Roll the Dough

Gather the dough into a ball and divide it to form two hamburger patty-shaped rounds, handling it as little as possible, so it won’t become tough. This makes it easier to roll the dough later when it’s cold. Chill the dough to help it become flakier when baked. Roll one pastry round (keep the other in the fridge until you roll it later) with a rolling pin on a floured counter, for the bottom crust. Ease it into the pie plate. Let the excess dough hang over the edge, it will be used later to seal to the top crust.

3. Mix the Apples and Spices

Mix the flour, sugar, and spices in a large bowl and then toss with the apple slices. Add the apple slices into the pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter to add a rich dairy flavor to the spiced apple filling.

4. Roll and Seal the Crusts

Roll the remaining pastry round like the one for the bottom crust. Cut slits into the pastry using the tip of a paring knife to allow steam to escape from the apples during baking, so the crust won’t get soggy. Roll and fold the edges of the top and bottom crust to seal in the filling. Cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent it from getting overdone while baking.

5. Bake the Pie

Bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking 15 to 25 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust.

The Best Apples for this Apple Pie Recipe

The best apples to use for pies are those that are tart in flavor and hold up to baking, so that as they soften, they don’t get mushy or mealy in texture. With the sugar that’s added to the pie filling, tart apples provide the perfect balance in flavor for the best-tasting apple pie. Our top apple choices for apple pies are Granny Smith or Braeburn apples. They are the right texture, flavor, and the most economical. You can use either variety or a combination of the two, to get to 8 cups of apple slices. Or for the freshest pie you can make head to your local apple orchard for freshly picked apples. Choose varieties of tart apples with a firm flesh. Check out our baking with apples article for even more information for choosing the perfect apples for baking.

Apple Pie Variations and Toppings

Here are our favorite ways to top an apple pie recipe with crust:

A Little Dairy Does It: Either whipped cream or ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to the spicy, sweet-tart flavor of homemade apple pie. You can make your own sweetened whipped cream, use thawed frozen whipped topping, or whipped cream from a pressurized can. For ice cream, you can’t go wrong with vanilla, but you could use vanilla bean, butter pecan, or caramel. Nothing beats a warm piece of pie with ice cream!

Steal the Toppings: Drizzle your favorite ice cream toppings such as caramel, salted caramel, or butterscotch over pieces of warm pie. Or use caramel apple dip to top your pie. Toffee bits or chopped nuts would also be terrific sprinkled over a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Or you can change up the pie altogether! For a delicious variation on classic apple pie, try one of these fan favorites:

Dutch Apple Pie has one traditional bottom crust, but a brown sugar streusel instead of the top crust.

Salted Caramel Slab Pie is Dutch apple pie with a salted caramel topping in a pie made in a sheet pan, so it serves a crowd.

Easy Apple Cups are individual apple pies, using ready-to-bake pie crust and apple pie filling with cinnamon and sugar to get to dessert even faster.

Storing and Reheating Apple Pie

Apple pie is delicious either served warm or at room temperature. Here’s how to store apple pies so you can enjoy them as much as freshly made pies.

Storing Leftover Apple Pie

Wrap any remaining apple pie either in the pie plate or on a serving plate with plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 7 days.

Reheating Leftover Apple Pie

Place a slice of pie on a microwavable plate. Cover loosely and microwave on medium-high (70%) 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes, until warm (time will depend on if the pie was at room temperature or cold from the fridge).

Freezing Apple Pie

Apple pie can be frozen unbaked or baked. To freeze an unbaked apple pie, prepare as directed through step 5—except do not cut slits in top crust and do not cover edge with strip of aluminum foil. Wrap pie and pie plate completely in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 4 months. For baked apple pie, bake and cool pie as directed. Wrap pie and pie plate completely with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 4 months.

Thawing Frozen Baked Apple Pie

Thaw unwrapped pie overnight in refrigerator (about 8 hours) or at room temperature 1 hour, then heat in 375°F oven 35 to 45 minutes or until warm.

Baking Frozen Unbaked Apple Pie

Unwrap pie and cut slits in top crust. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F; bake 30 to 45 minutes longer or until juices begin to bubble through slits.

Making This Apple Pie with a Premade Crust

Whether you find making pie pasty a little intimidating or want to get a jump on getting this pie in the oven, this delicious recipe will be even quicker to the oven if you start with a pre-made crust. Substitute one package refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crust (2-crusts) for the double-crust pastry ingredients. Soften and roll one pie crust into the pie plate as directed on the package. Pick up the recipe directions, starting with step 4. In step 5, roll the second pie crust and place over filling. Cut slits in top crust. Fold and roll pie crusts, and cover with foil strip as directed.