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Apple Pie Recipe

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Updated Sep 20, 2024
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Our best apple pie recipe marries sliced tart apples dusted with sugar and spice, all tucked inside cozy, tender, flaky crust. When baked, the juices from the apples turn into a sweet, syrupy-like glaze over the tender apples, for an outstanding dessert with flavor and texture, your mouth just can’t get enough of.

“American as apple pie,” is really a misnomer. Apple pies get their roots in Europe, centuries before America was on the map. They became popular in the US because they were affordable to make and were a terrific way to preserve food, especially during the winter. In World War II, apple pies became associated with home and coziness; as soldiers claimed they were fighting for “mom and apple pie.”

What makes this our best recipe? We show you, step-by-easy-step, and all the tips and tricks to make an apple pie you’ll be proud to serve. How to perfect the flaky, tender crust. How to thinly slice the apples and mix in just the right amounts of sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, so that when the apples bake to their tender perfection, they’ll be covered with just the right amount of sweet, spicy, syrupy goodness. All this flavor and the variety of textures will make your mouth water and your tongue swoon.

Apple pie is a natural choice to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it’s also perfectly patriotic for a summer holiday or the ending to about any meal. Make one for Sunday dinner, to celebrate an anniversary, or to bring to a potluck, and instantly, the meal becomes more special.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: Why should ice cream get all the love? 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 at room temperature or unwrap and thaw 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Shortening?

Shortening is a solid fat made from vegetable oils. You will find it in the baking aisle. Store in the refrigerator, as it needs to be cold to work the best without being sticky. It’s our top choice for making pies, as its flavorless so it doesn’t add any unwanted tastes to your pie crusts so that the filling flavors can shine.

How To Make Apple Pie Not Soggy?

For a tender and flaky pie crust, start with the right pan. Heat resistant glass pie plates are our top choice for baking pies. If you don’t have one of these, use a dull aluminum pan. We don’t recommend shiny or disposable pie pans as they reflect the heat and prevent crusts from browning which could lead to a soggy crust.

How To Tell When Apple Pie is Done?

Use the visual cues as well as time to determine if the pie is done or not. By keeping the edge of the pie covered with foil until the last 15 minutes or so of baking will ensure the top crust won’t get over baked. Once the foil has been removed and the pie has baked 15 additional minutes, check for both visual doneness cues. Is the edge of the crust golden brown and are juices beginning to bubble through the crust? If one of these cues hasn’t happened yet, add a minute or two of bake time and check again. If possible, avoid opening the oven door and look for these cues through the oven window. Each time the oven door is opened, the temperature of the oven can drop, causing it to take longer to bake the pie.

What is the Best Way to Cut Apple Pie?

Pie that is room temperature or warm will be easier to cut than hot pie and will make the nicest-shaped pieces. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut through the crusts and filling without making it crumbly. Lift the piece of pie from the pie plate with a pie or cake server (a triangular-shaped spatula).

Apple Pie Recipe

  • Prep Time 45 min
  • Total 2 hr 20 min
  • Servings 8
  • Ingredients 11
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Ingredients

Double-Crust Pastry

  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup cold shortening
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
  • Step 
    2
    Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
  • Step 
    3
    Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
  • Step 
    4
    In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate.
  • Step 
    5
    Roll other round of pastry. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.
  • Step 
    6
    Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Serve warm if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts are not available for this recipe

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