Why You’ll Love This
This recipe is a mixture of recipes I have used over the years. Precooking the apple filling helps prevent undercooked and watery apples. It also helps prevent the gap that can occur between the top crust and the filling. This apple pie recipe delivers a flaky, tender crust filled with the classic fall apple flavors. It’s that time of year for baking, so be sure to check out our other fall desserts, such as Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and Easy Pecan Pie Bars!
The Best Apples for Apple Pie
We love a mixture of tart and sweet apples for this recipe. We use an even mixture of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
Granny Smith is tart, firm, and great for baking.Honeycrisp is super crispy and sweet.Braeburn is also crisp and won’t get mushy.Jonagold becomes sweeter when baked.Golden Delicious is a balance of sweet and tart.
The Best Pie Crust
I have tried numerous pie crust recipes. The one I used with this pie is perfect. It’s an all-butter crust making it tender, flaky, and with no soggy bottom crust! Another little tip later for keeping the bottom crust from becoming soggy.
Recipe Ingredients
Apples: You will need about four large Granny Smith apples and four large Honeycrisp apples.Granulated Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar: These sugars give just the right amount of sweetness and caramel flavor.Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mace, and Cloves: The flavors of classic apple pie.Salt: Salt is always necessary for your baked goods!Fresh Lemon Juice: The lemon juice adds that extra touch of flavor and nice brightness.Flour: Flour helps thicken the apples’ juices and keeps the sauce from being too watery.Unsalted Butter: Adds a rich, buttery flavor.Eggwash: One egg beaten with one tablespoon of water adds a golden, shiny brown crust and also keeps the bottom crust from becoming soggy. (that’s the extra tip)Turbinado Sugar: It just adds another little layer of sweetness and makes the crust pretty.
How to Make This Easy Apple Pie Recipe
Make the pie crust dough and refrigerate. This recipe uses all-butter, making for a tender, flaky, and flavorful crust. After making the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. Or use a store-bought pie crust.Precook the apple pie filling: Be sure to slice the apples all the same size for even cooking. Cook the apples with the spices, lemon juice, and flour in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Let it cool to room temperature. (If baking the pie the same day, pour the filling into a large bowl to cool faster.) Precooking allows you to taste and adjust to your sweetness level. Not all apples are the same, some are sweeter, and some are not!Assemble the pie: See the recipe card for detailed instructions.Freeze: Freeze for 30 minutes while your oven is preheating.Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top.Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with a pie shield or aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 3 hours.
How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust
Use a 9-inch pie pan. Let the dough stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Roll out one dough disk to a 12-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to the pie pan and gently ease it down into the pan. Brush some of the egg wash over the bottom pie crust and refrigerate while you roll out the top dough.Roll out the second dough disk to a 12-inch circle. Cut about eight one-inch strips.Add the cooled filling to the bottom pie crust. Dot the filling with butter cubes.Arrange half of the strips vertically over the filling. Fold down every other strip and place one strip horizontally across the top. Unfold the folded strips, and fold up the remaining strips. Lay another strip horizontally.Continue weaving the remaining strips to form a lattice top.Trim excess dough from the pie plate and crimp the edges of the pie.Freeze for 30 minutes.Brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top.
Make Ahead Apple Pie Instructions
I make the apple pie filling up to one day ahead. I allow it to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate overnight. Doing this means I’m not pacing the kitchen, waiting for the filling to cool.I also make the pie dough the day before and refrigerate it overnight.The next day, assemble and bake.
How to Freeze an Entire Pie
You CAN freeze a whole apple pie unbaked for a later date. Top with the second crust, but don’t brush with egg wash. Put the pie in the freezer for an hour to flash freeze, then wrap it with plastic wrap, and wrap it again. Then wrap in freezer paper or foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. So make this pie ahead for Thanksgiving or Christmas! You can bake it straight from frozen. Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and pop it in the oven according to the recipe. Add about 20 minutes to the total bake time, and remember to cover it with foil or a pie shield toward the end so it doesn’t get too brown. While apples are typically very fall-like, perhaps it’s Spring, and you’re looking for a great-tasting fruit pie. Please check out our blueberry pie! It’s fabulous, and the post contains the secret on how to cook it without it running all out when you cut it.
Tips
Feel free to use a store-bought crust.Be sure to check the pie at least halfway through the cooking time to check for the browning of the crust. Cover with aluminum foil if needed.Bake the pie on a baking sheet to catch any juices that may bubble over.Plan ahead, so the pie has enough time to cool and the filling to thicken up before serving.
