Classic Apple Pie Recipe From Scratch

There are few desserts as iconic and comforting a slice of apple pie served a la mode. It’s every bit as delicious on the 4th of July as it is after Thanksgiving dinner and any day in between. A‌ ‌delicious‌ ‌homemade‌ ‌apple‌ ‌pie‌ ‌recipe from scratch ‌doesn’t‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌intimidating.‌ ‌While‌ ‌a‌ ‌traditional‌ ‌apple‌ ‌pie‌ ‌filling‌ ‌may‌ ‌involve‌ ‌a‌ ‌saucepan,‌ ‌cornstarch,‌ ‌and‌ ‌other‌ ‌involved‌ ‌steps,‌ ‌this‌ ‌easy‌ ‌apple‌ ‌pie‌ ‌recipe‌ ‌just‌ ‌used sliced‌ ‌apples‌ tossed ‌with‌ ‌lemon juice, flour, sugar‌ ‌and‌ ‌spices‌ ‌before‌ ‌placing‌ ‌the homemade filling into a‌ ‌prepared‌ ‌pie‌ ‌crust.‌ ‌ ‌ I’ve shared a couple other apple pie recipes over the course of this blog with salted caramel apple pie and cranberry apple pie, both of which are absolutely delicious. But I wanted to share this classic apple pie recipe because it’s one I have made dozens of times and it always turns out so good! When it comes to traditional apple pie, I’m not a fan when people are too heavy-handed with the cinnamon and the pie is overly spiced. I prefer just a light touch of cinnamon and nutmeg so that the flavor of the apples that really shines through here. I feel the same way about not using too much sugar the will result in an overly sweet apple pie. The best homemade apple pie should have a balanced sweet and tart, apple cider-ish quality to the filling. And it pairs perfectly with my homemade pie crust. We love apple recipes at our house! If you’re looking for some other amazing apple dishes, you should try Creamy Apple Cider Chicken Skillet, Baked Apples, Instant Pot Applesauce, and German Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup!

Best apples to make apple pie

Using‌ ‌firm apples for baking is important for ‌any apple‌ ‌pie recipe ‌because it helps you ‌avoid ending ‌up‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌mushy‌, overly ‌sweet‌ ‌apple pie‌ filling.‌ ‌A blend of both tart and sweet apples gives a more complex flavor to your homemade apple pie filling. Here are some of the best choices for apples to use in apple pies

Granny Smith: green, tart, and firm, these are a classic choice for baking and almost always in my apple pie Golden Delicious: yellow, sweet, and softer, golden delicious apples are another excellent choice Pink Lady: firm, sweet-tart apples that are widely available Pippin: firm, sweet, and give a great cider flavor to pies Braeburn: another sweet-tart apple that bakes well Jazz: firm, sweet apples that hold their shape while baking Jonagold: firm and sweet, this apple variety is a cross between a Jonathan and a Golden Delicious Northern Spy: firm, tart, great baking apples, although I don’t see them as often as some varieties McIntosh: sweet, amazing flavor, but they break down more as they bake than other apple varieties, so be sure to pair them with plenty of firm apples that will hold their shape

I‌ ‌personally‌ ‌enjoy‌ ‌using‌ ‌a‌ ‌variety‌ ‌of‌ ‌apples‌ ‌such‌ ‌as‌ ‌Granny‌ ‌Smith,‌ ‌Golden‌ ‌Delicious,‌ ‌Pink‌ ‌Lady, and Pippin.‌ ‌An‌ ‌apple‌ ‌pie‌ ‌with‌ ‌two to three‌ ‌apple varieties ‌is‌ ‌ideal‌ ‌because‌ ‌it‌ ‌gives‌ ‌you‌ ‌an‌ ‌amazing‌ ‌flavor‌ ‌profile‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌don’t get with just one type of apple.‌ ‌I tend to go with any of those varieties that are on sale or available at farmer’s markets or u-pick farms.

What apples to not use in apple pie?

I do not recommend using gala, fuji, or red delicious apples for making apple pie.

How many apples does it take to make an apple pie?

This really depends on how large your apples are, but generally speaking 6 to 7 medium-sized apples will be plenty for making an apple pie. If they are on the smaller side you might need a couple extra apples, or if they are particularly large apples then 5 might be enough.

How to make Apple Pie from Scratch

What temp to bake apple pie?

I like to bake my apple pie at 425 degrees F to start out, then decrease the temperature to 375 degrees F to finish it off. This allows the crust to get flaky and crisp, then cooks the apples all the way through without burning the crust toward the end of baking.

How to store Homemade Apple Pie

While‌ ‌you‌ ‌can‌ ‌keep‌ ‌an‌ ‌apple‌ ‌pie‌ ‌at‌ ‌room‌ ‌temperature‌ ‌for‌ ‌up‌ ‌to‌ ‌2‌ ‌days,‌ ‌you‌ should keep ‌it‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌fridge‌ ‌or‌ ‌freezer if you want to keep it longer than that.‌ ‌Covering‌ ‌the‌ ‌apple‌ ‌pie‌ ‌with‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌wrap‌ ‌or‌ ‌foil,‌ ‌and‌ ‌keeping it in the fridge will ‌extend‌ ‌the‌ ‌life‌ ‌another‌ ‌2‌ ‌or‌ ‌3‌ ‌days.‌ ‌

Best Apple Pie recipe tips

For a beautifully golden and shiny crust, be sure to brush top of your pie with an egg wash before baking made by beating an egg with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Immediately after brushing on the egg wash, sprinkle the pie with 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. The sugar will melt into the egg wash and create a thin, crackly, almost glazed finish to the golden brown crust. It adds a lovely finish to your pie. To prevent the edges of your crust from getting too dark or burning, consider using a pie shield or aluminum foil strips around the edge of the pie during the initial baking stages. You can remove them toward the end of the baking process when there are about 20 to 30 minutes left to bake. As tempting as it is to dive right into a freshly baked pie, it’s crucial to let it cool completely before slicing. This allows the juices to thicken and ensures that your slices hold together beautifully when served. Waiting for about 2-3 hours is ideal. You can always warm up individual slices before serving if you like a slice of warm pie.

What if my apple pie filling is runny?

If your filling doesn’t set up well and your pie is overly juicy, there could be a couple factors at play.

Wait to cool: This has happened to me before when I just cannot wait to slice into the pie because I want to eat it warm. But it really does take the pie cooling down completely for the filling to set up entirely. Add Flour: The other issue I’ve encountered is if I add too many apples and don’t offset with an extra tablespoon or two of flour. The extra flour will help to thicken the filling as well. Apple Type: Both Braeburn and Macintosh apples break down more and seem to give off more juice as they cook, which makes a wonderfully flavorful “sauce” in apple pie, but they could also be the culprits behind a runny filling. Definitely go ahead and use them for flavor, but make sure to use other, sturdier apples with them. Fixing it after: If all else fails, I recommend reserving the juice that comes off the apples after letting them set for 15-20 minutes and microwaving just the juices for 2-3 minutes to help it reduce before adding it into the pie with the sliced apples. Some recipes will just have you discard the juices that come off the apples, but I love the cider flavor that they give them pie so cooking the juices down in the microwave is my preferred solution. It’s the same approach I take with blackberry pie and I’ve found it works well.

All that said, I really prefer a juicy pie over a gummy, overly thickened filling.

More Classic, Homemade Pie Recipes You’ll Love

Coconut Cream Pie Best Key Lime Pie Recipe No-Bake Sour Cream Lemon Pie Blueberry Custard Pie Classic Southern Pecan Pie Homemade Blackberry Pie Southern Peach Pie Perfection Fresh Strawberry Pie Sour Cream Raisin Pie

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