The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (2024)

This is the Best Apple Pie Recipe you will ever taste!This easy apple pie has been in our family for generations and it’s sure to please your family and friends! If you just need apple pie filling, you will also find an easy apple pie filling recipe that you can make and freeze and then just pop into a pie crust when you’re ready to make it!

The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (1)

This easy apple pie recipe makes the absolute best apple pie you will ever taste! Starting with a classic old-fashioned flaky pie crust and then filled with the perfect balance of sweet and apple flavors, it is the ideal pie for the most important holiday get togethers!

This apple pie recipe has been in our family for 75 yearsor more and still takes the #1 spot at any meal where it is served. This family favorite is the pie my grandmother made and my mom still makes one every year! When I first met him, my husband used to only eat chocolate pies, but after he tasted this apple pie, he started requesting it every year!

Best Apples For Apple Pie

People often ask me what are the best apples for apple pie.What kind of apples do I use? Some people are dogmatic about what kind of apples they use and will only use baking apples, like Granny Smith apples for pies. I’m not so fussy and I use whatever apples are on sale or that I happen to have on hand.

I personally don’t like the super tart taste from baking apples and I always needed to add more sugar when I used them. It also seems to take longer to bake using baking apples.

My favorite thing to do with this easy apple pie recipe is to use a couple of different kinds of apples. Don’t have a heart attack but, yes, I have used Golden Delicious apples before.

Personally, I think the best apples to use for the best apple pie are Gala apples or Envy apples and they work perfectly with our easy apple pie recipe below. One of our viewers recently suggested using Pink Lady apples for the best apple pie, but I have not tried them yet.

Also, my mom likes to dehydrate all kinds of foods for easy storage. She sometimes uses dehydrated apples for apple pies and the dehydrated apples can make the pie taste sweeter. (If you use dehydrated apples to make apple pie, you do NOT need to add more liquid to the recipe.

The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (2)

Here are a couple of tips before you start making your homemade apple pie:

  • No recipe is set in stone.You can make some modifications to the ingredients in this apple pie recipe to adjust to your tastes. For example, you might add more or less cinnamon or you might use all white sugar or less sugar.
    For your first try, though, I suggest that you make this easy apple pie recipe exactly as it is written and then adjust to your tastes the next time you make one.
    When people adjust things before making the apple pie recipe the way it is, I often hear, “My pie didn’t turn out well but I made it just like you said. I only changed this and this and this…” and by the time she has finished explaining, I discover that she has only used one of the original ingredients. : )
  • One of the best things I have discoveredafter years of baking pies is to cook my fruit pie filling in the microwave for 2-3 minutes first and then pour it into the crust. Two of my pet peeves about pies are soggy crusts and partially cooked apples in a pie. If you don’t partially cook the apple pie filling ahead of time, the crust will sometimes start turning too brown before the apples are done cooking. Pre-cooking the pie filling prevents overbrowning the crust.
  • If you make a mistake, it is not necessarily a disaster. Mom once made this apple pie recipe but accidentally left out the sugar. It looked beautiful but obviously didn’t taste right. We discovered that we were able to sprinkle some sugar over the top and it tasted great. My husband also found that if he put a scoop or two of ice cream on top of it, that provided plenty of sugar to give it a wonderful taste! So if you think you have made a mistake, see if you can improvise before throwing it away!

Easy Apple Pie Crust Recipe

The best pies start out with the best pie dough!Mom’s apple pie crust is light and flaky and melt in your mouth delicious! This pie crust is perfect for all kinds of pies, but I use it most for this easy apple pie recipe.

This pie dough is so much better than a store bought crust that you will wonder why you ever bought a pre-made one. It takes a little but of work but is surprisingly easier than you might think because grandma appreciated easy recipes even more than you do!

This crust has a delicious flavor with a flaky and delicate melt in your mouth consistency! It has a homemade taste that is even better than a fancy bakery pie. If you make the easy apple pie recipe according to the recipe below, this pie crust is never soggy.

The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (3)

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The Very Best Pie Crust Recipe

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Here’s mom’s famous homemade pie crust recipe which really is the VERY BEST! Super light and flaky, this pie crust is melt in your mouth delicious! Everyone raves about it! Make some extra to freeze and use later and you’ll cut your preparation time for your next pie!

Ingredients

Units

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 cups shortening, cold
1 egg, cold
1 Tbsp. vinegar, cold
5 Tbsp. cold water
sugar

Instructions

  1. Mix flour, salt and 2 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl.
  2. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
  3. Add egg, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water.
  4. Mix lightly with your hands. Don’t over mix. If the dough is too dry, add more water. Mix just until the dough sticks together.
  5. Divide into thirds.
  6. Roll out to make 3 pie crusts.
  7. When using the crust for the top of the pie, sprinkle sugar on top.

The crust can be frozen in slightly flattened balls and then defrosted and rolled out when ready to use. Makes 3 crusts.

Here is my best apple pie recipe and as a bonus I will give you a recipe for French apple pie.You use the French apple pie when you have only 1 crust for the bottom and need something to top it with. It is a cross between a pie and apple crisp.

The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (5)

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Grandma’s Easy Apple Pie Recipe

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Ingredients

67 cups of medium apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. butter

Instructions

  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl except the butter.
  2. Microwave this filling mixture 2-3 minutes.
  3. Pour into the pie crust.
  4. Dot with chunks of the butter.
  5. Top with the other crust.
  6. Cut steam slits in the top crust.
  7. Sprinkle the top with sugar.
  8. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes.
  9. Then turn down to 350° and bake for 35-45 minutes, until apples are tender and juices are bubbling nicely out of the steam slits.

French Apple Pie is the same as a regular apple pie except with a different topping. If you prefer French apple pie or you’d like to try something a bit different, make the French apple pie recipe below and sprinkle it over the top of your pie instead of using a top crust.

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Easy French Apple Pie Topping

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Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour

Instructions

  1. Mix ingredients in a small bowl until crumble-like.
  2. Sprinkle over the top of the apples.
  3. Bake as usual.
The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (7)

How to make easy homemade apple pie filling

My mom makes the best apple pie.We have always loved it. I was talking to her and asked her how she makes it taste so good. She said “I used canned apples.” HA! All this time we thought it was some great secret and it was just canned apples!

If you are like me and have fresh apples piling up everywhere,here is a recipe I love that tastes amazing and freezes really well. I keep bags of it in the freezer to pop into a pie crust when I need it. Make this apple pie filling now and have it ready for those more hectic days during the holidays when you need a quick dessert or easy apple pie.

Part of the reason canned apples sometimes taste betterfor apple pile filling is because the apples are fully cooked and nice and tender, so make sure your apples are well cooked.

This easy apple pie filling recipe can be slow cookedin a crockpot on low until apples are tender or cooked as the recipe says in a Dutch oven.

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Best Apple Pie Filling Recipe

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  • Yield: Filling for two 9 inch pies

Ingredients

9 cups baking apples (I use what I have for apples), peeled, cored & sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
5 cups water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.
  2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven.
  3. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add apples and return to boil.
  5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender (6-10 minutes).
  6. Cool for 30 minutes.
  7. Then ladle into freezer containers or bake in pies. Makes enough for two 9 inch pies.

Alternatively, you can cook in the crockpot on low for 4 hours or until apples are tender.

For more delicious pies like this easy apple pie recipe, or ideas to make pie baking easier, check out these posts:

Easy Pie Recipes! 20 Of The Best Ever Homemade Pie Recipes

Pecan Cheesecake Pie Recipe

The Very Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

Best Chocolate Pie Recipe Ever!

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The Best Easy Apple Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you cook apples before putting in pie? ›

Should you cook the apples before baking apple pie? You don't have to pre-cook the filling before spooning it into the pie crust, but it's a quick step I recommend. Just 5 minutes on the stove begins the softening process, and also helps the flavors start to mingle.

Is it better to prebake pie crust for apple pie? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

What makes the best pie apple? ›

The best apples for making apple pie
  • Braeburn. This apple is a descendant of Granny Smith, but slightly sweeter. ...
  • Cortland. ...
  • Crispin (Mutsu). ...
  • Golden Delicious. ...
  • Granny Smith. ...
  • Honeycrisp. ...
  • Jonagold or Jonathan. ...
  • Northern Spy.
Oct 8, 2021

How do you bake an apple pie so the bottom crust is not soggy? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess.

Should you soak apples before baking? ›

Some experts will tell you to par-cook apples before filling a pie by pouring boiling water over cut apples and soaking them for 10 minutes. Others say to roast them to reduce water content. Still, others say to let cut apples sit for 30-40 minutes to drain natural juices.

Is glass or metal better for baking pies? ›

Glass Pie Pan Experiment Results

For texture, it was most comparable to the crust baked in the ceramic pan. Glass takes a long time to conduct heat compared to metal, so you may not achieve as much browning on the bottom and sides of your crust. This is exactly what we found with this crust – minimal browning occurred.

Should you poke holes in bottom of pie crust? ›

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

How long to prebake pie crust at 350? ›

If your recipe doesn't have instructions and you're wondering how long to pre bake the pie, here's what I do: I pre bake the prepped pie crust at 350°F. If the crust is homemade from scratch, I pre bake for 35 minutes. If the crust is store-bought, I pre bake for 30 minutes.

Should you blind bake the bottom crust of an apple pie? ›

You wouldn't want to blind bake an apple pie crust. Typically apple pie is made from raw apples, which need to be baked along with the crust. Even if you were using canned pie filling you would want to bake it in a raw crust so it gets nicely caramelized and bubbly. Apply heat to foods creates new flavors.

What type of pie pan is best for apple pie? ›

Like glass dishes, ceramic pie dishes conduct heat slowly and evenly, which helps yield uniformly golden crusts and thoroughly cooked fillings, even when making fruit pies, like apple, that require lengthy cooks to soften down.

What apples should not be used for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

What must you invent to make an apple pie from scratch? ›

Usually, it's a bit of wisdom from an ancient philosopher, or something a bit trite from a self-help book, but on this particular day they had written up the quote from Carl Sagan, 'If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe'.

How do you get a crispy crust on the bottom of a pie? ›

Getting a brown, flaky/crispy bottom crust on your pie is all about quick and effective heat transfer. That's why aluminum or aluminum/steel pans — rather than glass or stoneware — are your best choice for baking pie. Metal, especially aluminum, transfers heat quickly and efficiently from oven to pie crust.

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

Pre-baking is a must if you're looking for a flaky pie crust. It's especially helpful for recipes with a wet center. Recipes for most tarts, pies, and quiches call for pre-baking to ensure that the final product doesn't end up soggy.

Should I egg wash the bottom pie crust? ›

You've spent time and effort putting the pastry together, so don't sell yourself short by skipping the final step—the egg wash for the pie crust. The truth is that cream and egg washes are a simple but vital step to improving the appearance and flavor of pies and other baked goods.

How do you keep apples from browning when making a pie? ›

Using Water, Lemon Juice, and Citric Acid to Prevent Apples From Browning. One of the easiest things you can do to prevent browning is to submerge the cut fruit in plain water, which reduces the amount of air, and therefore oxygen, that can get to it.

How do you soften apples before baking? ›

Place the butter and a tablespoon of the water into a sauté pan and bring over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the sliced apples and stir to coat with the butter. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes to soften the apples.

Does it matter if apples brown before baking? ›

If you're baking apples into a pie or a crisp, the browning doesn't matter so much—after all, they'll just brown more in the oven. But if it's picture-perfect slices you're after—say, for a charcuterie board, an apple tart, or the kids' lunch boxes—try one of the below methods to slow the oxidation process.

Can I leave the skin on apples for pie? ›

peel your apples. While the debate on whether or not to peel your apples seems never-ending, it really comes down to a matter of personal choice. Unpeeled apples will add a bit of color and texture to your pie, but they may prevent the apples from melding together when baked.

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