CLASSIC APPLE PIE

This classic apple pie recipe features a sweet, perfectly spiced apple filling packed inside a delicious flaky pie crust. The perfect pie for fall or Thanksgiving! Pair it with my no-churn ice cream and caramel sauce and you have a match made in heaven!

JUMP TO RECIPE

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST APPLE PIE

• The Crust: The crust of this pie is equally remarkable, crafted from a buttery, flaky pastry that crumbles delicately at the touch. Made with high-quality flour, cold butter, and a pinch of salt, the dough is rolled out to perfection. It provides a sturdy yet tender base that holds the luscious filling beautifully.

  
  

• The Baking Process: As the apple pie bakes in the oven, the aroma of spiced apples and flaky pastry fills the kitchen. This creates an inviting atmosphere that beckons everyone to gather around. The filling bubbles and thickens, forming a glossy surface that glistens enticingly through the perfectly golden-brown crust.

  
  

• Serving Suggestions: To enhance the enjoyment of this delectable Apple Pie, consider serving it warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream melting atop the warm filling. Alternatively, a dollop of freshly whipped cream adds a light and airy contrast to the rich flavors. For those who appreciate a bit of crunch, a sprinkle of crushed nuts can provide an interesting texture that complements the softness of the apples.

The Secret to the Best Pie Crust

The secret to making the best pie crust is to coat a portion of the flour with cold butter before adding in the rest of your flour. This simple step guarantees a super flaky, light pie crust. Gluten forms when you mix flour and water. We want some gluten for structure, but too much will make your crust tough, dense, and less flaky.

Our tried and true pie crust recipe mixes a portion of the flour with our butter first. You can think about it as if we are giving the flour a butter raincoat, which makes it difficult for the flour coated in butter to absorb water. In other words, it helps prevent too much gluten development. Less gluten = flakier and more tender pie crusts.

Great pie crust is light enough to flake and doesn’t turn soggy from juicy fillings.

CLASSIC APPLE PIE

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the pie crust:

• 2 ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or use 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar, optional

• 1 cup (230g) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 sticks)

• 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

  
  

Apple Pie Filling

• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon Apple Pie Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• 4 pounds good baking apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons water

• ½ teaspoon lemon zest

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  
  

Homemade, no-churn vanilla ice cream

TO MAKE

To Make the Pie Dough:

1. Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar to a medium bowl. Stir 2 to 3 times until combined.

   
   

2. Scatter butter cubes over flour and mix briefly with a fork or spatula to coat the butter with flour.

   
   

3. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, working the mixture until the flour has a coarse, mealy texture similar to fresh bread crumbs. About 1 – 2 minutes.

   
   

4. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour. Work butter and flour with the pastry blender until flour is evenly distributed. About 20 seconds. (Dough should look crumbly with pea-sized pieces).

   
   

5. Sprinkle ice water over the mixture — start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until the dough comes together.

   
   

6. Remove dough from the bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half, then form each half into disks. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using).

   
   

7. Once ready to use, roll 1 half of pie dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle on a lightly floured surface; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate or iron skillet. Trim even with the rim. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

   
   

To Make Apple Filling:

1. In a large pot, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, apple pie spice, and salt. Add the apple slices and lemon juice and toss until the apples are evenly coated in the sugar and spices. Set aside for 30 minutes to draw some of the juices out of the apples.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth.

3. Set the pot with the apples over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the apples soften slightly, about 5 minutes.

4. Raise the heat to medium and pour the cornstarch mixture over the apples. Cook, stirring, until the apple juices bubble and thicken, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and vanilla.

5. Allow the filling to cool completely before using.

   
   

To Assemble:

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a disc of pie dough to a ⅛" thickness and transfer it to the bottom of a 9" pie dish. Use your fingers to gently press the pie crust onto the plate so there are no spaces between the dough and the plate. Give the blueberry pie filling another stir and pour it into the crust. Use a spatula to spread it evenly and then arrange the small cubes of cold butter across the top of the filling. Roll out the second pie crust to a ⅛" thickness.

   
   

2. Cut the second pie crust into 1" strips with a sharp knife. Lay half of the strips in one direction over the top of the pie. Starting from the center, pull back every other strip halfway. Lay one strip in the opposite direction and pull the strips back into their original place. Do this again, but pull back the strips that weren't used the first time. Repeat until your pie is covered with the strips of crust.

   
   

3. Beat the egg in a small bowl and then use a pastry brush to brush it over the top of the pie crust.

   
   

4. To protect the edges of the pie from over-browning, use a long strip of aluminum foil (about 38" long) by folding it in half lengthwise and then folding in half again, lengthwise. Wrap it around the edges of the pie plate and over the edges of the crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any spills that may happen while it's baking.

   
   

5. Bake in a preheated 400°F (218°C) oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pie shield from the pie and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbly.

   
   

6. For the pie to set properly and avoid being runny, let it cool for 3 hours before slicing.

   
   

7. Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!