What makes this the perfect apple pie recipe? Let’s start with the all butter pie crust, as the pie bakes, it gets super flaky and golden brown. Next, the apple pie filling, which features apple cider, brown sugar, spices, and a ton of sliced apples. Top the baked apple pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce!
The Perfect Apple Pie Recipe
We’re celebrating apple season here in the Hudson Valley and I’m loving every second of it. We live close to a few apple orchards, so there’s always a wonderful variety of fresh apples at the farmers market. Last weekend I lugged home 14 pounds of apples. And that means it’s time for all the apple recipes, starting with apple pie, apple crisp, and apple bars!
But of them all, apple pie is my favorite. And I have the perfect apple pie recipe to share with you! I’ve tested this recipe over 25 times and promise that while it is a labor of love… it’s basically foolproof. This apple pie recipe is heaven in a pie plate!
Why this is The Best Apple Pie Recipe?
- The homemade apple pie filling features a mountain of sliced apples, spices, and sugar.
- My secret ingredient, apple cider, adds even more apple flavor to the apple pie filling!
- Pre-cooking the sliced apples promises a thick and gooey apple pie filling.
- The pie dough bakes up super flaky… no soggy bottom on the bottom crust!
- A mix of Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp (or Pink Lady) apples adds depth to the apple pie filling. Feel free to use all granny smith if that’s your preference.
Bonus: As the apple pie bakes, it’ll make your home smell better than any scented candle!
How to Make Apple Pie Recipe
- Make the Pie Dough: You’ll need enough pie dough for a bottom crust and top crust (lattice strips).
- Make the Apple Pie Filling: You’ll make an apple cider reduction on the stovetop. Then mix all the other apple pie filling ingredients in a large bowl. Add the sliced apples mixture into the apple cider and cook until soft.
- Assemble the Apple Pie: Roll out the bottom crust and place in the pie plate. Roll out the top crust and slice into lattice strips. Fill the bottom crust with apple pie filling, then top with the lattice strips. Crimp the edges.
- Bake the Apple Pie: This pie will bake at a higher temperature to start, then continue baking at a lower temperature. If the pie crust begins to get to brown, tent with foil and continue baking.
- Cool the Apple Pie: Allow your pie to cool for at least 6 hours before slicing! If sliced hot, the apple pie filling will leak everywhere. It takes a full 6 hours for it to set and slice like you see in my photos.
Pro-tip: If you prefer a slice of warm apple pie, you can heat it in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
All-Butter Pie Crust for Flaky Pie Crust
Making homemade all-butter pie crust is a labor of love… but 100% worth it! Make the pie dough in advance and store it in the fridge for 24 hour or in the freezer for 2 months.
- If you make the pie dough in advance and store it in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
- If you make the pie dough in advance and store it in the freezer, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
- To ensure a flaky pie crust, never let your pie dough get too warm. Anytime it looks like it’s beginning to melt, transfer the pie dough back to the fridge and chill until cold.
- If you don’t want to use my butter pie crust recipe, use your favorite pie crust recipe instead. Just make sure you’ll have enough dough for a top crust and bottom crust.
- An egg wash (simply, whisked egg and water) and sparkling sugar help the pie crust brown as the pie bakes.
Top Crust and Bottom Crust
This is a double crust apple pie, meaning there’s a top crust and a bottom crust. If you use my foolproof all-butter pie crust recipe, make the amount for a double crust. If you use another recipe, make sure there’s enough pie dough for a double crust pie.
- Roll out the bottom crust and place it in the pie plate. Gently press the pie dough into the pie dish, making sure there’s no gaps between the plate and the pie dough.
- Sprinkle the pie dough with a 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar and flour. This is my trick to a flaky pie crust on the bottom crust. Place the pie plate in the fridge to chill while you prep the top crust.
- For the top crust, you’ll make a lattice by slicing the pie dough into long strips using a pastry slicer.
- Once cut, place the strips of pie dough onto a baking sheet and chill for another 20 to 30 minutes. This is another trick for getting a flaky pie crust.
- When you’re ready to assemble, spread the apple pie filling on the bottom crust. Then, add the top crust (lattice strips). Crimp the edges, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
Easy Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Unlike most apple pie recipes that make the apple pie filling in a large bowl, this recipe makes it on the stovetop.
- We begin by making an apple cider reduction. Apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. Do NOT use apple cider vinegar or apple beer, hard cider, or stout.
- Once you reduce the apple cider, you’ll add in the sliced apples, sugar and brown sugar, and spices. And cook until the apples begin to soften.
- Cool the apple pie filling to room temperature before adding it to the bottom crust. Adding hot apple pie filling to the bottom crust is a major no-no and will create a soggy bottom crust.
- Feel free to make the apple pie filling recipe up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge until needed.
Top the Baked Apple Pie with Ice Cream…
- Apple pie and ice cream are an iconic duo! We enjoy topping our baked apple pie with vanilla ice cream. However, salted caramel ice cream and butter pecan ice cream are also tasty.
- If you prefer whipped cream, that’s also a great apple pie topping!
- And salted caramel sauce and candied pecans are always welcome on my apple pie, too.
Best Apple Pie Recipes:
