Jump to Recipe

With a flaky pastry crust and a cinnamon-spiced filling, this Classic Apple Pie is irresistible. It tastes like it came out of your grandmother’s kitchen! Perfect for an autumn, Thanksgiving or 4th of July dessert, but delicious any time of year.

This is the Best Apple Pie Recipe, so look no further. Your friends and family will inhale their slices and be begging for more! You must add this apple pie to your baking list ASAP!

Classic Apple Pie slice on a square white plate
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Recipe Tips
3 You May Also Like:
4 Helpful Tools:
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 Classic Apple Pie Recipe

Why You Must Make

  • The tender double crust and simple apple filling make it the perfect autumn dessert.
  • It’s a classic fall dessert. Making it all from scratch is always best!
  • This is a tried and true recipe.

Recipe Tips

  • PRO-Tip: Use a combination of baking apples for the best flavor (suggestions below).
  • Keep your pie crust ingredients cold for the flakiest crust. I keep a stick of shortening in the freezer just for pie.
  • PRO-Tip: Once the pie crust is made, keep it chilled. Cold pieces of butter and shortening are key to producing steam when the crust cooks, creating a flaky crust.
  • To avoid a gap between the top crust and the apples, consider precooking your apples.
  • Layering uncooked apples into the crust also helps minimize the gap if you make sure all the spaces are filled with apples.
  • Don’t overwhelm your pie with loads of spices. I find cinnamon alone is perfect, but 1 teaspoon is plenty.
  • PRO-Tip: For a nice finishing touch, brush your crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Make sure to cool your pie before slicing or the filling will be very runny.

Classic Apple Pie in a ruffled white pie plate

You May Also Like:

Helpful Tools:

Frequently Asked Questions

What Kind of Fat is Best for Pie Crust?

This crust, made with both butter and shortening, was flaky and tender. The butter provides that delicious flavor associated with homemade pie crust. The shortening has a higher melting point than butter, so it makes the crust easier to roll.

What Kind of Apples Should You Buy to Make an Apple Pie?

This was one mouthwatering apple pie. I used a combination of Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Pink Lady apples for my filling. The mixture of sweet and tart, firm and less firm apples ensures an exquisite taste and texture. Nobody wants their apple filling to be mushy like applesauce!

How Do You Know When an Apple Pie is Done?

Look for bubbling juices when you look through the pie crust vents. You can also take a sharp knife and use the vent openings to pierce a few apples. They should be tender and the knife point shouldn’t meet any resistance as it’s inserted.

Classic Apple Pie | The perfect apple pie recipe
The Recipe:

Classic Apple Pie Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield 8 servings

The BEST apple pie recipe. Recipe courtesy of Hugs & Cookies XOXO

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold butter
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/3 cup very cold shortening
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Apple Filling:

  • 5 cups sliced and peeled apples (I use a combination of baking apples)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon diced butter
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water
  • Coarse sugar

Instructions

  1. Dice the shortening and butter.
  2. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
  3. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, till the butter is the size of peas.
  4. With the machine running, pour in the ice water and pulse until the dough begins to form a ball.
  5. Pour out the mixture onto a floured board and roll it into a ball. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 425º.
  7. Make the filling by mixing the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.
  8. Roll one ball of dough on a well-floured board into a circle Fold the dough in half, place it in a pie pan, and unfold it to fit the pan.
  9. Arrange apples over the top crust, dot the filling with butter (sprinkle the diced butter over the filling), then roll out the second half of the dough and place over the filling.
  10. Cut excess dough from the perimeter, then flute the edges. Cut a few slits into the top crust to vent.
  11. Brush crust with egg wash (egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water). Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  12. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º and bake for 40 more minutes.
  13. Use a knife to check if apples are tender; if not continue baking till apples are well cooked.
  14. Cover the pie with foil at any time if the crust is browning too fast.

Notes

Recipe from Danielle of Hugs and Cookies XOXO

Use a variety of baking apples for the best flavor.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 578Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 506mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 3gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Pies