This apple pie recipe boasts a fragrant, perfectly apple-y filling encased in rich, flaky, all-butter crust. You’ll want to make this on repeat every fall.
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PrintA Very Good Apple Pie
This apple pie recipe boasts a fragrant, perfectly apple-y filling encased in rich, flaky, all-butter crust. You’ll want to make this on repeat every fall.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus time for pie crust
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, plus time for pie crust
- Yield: 8–12 servings 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 recipe Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust
- 4 pounds apples, peeled if desired, cored and diced into ½-inch cubes*
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, optional
- ½ cup pure apple cider*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- Splash of milk, half-and-half, or cream
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Make the pie dough according to recipe instructions. While the dough chills, make the filling.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Make the filling: Melt butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, 7-8 minutes, or until apples are easily pierced with a fork but still hold their shape. Sprinkle over brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, allspice and ginger (if using). Stir through until sugar is melted and apples are fully coated.
- In a mug or small measuring cup, whisk together the apple cider and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour over the filling and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla bean paste. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool a bit before rolling out the pie dough. (The filling should not be hot going into the pie, but it can be warmish. If you can eat it without blowing on it, it’s fine.)
- Roll out the dough: Remove the pie dough from the fridge and place on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll it out into a disc that’s about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. To do this, I like to fold the rolled-out dough in half, then in half again. Brush off excess flour and gently place the dough in the dish, unfolding it and pressing it gently into the bottom. Pour the filling over the bottom crust.
- Place the filled bottom crust in the refrigerator once more while you roll out the top crust as instructed above.
- Assemble the pie: Lay the top crust over the filling. Trim the overhang to about 1 inch, then fold the edges of the top crust underneath the bottom crust. Crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork.
- Add the egg wash: In a mug or small measuring cup, beat together the egg with a splash of half-and-half or milk. Brush the egg wash in a light, even layer over the crust, making sure to coat the edges. Use a sharp knife to mark an “X” in the center of the top crust. Sprinkle over a generous palmful of coarse turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake: Transfer the pie to the preheated oven. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until crust is crisp and golden-brown. Allow to cool completely (or at least most of the way) before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Only use PURE apple cider (not spiced or alcoholic) for this recipe. Do not use apple cider vinegar! If you can’t find apple cider, you can use apple juice or water instead.
- I like to use a mix of apples for this. Granny Smiths are always a staple, plus a firm red variety that’s ideal for baking, like Braeburns or Macintoshes. Honeycrisps are unsurprisingly delicious as well!
More very good dessert recipes:
Blueberry Pecan Hand Pies
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Calyna Corrales says
I used this recipe a few times for family gatherings! Everybody loved it, I especially loved the recipe for the pie crusts!