Homemade Apple Pie
Apple pie is a classic dessert that epitomizes comfort and tradition. It features a flaky, buttery crust enveloping a sweet and tart filling made from fresh apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. The apples become tender and juicy when baked, melding with the spices to create a warm, aromatic treat. Apple pie can be served warm or at room temperature, often accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Because of this its timeless appeal and delicious combination of flavours and textures make it a beloved favourite for holidays, family gatherings, and everyday indulgence.
In this blog post, you will learn how to make a delicious, homemade apple pie.
How to Make Apple Pie
To make apple pie, you will begin with peeling and pairing your apples. Cut the apples into 1/4” slices. After you slice your apples, you will pour them into a large bowl and mix them with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let the apple mixture macerate for a better flavour. Once the apples have macerated for about an hour, pour the apple filling into a deep skillet or Dutch oven and heat on the hob for about 5 minutes. This will soften the apples and give the apple pie filling a deeper flavour.
Roll out your pie dough and place into a 9” deep pie dish. Pour in your apple filling. You can either roll out another pie crust on top of the pie filling and make three slits in the top or make a lattice. Brush the pie dough all over with an egg yolk wash and bake in the oven. Remove and let cool.
Tip: the longer that you let the apple pie cool the thicker the filling will become.
What is the Best Type of Apple to Use?
The best type of apple to use in an apple pie is one that holds its shape during baking and offers a balance of sweet and tart flavours. Here are some of the top apple varieties that are ideal for apple pie:
- Granny Smith: The tartness of Granny Smith apples provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pie filling, and their firm texture ensures they don’t turn mushy when baked.
- Honeycrisp: Honeycrisp apples offer a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, and their crisp texture adds a nice bite to the pie.
- Golden Delicious: Golden Delicious apples are sweet without being overpowering, and they blend well with more tart varieties for a balanced pie filling.
- Braeburn: Braeburn apples have a complex flavour and a firm texture that works well in pies. Consequently, they add depth to the pie’s flavour profile.
- Jonagold: Jonagold apples combine the best qualities of sweetness and tartness, making them versatile for pie fillings.
- Fuji: Fuji apples are great for those who prefer a sweeter pie. Their firm texture also makes them a good choice for maintaining structure in the filling.
- Pink Lady: Pink Lady apples are prized for their sweet-tart flavor, crisp texture, and attractive appearance. They are versatile enough to be enjoyed fresh or used in a wide range of recipes especially in baking.
Blending Varieties
For the best apple pie, consider blending two or more types of apples. This allows you to balance sweetness, tartness, and texture, creating a more complex and satisfying flavour. For example, mixing tart Granny Smiths with sweeter Honeycrisps or Golden Delicious apples can result in a well-balanced pie filling.
What Type of Crust Should I Use?
There are a couple of options for a crust for this pie.
A nice, simple pie dough that is delicious, easy, and homemade is this Flaky, Pie Dough.
If you want to make a pie crust that requires a little more time but is amazing, try this Puff Pastry recipe.
Or pick up a puff pastry or pie crust from the store for the simplest option of all. Whichever option you choose, this apple pie will be amazing!
Ingredients
Apples: apples provide the primary flavour and texture of the filling. The choice of apple variety can affect the pie’s taste and consistency, with popular options being Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji for their firm texture and balanced sweetness.
Cinnamon: cinnamon adds warmth and depth to the flavour of the apples, enhancing the apples natural sweetness and providing a classic spiced taste that is characteristic of apple pie.
Brown Sugar: brown sugar sweetens the apple filling while adding a deeper, more complex flavour compared to white sugar. The brown sugar also helps to create a slightly gooey, caramelized texture when baked.
Lemon Juice: lemon juice adds acidity to balance the sweetness of the apples and sugar. It also helps to prevent the apples from browning and enhances the overall flavour profile of the filling.
Vanilla: vanilla adds a subtle, sweet aroma and flavour that complements the apples and spices, rounding out the taste of the filling.
Pie Crust: the pie crust provides a flaky, buttery structure that encases the apple filling. The crust serves as both the base and the top of the pie, creating a delicious contrast in texture to the soft, spiced apples inside.
Egg: the egg is brushed over the top crust before baking, the egg wash helps to create a shiny, golden-brown finish. The egg also adds a bit of richness and helps the crust to become crisp.
Whole Milk: milk is sometimes mixed with the beaten egg for the egg wash, it can contribute to a softer, slightly more tender crust. The milk helps to achieve a more even browning and a slight gloss on the pie crust.
Tips
- Mix a variety of apples together in the pie for a well-balanced pie filling.
- If you want an overly stuffed pie, add another 2 cups of sliced apples for a total of 10 cups of apples approximately 12 medium sized apples.
- Pre-cooking the pie filling is optional, but it does make the pie thicker and the apples softer.
- The longer that you let the apple pie cool the thicker the filling will become.
Apple Pie
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 8 c. of thinly sliced apple approx. 10 medium sized apples
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Apple Pie Crust
- 1 store-bought or homemade pie crust
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. of whole milk
Instructions
- Peel your apples with a pairing knife, core, and slice them into thin slices, approximately an 1/4 of an inch. Pour them into a large bowl.
- Add on top of the apples, the cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix all together until the apples are coated. Let macerate for about an hour.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, pour your apple pie filling in. Place it onto medium heat and pre-cook the apple filling for 5 minutes. This step increases the gorgeous apple taste and flavour.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
- Roll out your pie dough and place it into a 9” pie dish. When the apple filling is finished cooking, pour it into the dish. It is ok if the apple pie filling is still warm. If you have extra pie dough and want to make a lattice, follow the extra step below.
- Optional: Roll out your extra pie dough into a 12” rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, knife, or pastry wheel, slice your pie dough into 12 even 1” strips. Take the pie dough strips and weave them over and under each other as necessary until the whole pie has a beautiful lattice on top. If you do not want to make a lattice, simply roll out the extra pie dough and make a simple pie lid and poke some holes into it.
- Pinch the edges of the pie dough together and cut off the excess pie dough. Either crimp or flute the edges of the pie. Whisk your egg and whole milk together to make an egg wash, and using a pastry brush, brush onto the pie. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar.
- Bake the apple pie for 25 minutes. Add a heat shield then reduce the heat to 375℉/190℃/Gas Mark 5 and bake for another 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for a minimum of 1 hour. The longer that you let the pie sit, the more the filling will thicken as it cools.
- Cover and store your leftover pie for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
In this blog post, you learned how to make a delicious, homemade apple pie.