Homemade Apple Pie
No pie is as classic as the homemade apple pie! This classic dessert is the epitome of comfort and tradition. Whether you are making this apple pie for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just because you are craving it, this pie recipe will have you wanting it all year round. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!
In this blog post, you will learn how to make a 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, 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 apple pie is one that holds its shape during baking. You want one that offers a balance between sweet and tart flavours. I made a list of some of the top apple varieties that are perfect for apple pie!
- Granny Smith has a tartness that provides a delicious contrast to the sweetness of the pie filling. The firm texture of this type of apple ensures that they do not turn mushy while baking.
- Honeycrisp apples have a crisp texture and have a good balance between tartness and sweetness.
- Golden Delicious apples are sweet without being overpowering. Because of this they blend well with more tart varieties if you want to mix apple varieties.
- Braeburn apples have a firm texture that is perfect for pies.
- Jonagold apples have the best qualities of sweetness and tartness making them very versatile for pies.
- Fuji apples are perfect for people who want a sweet pie. They have a firm texture that maintains a good structure in the filling.
Blending Varieties of apples is the best way to get the best apple pies. You can blend two or more types of apples to get the flavour that you want. For example, mixing tart Granny Smiths with either sweeter Honeycrisps or Golden Delicious apples can give you 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 pie filling. Mix varieties of apples for the best results.
Cinnamon: cinnamon enhances the natural sweetness and provides a classic spiced taste that is so loved about apple pie.
Brown Sugar: brown sugar gives a deeper flavour than if you used granulated sugar. It gives the pie filling a gooey texture when baked.
Lemon Juice: lemon juice is coated into the apples to prevent them from browning once peeled.
Vanilla: vanilla adds a subtle sweet taste that complements the apples and spices.
Pie Crust: the pie crust is the base and top of the pie. It is a buttery and flaky structure that encases the apple filling.
Egg: the egg is brushed over the top crust before baking. It creates a shiny, golden-brown finish on the pir crust.
Whole Milk: milk is mixed with the beaten egg for an egg wash. It can make the baked crust softer and slightly more tender.
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.