This is my perfect apple pie in every way. A thick, buttery crust filled with a mile-high pile of apples. It’s perfectly sweet, melts in your mouth, and is even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My mom gave me a giant binder filled with recipes passed down from my great-grandma, grandma, aunts, and generations of women in my family before me. This binder is straight-up gold and so special to me! The pie crust recipe came straight from that binder, and it’s absolute perfection. It’s easy to work with, buttery, flaky, and just so good. I hope this homemade apple pie makes its way onto your table and that you love it as much as we do!
What you need to make this the perfect apple pie + substitutions:
For the Homemade Pie Crust:
- All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour for the homemade pie crust. My favorite is King Arthur flour, which I usually buy from Costco or Thrive Market. It works beautifully for creating a tender, flaky crust.
- Unsalted butter: Cold butter is key to a flaky pie crust! I prefer using unsalted butter when baking, but salted butter works too. Just make sure your butter is cold, straight from the fridge, before making the dough. If using salted butter, you can slightly reduce the added salt.
- Granulated sugar: Just a little sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the homemade pie crust. Regular white sugar or organic cane sugar both work well. I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut sugar.
- Sea salt: Salt helps bring out all the delicious flavors in the crust. Our favorite is Redmond Real Salt, which we buy in bulk. You can use code daddioskitchen for 15% off!
For the Apple Pie Filling:
- Apples: Honeycrisp apples are my personal favorite for homemade apple pie! They’re naturally sweet, crisp, and hold up well when baked. You can also use Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, or a combination of different varieties. I love mixing sweet and tart apples for the best flavor.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness to the apple filling. It pairs perfectly with the warm spices and juicy apples.
- All-purpose flour: A little flour helps thicken the natural juices released by the apples as they bake. You can also use cornstarch for a filling that sets a little more firmly. Just keep in mind that cornstarch thickens more strongly than flour, so you’ll need to adjust the amount.
- Cinnamon: You can’t have homemade apple pie without cinnamon! It adds that classic warm, cozy flavor that makes apple pie so delicious.
- Nutmeg: A little nutmeg goes a long way! It adds a subtle warmth that complements the cinnamon and apples beautifully.
- Allspice: I love the extra depth of flavor allspice brings to this apple pie. It gives the filling that cozy, festive flavor that’s especially perfect for fall and the holidays. The perfect apple bring to bring to a gathering!
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla is one of my favorite additions to baked goods! It rounds out the warm spices and adds a delicious flavor to the apple filling.
- Fresh lemon juice (optional): A little fresh lemon juice helps balance the sweetness of the apples and brings out their natural flavor, especially if you are using honeycrisp.It also helps keep the apples from browning while you prepare the filling this perfect apple pie!
Should You Cook the Apples Before Baking Apple Pie?
Traditionally, apple pie is made with fresh, uncooked apples, but I highly recommend giving your apples a little head start on the stovetop! Sautéing the apples with the brown sugar and warm spices helps bring out their natural sweetness, deepen the flavor, and soften them just enough before baking. It also helps release some of the extra juices and prevents that big gap between the filling and the top crust. While this step is completely optional, I really think it makes for an even more delicious apple pie! You can find the simple stovetop instructions in the recipe notes below.
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The Perfect Apple Pie
This is my perfect apple pie in every way. A thick, buttery crust filled with a mile-high pile of apples. It's perfectly sweet, melts in your mouth, and is even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My mom gave me a giant binder filled with recipes passed down from my great-grandma, grandma, aunts, and generations of women in my family before me. This binder is straight-up gold and so special to me! The pie crust recipe came straight from that binder, and it's absolute perfection. It's easy to work with, buttery, flaky, and just so good. I hope this homemade apple pie makes its way onto your table and that you love it as much as we do!
Servings 8
Ingredients
For the pie dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅓-½ cup ice cold water
For the Filling/Topping:
- 6-8 large honeycrisp apples peeled and sliced
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
For topping:
- 1 egg for wash
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Cut your cold butter into cubes. In a food processor, add the cold butter, flour, sea salt, and sugar. Pulse until the butter is broken down into small, pea-sized pieces throughout the flour.
- Slowly add the ice-cold water, starting with ⅓ cup. Pulse until the dough just begins to come together when pressed between your fingers. If it's still too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, but I wouldn't go over ½ cup total. Be careful not to overmix!
- Remove the dough from the food processor and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour to chill.
- Meanwhile, peel, core, and thinly slice your apples. Add them to a large bowl along with the remaining filling ingredients. Mix everything together until the apples are evenly coated. *If you prefer to sauté your apples before baking, see the optional stovetop method in the recipe notes below.*
- Roll out your first disc of pie dough on a lightly floured surface and carefully place it into your pie pan. Trim any excess dough around the edges, leaving a little overhang to seal the crust. Add your apple filling, piling the apples high in the center.
- Roll out your second disc of dough. You can either create a lattice pie crust or place the full crust over the top and cut 4 slits to allow steam to escape. Seal and crimp the edges.
- Whisk your egg and brush it evenly over the top crust. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.
- Place your pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. If the edges begin browning too quickly, loosely cover them with foil.
- Remove from the oven and let the pie cool for at least 2–3 hours before slicing. This helps the filling thicken and set so it doesn't run everywhere when you cut into it!
- Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
Optional Step:
Sauté the Apple Filling First: If you prefer a softer apple filling, you can give your apples a little head start on the stovetop before baking! Add your sliced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and lemon juice to a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Cook for about 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften and release some of their juices.
Stir in the flour and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the juices begin to thicken. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and allow the filling to cool completely before adding it to your prepared pie crust.
Assemble and bake as directed, keeping an eye on the pie toward the end of baking since the apples have already started cooking.
Why sauté the apples first? This helps soften the apples, brings out their natural sweetness, and reduces some of the moisture before baking. It can also help prevent a large gap from forming between the filling and the top crust.
