My Best-Ever Apple Pie Recipe
Print Pin VideoEvery time I bake this apple pie, it’s met with endless compliments! With its buttery, flaky crust and a rich, spiced apple filling that’s perfectly sweet and tart, I guarantee this will be one of the best apple pies you’ll ever taste.
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1 double pie crust recipe - can be made up to 3 days ahead of time
- 8 large granny smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced (just under ¼ inch slices)
- ½ cup (100 g) soft light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 5 tbsp (38 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ tsps ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground all spice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract/essence
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter - cold and cubed (small cubes)
Extra
- 1 large egg - lightly beaten (for brushing crust)
- 1 tbsp white granulated sugar or coarse sugar (optional) - for sprinkling on top of the crust
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the apples. Peel, core and slice the apples into thin slices (just less than a ¼ inch thick per slice). Don't make them too thin otherwise you'll have a mushy filling. Place the apples into a large pot.
- Add brown sugar and white sugar to the apples and mix well. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Once done, there should be liquid at the bottom of the pot.
- To the pot add in lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt and vanilla. Mix well and then place pot over medium heat. Once the liquid starts to gently bubble, cook the apples until they have softened slightly and the liquid has thickened and reduced—about 10 minutes. Stir frequently and be careful not to overcook the apples.
- Once ready, transfer the apples to a shallow dish or tray and allow to completely cool.
- While the apples are cooling, prepare the two pie crusts as per my pie crust recipe and allow to chill for 1 hour (you can make this ahead of time as well). Once ready, lightly flour your workbench while rolling one of the pie crusts out to a 12-inch circle (make sure to keep the second crust in the fridge in the meantime—see note 1).
- Wrap the rolled-out pie dough around your rolling pin and gently unroll it over a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough into the dish without stretching it, leaving some overhang around the edges. If the apple pie filling is completely cool, proceed to the next step; otherwise, place the pie dish in the fridge while waiting for the filling to cool.
- Once the apples are completely cool, add them a little at a time to the pie dish, spreading them out as you go and creating a slight mound in the centre. Be sure to add in all the leftover thickened juices too. Place the cubes of butter all around the top of the apple pie filling.
- Roll the second pie crust out into an 11-inch circle and cut out 1-inch thick strips. Use the strips to create a lattice pie crust top and flute the edges if desired (see video for demonstration).
- Lightly beat the egg and use a pastry brush to coat the top of the crust with the egg. Avoid putting on more than you need. Sprinkle the granulated sugar all over the top of the pie crust if using.
- Place the apple pie in the fridge (see note 2) while you place an oven tray in the lower third rack of your oven and preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Once the pie crust feels firm (about 20-30 minutes), place the pie on the tray and bake for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 180C/350F and bake for another 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until you can see the apple filling slightly bubbling and the crust is golden brown. If you feel the top is overbrowning while baking, cover it loosely with foil.
- Once ready, allow the apple pie to cool for 3 hours before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
Note 1. It's important to keep the pie dough as firm as possible as we want to avoid the butter from softening and mixing into the flour as we work with the dough. The best way to prevent this is working with chilled dough. By keeping the butter firm, you'll end up with a more flaky pie crust.
Note 2. This extra time in the fridge helps the butter resolidify, ensuring the pie crust is firm and ready for the oven. A firm crust yields the best results.
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
Tried this recipe?I love hearing from you! Tag me @cakesbymk.nz on instagram so I can see your amazing creations :)