Homemade Apple Pie
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 55 min
Total: 2 hrs 30 min
Yield: 8 slices
A proper apple pie with a from-scratch butter crust and a filling that strikes the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and warmly spiced. The kind that makes people pause mid-bite.
Ingredients
- Crust: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6-8 tablespoons ice water
- Filling: 6 large apples (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Make the crust: Whisk flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork, until the dough just holds together when squeezed.
- Divide the dough in half, shape each into a flat disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Toss with 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Roll one dough disk on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently into the bottom and sides. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch.
- Pile the apple filling into the crust, mounding it higher in the center. Dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter pieces.
- Roll the second dough disk into a 12-inch circle and place over the filling. Trim to 1-inch overhang, fold the top crust edge under the bottom crust edge, and crimp with a fork or your fingers. Cut 4-5 small slits in the top for steam.
- Brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet (to catch drips).
- Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 35-40 more minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents. If the edges brown too fast, cover them with foil.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling needs time to set; cutting too early gives you apple soup.
Pro Tips
- The #1 rule for flaky crust: keep everything cold. Cool for 2 hours.
- No shortcuts. The filling needs time to set or you'll have soup. Cold butter.
- That's the secret to flaky layers.
- Mix your apples.
Variations
- Dutch apple pie: Skip the top crust. Honeycrisp brings sweetness.
- Braeburn, Jonagold, Pink Lady work too.
- Don't skip the flour — it stops the soggy bottom.
Nutrition Facts
Per slice (1 of 8)
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