Classic Homemade Apple Pie
This easy apple pie recipe features a flaky, buttery crust and a warmly spiced homemade apple pie filling made completely from scratch, no canned filling required.
The Easiest Apple Pie Recipe You'll Ever Bake
There is nothing quite like the smell of a homemade apple pie recipe filling bubbling away in the oven. This classic dessert combines a flaky, buttery crust with a warmly spiced, from-scratch apple filling, no canned filling required. If you have been searching for a simple apple pie recipe that actually works every time, this is it.
Whether you are baking for Thanksgiving, a Sunday dinner, or just because the apples in your fruit bowl are calling your name, this fresh apple pie recipe delivers that perfectly balanced sweetness and spice in every single bite.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good pastry cutter, a sturdy rolling pin, and a proper 9-inch pie dish will set you up for a beautifully baked crust every time, and a quality vegetable peeler makes prepping seven apples much faster.
Why This Homemade Apple Pie Filling Works
The secret to perfectly simple apple pie is in the filling. Using a mix of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp apples gives you the best of both worlds: structure that holds up during baking and natural sweetness that balances the spices.
The cornstarch is essential here. It thickens the natural apple juices as they cook, so you get a glossy, sliceable filling instead of a soupy mess. A splash of lemon juice brightens everything and keeps the apples from browning while you work.
Chef's Tip: Let your sliced apples sit with the sugar and spices for 15 minutes before filling the crust. This draws out extra liquid, which you can drain slightly if your apples are very juicy, preventing a watery pie.
How To Make A Apple Pie, Step by Step
Making this apple pie recipe easy to follow comes down to a few key stages. First, the dough needs a proper chill in the fridge so the butter stays cold, which is what creates those flaky layers. Second, the filling needs time to macerate so the flavors meld. Finally, a lower-and-slower baking approach after that first hot blast ensures the apples cook through without burning the crust.
If you are new to pie making, do not worry. This apple pie recipe easy method breaks everything down so there is no guesswork.
Chef's Tip: Place a baking sheet on the rack below your pie while it bakes. It catches any bubbling juices and saves you from a smoky oven and a tough cleanup.
Getting That Golden, Flaky Crust
A lattice top looks impressive, but a simple full top crust with a few decorative slits works beautifully too, especially if this is your first time. The egg wash and coarse sugar on top give the crust that signature golden shine and delicate crunch that makes homemade pie so irresistible.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Classic Homemade Apple Pie
This easy apple pie recipe features a flaky, buttery crust and a warmly spiced homemade apple pie filling made completely from scratch, no canned filling required.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed, divided for double crust
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar, for the pie dough
- 1 tsp salt, divided between crust and filling
- 8 tbsp ice water, add gradually as needed
- 7 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick, a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, for the filling, adjust to apple sweetness
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp cornstarch, helps thicken the filling
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for topping, optional
Instruction
Make the pie dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice. Add both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cornstarch, and stir until the apples are evenly coated. Let sit for 15 minutes to release their juices.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch drips.
Roll out one disc of dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, letting the excess hang over the edge.
Pour the apple filling into the crust, mounding it slightly in the center, and dot with any remaining butter.
Roll out the second disc of dough and place it over the filling, or cut into strips for a lattice top. Trim and crimp the edges to seal.
Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a few slits in the top to let steam escape.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil or a pie shield partway through baking.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 3 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set.
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish
- Rolling pin
- Pastry cutter
- Large mixing bowls
- Baking sheet
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Make-Ahead Tips
Let the pie cool for at least three hours before slicing. I know it is tempting to cut in right away, but this rest time allows the cornstarch to fully set the filling, so your slices hold their shape instead of sliding apart.
Serve slices slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or at room temperature with a dusting of powdered sugar. This simple apple pie recipe is just as good the next day, if it lasts that long.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days for longer storage
- Freeze the whole baked pie, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months
- Reheat slices in a 300 degree F oven to re-crisp the crust
However you slice it, this fresh apple pie recipe is proof that the classics never go out of style.
