This Homemade Apple Pie recipe combines a made-from-scratch apple pie filling that's baked in my signature buttery, flaky pie crust. It tastes fantastic and absolutely perfect for those crisp fall nights!
6tablespoonUnsalted Butter(cold and cut into cubes)
½cupVegetable Shortening(cold and cut into cubes)
4-6tablespoonIce Cold Water
apple pie filling
3tablespoonUnsalted Butter
2 ½lbsApples(peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges)
½cupLight Brown Sugar(lightly packed)
¼cupGranulated Sugar
1teaspoonCinnamon
½teaspoonNutmeg
¼teaspoonSalt
2tablespoonAll-Purpose Flour
1tablespoonCornstarch
1tablespoonLemon Juice
egg wash
1largeEgg Yolk(lightly whisked (for pie crust shine))
1 tablespoonWater
Instructions
homemade pie crust - part 1
You can skip this part if buying store-bought refrigerated pie crusts.
In a large mixing bowl and using a pastry blender (or two forks), mix together the all-purpose flour, salt, cold cubed butter, and cold vegetable shortening until you have small pea-size pieces. Some larger pea-size pieces are fine too!
2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Salt, 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, ½ cup Vegetable Shortening
Add in 1 tablespoon of the ice cold water, then (using a spatula or with your hands) work it into the pie dough mixture. Continue to add the ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pie dough forms and it is no longer crumbly. If there are any crumbly bits, just add the teeny tiniest bit of cold water so they blend in with the rest of the dough.
4-6 tablespoon Ice Cold Water
After forming the ball of pie dough, place it on a lightly-floured, clean surface and divide it in half using a pastry cutter. Pat each half into a 1″- 1 ½″ thick disc, then double wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator (usually the back) for a minimum of 1 hour.
apple pie filling
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
½ cup Light Brown Sugar, ¼ cup Granulated Sugar, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon Salt
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter then add in the apple slices and stir to coat. Add in the whisked mixture, stirring to combine.
2 ½ lbs Apples, 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the apples for about 5 minutes, gently stirring them until they begin to soften. Be careful not to over cook them or stir the filling too aggressively to avoid breaking the apple slices apart.
Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and lemon juice over the mixture and stir just a few more times to make sure the sliced apples are full coated.
Remove the apple pie filling from the heat and carefully spoon it into a large bowl to cool completely.
homemade pie crust - part 2
While the apple pie filling cools, roll out the first pie dough disc to about 11-12 inches in diameter onto a clean and lightly floured surface.
Place into the 9 inch pie plate, then trim the edges, leaving about ½ inch to fold under.
Place the pie plate with the pie dough into either the freezer (preferred) or the refrigerator to allow the pie crust to firm, then roll out the second disc of pie dough which will be for the top pie crust.
assembling the apple pie
Adjust the oven rack to the middle of your oven, set the jelly roll pan or cookie sheet on the rack, and preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Remove the pie plate from the freezer or refrigerator, gently scoop and arrange the apple pie filling into the crust, then top with the 2nd layer of pie crust. Press the two pie crust edges together then trim to cut off any excess. Crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork dipped in a little flour (so it doesn't stick to the pie dough), then cut a few slits across the top of the pie.
With a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash over the top of the pie. You won’t need to use all of this on the pie—just a little coverage will be good. Open the oven, place the pie on top of the preheated jelly roll pan or cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF.
1 large Egg Yolk, 1 tablespoon Water
After 15 minutes, decrease the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until the top of the pie is a nice golden brown. At the 15 minute mark, it would be a good idea to add a pie crust shield to avoid burning your pie crust edges. You can use something like the one I have or you can simply use pieces of aluminum foil to place around the edges. I would suggest wearing some oven mitts for this part so you don't accidentally burn your fingers!
Once the apple pie is done, remove from oven and allow it to cool completely.
Notes
Chill the pie crust for a minimum of 1 hour. Overnight is my preference!
Roll out your bottom pie crust, create your pie crust edge and refrigerate again.
Instead of homemade pie crust you can use store-bought. I recommend letting the pie crust come to room temperature before you try to unroll it. You will also need to roll out the pie crusts to about 12-14 inches in diameter.
I used these 1 inch Ateco alphabet cutters to spell out "APPLE PIE" for my top pie crust design. I recommend using chilled pie crust dough and cookie cutter dipped in a little flour.
To help release the dough from the cookie cutter, you can use a toothpick or pairing knife. I also recommend having a little patience, especially when using the 1 inch alphabet cookie cutters.
Once the apple pie has cooled, you can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to a week or the freezer for up to 3 months.