Slices of juicy apples are coated in sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg, then baked inside a flaky homemade pie crust. It’s so good you will want seconds, serve it as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This is an All American classic homemade apple pie, just like my mom used to bake. It is hands down my husband’s favorite pie and he asks that I make it for his birthday every year!
Best apples for pie:
There are so many apple varieties to choose from when making apple pie. Here a few common varieties that work well.
- Honeycrisp – These are super crisp, tart, and sweet, they hold up well when baked.
- Granny Smith – These apples are tart and firm, they hold up well when baked.
- Jazz – Crisp and sweet apple variety of apple, they hold up well when baked.
- Golden Delicious – Widely available apple variety, but will be a little softer than the others.
- Jonagold – Both tart and sweet, good apple for baking apple.
- Pink Lady – This variety also has a good balance of tart and sweet, good apple for baking.
Note: McIntosh turn mushy during baking so they are not the best to use for pies.
Pie crust
A great pie starts with an amazing pie crust. I learned how to make the crust from my dear friend Julia Collin’s. It’s quick to make and over many years has not failed me. Here is our favorite pie crust recipe, it’s fabulous!
Tips for pie crust:
Add the ice water a few tablespoons at a time. Using just enough water for the dough to come together without being crumbly. It’s easy to double the recipe if you are making a double crust pie.
Cold Ingredients: Always use cold butter and cold water when making a pie crust. There may be little spots of butter in the dough, these are actually a good thing because they are what makes the pie crust flaky when baked.
Use a pie crust shield, if you don’t have one, you can use strips of tin foil instead.
Storage: 4 days
Try some of our other desserts:
Apple Pie
Equipment
- 1 pie plate
Ingredients
- double pie crust
- 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice optional
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons flour
- dash ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine divided
Instructions
- Prepare and roll out the pastry . Line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust.
- If apples lack tartness, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to them. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the sugar mixture to the sliced apples, then toss to mix.
- Fill the pastry shell with the apple mixture, dot the top of the apples with the butter, or margarine.
- Gently place the top crust over the apple filling. Pinch the top and bottom crusts together and flute the edges. Slice a couple vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape while baking. Before putting the pie in the oven, brush the top crust with a little milk or cream. Then, if desired, dust with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.
- Place a pie crust shield on or use tin foil to cover the outside edge. This helps to prevent it from over browning. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until the center is golden brown. (NOTE: you can remove the pie crust shield half way through baking)
- Cool the pie on a rack before serving, this helps set the juices so that they don't run all over. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.NOTE: If you want to serve warm apple pie, you will still need to let it cool completely after removing it from the oven, (this is what sets the juices) just warm it slightly in the microwave and serve.
