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+ servings

Homemade Apple Pie

Karissa Parrish (Ginger Snap)
This homemade apple pie recipe is simple and delicious to make. Paired with a flaky all butter pie crust and a sweet apple filling, any home baker can conquer this American classic pie!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Cooling Time 3 hours
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 9-inch pie

Equipment

  • 9-inch pie pan
  • Food processor or pastry cutter

Ingredients:
  

Flaky All Butter Pie Crust:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 8-12 tablespoon ice water

Apple Pie Filling:

  • 5-6 apples, cored, peeled (optional), and sliced into ¼-inch slices (best to use two different types of apples, I used Honey Crisp and Granny Smith)
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg white (used for egg white wash on top of pie dough)

Instructions:
 

Pie Crust:

  • Either in a bowl using a pastry cutter or a food processor (I used a food processor), combine flour and salt. Add the cubes of butter and press the pulse button on the food processor 4-6 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or use your pastry cutter).
  • Add 2 tablespoon of ice water at a time, pulsing (or mixing with a wooden spoon) 2-3 times before adding 2 more tablespoons. The dough will start to feel slightly sticky and large clumps will form. That's when you know to stop adding the ice water. I add anywhere between 6-10 tbsp.
  • On a lightly floured surface, press and fold the dough a few times until a ball starts to form. Cut the dough in half and flatten each piece into a disk shape. Wrap up in saran wrap and place both pie doughs into the refrigerator to chill for later.

Pie Filling:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Core, peel (optional), and slice your apples into ¼ inch slices. In a large bowl, stir together the sliced apples, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the pie doughs, turning the dough slightly each time until a circle forms. We want about an 11 to 12-inch circle diameter. Place the dough into your 9-inch pie pan, carefully letting the excess pie dough hang over the sides (we will cut off later). Spoon the apple filling into the crust, leaving the extra juices in the bowl.
  • Take the other pie dough out of the fridge and roll out into another 11 to 12-inch circle. Place the dough over the filling. With a small paring knife, carefully cut off the excess pie dough. Use either a fork or your fingers to seal the pie dough shut. Then cut little slits in the middle of the pie for the steam to vent out of when baking.
  • Lightly brush the top of the pie dough with your egg white wash. Place pie pan onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.
  • Allow your pie to cool at room temperature for 3 hours. This lets the pie filling thicken up. Serve with your favorite sides like vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or my favorite, chocolate ice cream. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to five days.

Notes:

Cold Butter: It's very important that our butter is as cold as possible when making the pie crust. Cut your butter into cubes and place back into the fridge until ready to use.
Ice Water: I do literally mean ice water. Take a normal drinking cup and fill it with water. Place 3-4 ice cubes into the cup. We will then use tablespoons to measure out our ice water as we add it to the pie dough.
Chilled Pie Dough: Once you finish making your pie dough, wrap each disk of dough with saran wrap and place it into the refrigerator. By the time you get the other components ready to make the pie, your dough should be chilled enough to use. This helps the gluten in your pie dough to relax, which will actually make it easier to roll out later.
Baking Sheet: Once your pie is filled in the pie pan, place it on a baking sheet before placing it into the oven. Since this is an all butter pie crust it can make a bit of a mess in your oven as it starts to bake because the butter drips. I learned the hard way my first time by not placing the pie pan on a baking sheet. So skip the mess and use a baking sheet!
Baking Temperatures: We will start off by baking at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. This will start the browning process on the top of the pie crust. Then we will turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for 40-45 minutes. The reason we turn the temperature down is so that the crust doesn't overcook as the filling is baking.
Cooling Pie: Allow the pie the cool for 3 hours after being taken out of the oven. The pie needs this time to rest and for the filling to solidify more as it comes to room temperature. Trust me, it's worth the wait!
Keyword apple pie, butter pie crust, homemade
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