Apple Pie
This easy apple pie recipe is infinitely better than store-bought apple desserts. Learn how to roll out pie crust, get a customizable recipe for apple pie filling and more.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 560
- Total Fat
- 28 g
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 72 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 36 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 115 mg
- Sodium
- 98 mg
Article by Emily Saladino
The Food Network Kitchen team cored bags upon bags of apples and rolled out an awful lot of dough to develop this apple pie recipe. It’s a traditional take that’s sure to impress—don’t be surprised if your family requests it whether there’s a holiday coming or not.
How to Make Apple Pie Like A Pro
Forget mushy cooked apples or crumbly crust. Our recipe developers share their tried-and-true tricks, so your homemade apple pie always turns out perfectly.
Lucy Schaeffer
Keep your crust ingredients cool. If you’re making this pie crust recipe by hand and the blobs of butter start to smear into the dry ingredients, pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes, then mix again and add the egg. This helps the dry ingredients hydrate properly and creates a tender, flaky crust.
Lucy Schaeffer
Add water gradually. Prepare the apple pie crust recipe with a glass of ice water by your side. If the dough looks dry, add one half-tablespoon of water at a time, just until it looks moist and starts to come together. The exact amount will vary based on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen, fat content of your butter and other factors, so start with less than you think you need—you can always add more.
Lucy Schaeffer
Don’t skip the rest. Chill the dough for apple pie for at least an hour before you roll it out. This gives the gluten a chance to relax and hardens the fats, so your pie crust turns out tender and retains its shape.
Lucy Schaeffer
Only use the best apples for apple pie. Our recipe developers recommend Cortland, Golden Delicious or Mutsu, also known as Crispin, because these sweet-tart varieties don’t brown quickly when peeled and retain their structure when cooked. To learn more about why some apples are better for pie than others, check out our guide to the best apples for baking.
Customize the recipe for apple pie filling. Our recipe developers love the classic flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can also add pinches of allspice, cardamom, ginger and other warm spices.
Can You Freeze Apple Pie?
You can freeze this apple pie recipe before you bake it. After you've assembled the pie, but before you’ve added the egg wash or sugar topping, put the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden it slightly, then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Freeze it for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, unwrap the pie, brush it with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake it from frozen until golden brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Other Apple Desserts from Food Network Kitchen
Riff on this apple pie recipe or try some of Food Network Kitchen’s other expertly tested apple desserts.
Dutch apple pie. There are as many versions of this apple pie as there are households; here’s our recipe for Dutch apple pie.
Apple pie with a crumble top. Instead of weaving one of the pie crusts into a lattice, this crumb-topped apple pie has a streusel-like topping that’s sweet and crunchy.
Caramel apple cake. This tender apple cake has an irresistibly gooey topping studded with toasted pecans.
Apple hand pies. These fried apple hand pies are fun and festive and can be prepared weeks before you plan to serve them.
Tarte tatin. Few apple desserts have the wow factor of a classic tarte tatin. Our recipe has just six ingredients and is surprisingly easy to make.
Apple Pie
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr 30 min
- Prep: 1 hr 30 min
- Cook: 2 hr
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 560
- Total Fat
- 28 g
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 72 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 36 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 115 mg
- Sodium
- 98 mg
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr 30 min
- Prep: 1 hr 30 min
- Cook: 2 hr
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 560
- Total Fat
- 28 g
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 72 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 36 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 115 mg
- Sodium
- 98 mg
Ingredients
Dough:
Filling:
Directions
- Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
- Make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
- Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Make the filling. Put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel, halve, and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and toss to combine evenly.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.
- Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool completely. (This filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.)
- Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide. Layer the dough between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the discs of dough, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center. Brush the top edges of the dough with the egg. Place the second disc of dough over the top. Fold the top layer of dough under the edge of the bottom layer and press the edges together to form a seal. Flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Pierce the top of the dough in several places to allow steam to escape while baking. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Bake the pie on a baking sheet until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. The pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Cook’s Note
You may freeze the uncooked pie, but don't brush it with egg or dust it with sugar beforehand. Place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes, to harden it slightly, and then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, unwrap the pie and brush it with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake, from the frozen state, until golden brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
