This homemade apple pie recipe is so simple, you’ll wonder why you weren’t making your own pies all this time! Fresh apples are mixed with spices and baked into a pie crust, for the most classic American dessert. Bring this to your next holiday gathering, or make it just because!
Simple Apple Pie
Homemade apple pie is a must during the fall and holiday season. Luckily, it’s so easy to make at home!
This simple apple pie recipe will surprise you, and will make your baking stress-free. Fresh apples are seasoned with warm spices, and baked to perfection in a crispy pie crust. Yum!
There’s never a bad time for this traditional pie. This is the best pie for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any autumn afternoon (use up those apple-picking apples!).
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Apple Pie Recipe:
- Easy: This recipe is so simple and surprisingly quick. It requires fewer ingredients and fewer steps than you probably think!
- Homemade: No dessert is quite as comforting as a fresh, homemade pie straight from the oven!
- Holiday Tradition: Guests will always be delighted to see a classic apple pie on the table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday.
Serve up apple pie slices warm and fresh, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I love the way it melts on top and mixes with the flavor of the apples.
Ingredients
- Apples: You can use whatever type of apple you prefer, sweet or tart (check below for my recommendations). Slice them or chop them into cubes.
- Pie Crust: Make this recipe as easy as possible by starting with a pre-made, refrigerated or frozen pie crust. If you’re feeling up for it, you can use this homemade pie crust recipe instead.
- Sugar: The granulated sugar adds the necessary sweetness to the filling.
- Flour: A bit of flour coats the apples to create a better texture, and it keeps the filling from getting too runny.
- Spices: Nutmeg and cinnamon are the best for flavoring apple pie. You can substitute an apple pie spice mix if you have that on hand, but there are typically some extra spices in there.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, melted (just pop it in the microwave).
- Egg: The egg is used to brush onto the crust before baking.
As you can see, this homemade apple pie ingredients list is pretty short! That’s part of what makes this recipe so simple, quick, and easy. It’s definitely a favorite for busy holidays, and it always turns out beautifully!
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Pie Crust: If you’re making one from scratch, start by making that so it’s prepped and ready to go. Otherwise, just prep your pre-made crust and lay it out in a pie plate.
- Apple Filling: Combine the dry filling ingredients (sugar, spices, etc) in a bowl with the melted butter. Then mix in the apples and toss to fully coat them.
- Fill: Simply pour the apples into the bottom pie crust and spread them out evenly.
- Top Crust: Roll out the rest of the pie dough and place it on top of the filling. Seal it with the bottom crust (tips on that below).
- Prep to Bake: Score (cut vents) into the top crust. Then brush with the egg wash.
- Bake: Bake your apple pie until the crust is golden brown.
Step by step, this recipe is so easy to follow. So don’t stress about baking your pie! Whether it’s for the holidays, or just for a weekend treat, it’s really simple.
What are the best apples for apple pie?
The great thing about this homemade apple pie is you can use whichever apples you prefer (or already have). I love Granny Smith apples, but you can use another type. Here are the ones I recommend.
- Granny Smith: These are tart, but the sweet spice mixture balances them out perfectly. They’re also firm, so they hold up well when baked.
- Honey Crisp: These are much sweeter, but still have a delicious tartness to them. They’re also super crisp, so there’s a nice bite in them.
- Jonagold: These apples are so crisp and juicy, which is great for pies.
- Braeburn: This is another great option, because they stay firm after baking.
Really, the only apples you should avoid are ones that are particularly soft–you don’t want anything that will get gummy or mushy in the oven. I recommend avoiding Red Delicious, McIntosh, and Gala apples.
5 Granny Smith apples was plenty for this pie.
Nope! Put the fresh apples right into the crust and bake everything all at once.
This recipe starts with a pre-made crust for the EASIEST apple pie you’ll ever make. But you can use this homemade pie crust if you want to start there.
Baking at 400F, this pie takes about 30-35 minutes. It’s really quick!
Initially, no. You can keep it on the counter/at room temp for the first couple of days. After that, store leftovers in the fridge to make it last longer. Cover the pie plate with foil, or put slices in airtight containers.
You certainly can if you prefer, but this filling is really SO easy to make. Just slice up fresh apples, toss it in some spices, and place it in the pie crust.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Be sure you fully preheat the oven before baking the pie.
- This apple pie recipe assumes using two crusts to fully cover the top of the apple filling. But if you like, you can cut strips of crust to create a lattice pattern on top instead.
- You need cut vents (or poke small holes) into the top pie crust. Steam needs a place release as the pie bakes, and the vents gives it an outlet. This prevents unexpected bursts or oozing of the filling in through other parts of the pie.
- Brushing the egg onto the crust adds a nice crispy texture and a golden brown color that just makes the pie look so beautiful!
- To make this pie super quick and easy to make, I use a store-bought dough, but you can of course use your favorite pie crust recipe.
- If the edges of the crust begin to brown before the center, cover the edges with foil so they don’t burn, and allow the pie to continue baking until the center crust is done.
Can you freeze fresh apple pie?
Yes! You can freeze your homemade apple pie either before or after baking, and you can also make the filling and freeze that separately.
- Apple Pie Filling: You can freeze the apples for up to 12 months. Place in an airtight container and thaw in the fridge overnight before filling your crust.
- Unbaked: Prepare and assemble the pie, then wrap securely in plastic wrap and place in a resealable, freezer-safe bag. It will keep well for 2 months. Cook the pie right from frozen at 450°F for 25 minutes.
- Baked: After baking, let the pie cool completely before wrapping it and placing in a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 6 months. Cook straight from frozen at 350°F for 30 minutes, with the top covered with foil to prevent burning.
Note: Frozen pies are best reheated/cooked from frozen rather than being defrosted first; otherwise, the pastry can get soggy.
How do you seal pie crusts together?
Crimp or flute the edges to seal the bottom and top crusts together. To pinch the edges, place your index finger on the inside of the crust and use your other index finger on the outside of the crust, to make a ruffle. Pinch the top and bottom crusts together as you make the ruffle, to seal the pie.
More Apple Recipes to Bake
Hands down, there is no better dessert than this homemade apple pie recipe. It’s been a classic choice for so long because it’s so good! Quick, simple, and easy to make, with the perfect flavor. It’ll be a hit no matter when you make it.
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour 30 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 grams, melted (¼ stick)
- 5 granny smith apples sliced or chopped to preference
- 1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust top and bottom
- 1 large egg 50 grams, for egg wash
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and melted butter, and toss with the sliced apples, until they are completely coated.½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 5 granny smith apples
- Fill the bottom pie shell with the apple mixture and spread evenly.1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust
- Roll out the remaining dough and place over the filling. Crimp or flute the edges to seal the bottom and top crusts together. To pinch the edges, place your index finger on the inside of the crust and use your other index finger on the outside of the crust, to make a ruffle. Pinch the top and bottom crusts together as you make the ruffle, to seal the pie.
- Cut a few small holes or use a fork to place holes in the top crust for venting, unless doing lattice for the top crust.
- Whisk one egg and then brush the top and sides of the crust.1 large egg
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden brown. If the edges of the crust begin to brown before the center, cover the edges with foil so they don’t burn, and allow the pie to continue baking until the center crust is done.
Notes
- I use tart, granny smith- but if you prefer sweeter pie, use apples such as Golden Delicious.
- To make this pie super quick and easy to make, I use a store-bought dough, but you can of course use your favorite pie crust recipe.
- If the edges of the crust begin to brown before the center, cover the edges with foil so they don’t burn, and allow the pie to continue baking until the center crust is done.
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