Homemade Sweet Apple Pie (Easy Recipe)
Our Homemade Sweet Apple Pie is our go-to trusted pie recipe with cinnamon and nutmeg-covered Granny Smith apples that we make for family get-togethers, holidays, and give away to friends. It’s so simple and easy to make!
Apple pie is dearly known as a favorite American dessert … who can possibly turn down a slice of warm apple pie with a flaky crust, and topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream? I certainly can’t! This is a classic apple pie recipe that’s so easy to make you may never pick up a store-bought pie again.
Before we get started, here are some common questions and answers about pie baking:
A glass pie pan is our top choice simply because you can easily see the bottom of the pie and can identify if additional baking time may be needed. Pyrex is one of our favorites! But metal pie pans work great too. Metal will heat the crust faster and helps you avoid a soggy bottom. So really it’s your preference.
Many of our grandmother and great-grandmother’s recipes call for shortening or lard. This was most likely a necessity for those days and times (and you can certainly still use it if the recipe calls for it) but unsalted butter is the way to go! Ensure that the butter is UNSALTED and avoid margarine as it contains too much water to create a proper crust. Unsalted butter will create a flavorful crust every time.
The first time I baked a pie, it looked absolutely perfect! I could see the fruit filling bubbling up through the lattice strips and the crust was a beautiful golden brown. And even though I let it cool for a good 15 to 20 minutes … all the filling oozed out the moment I cut and tried to pull away a slice. It was delicious but the presentation was so disappointing!
To avoid that, a thickener is a necessity. Flour is the most common but cornstarch works exceptionally well too. As cornstarch boils within the pie, it will turn clear and will thicken. To avoid a raw cornstarch-y taste, ensure it boils clear for a few minutes. Tapioca flour is another alternative starch that helps a fruit pie establish a good set, rhubarb and blueberry pie especially.
My grandmother always suggested baking a pie at a preheated 425 degrees F for about 12 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F for all fruit pies and 350 degrees F for pies with eggs. Then bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
If using a gas oven, use the lowest shelf. If your oven is electric, use the lowest third section of the oven. This will ensure the bottom crust is thoroughly baked.
If the edges around your pie are thick and cooking much faster than the rest of the pie, wrap foil around the edges to keep them from burning.
Tart Apples: There are many apple varieties to choose from but firm apples like Granny Smith are our favorite because the tart flavors of the apples combined with the sweetness of the sugar and brown sugar is a really fantastic flavor combination. Plus, Granny Smith apples seem to hold up better than most others.
Sweet Apples: Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Honey Crisp will all work in a homemade apple pie recipe.
What simple ingredients do you need to make this delicious apple pie?
- Double pie crust, 9-inch top and bottom pie pastry (try our FAVE – Coogan’s Favorite Pie Crust!)
- Unsalted butter, 1/2 cup cold butter
- All purpose flour, 3 tablespoons
- Cold water, 1/4 cup
- Sugar, 1/2 cup
- Brown sugar, 1/2 cup
- Ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon
- Granny Smith apple slices, 8 medium apples – peeled, cored, and sliced
- Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
Egg Wash Ingredients:
- Egg, 1 medium or large egg
- Water, 1 tablespoon
- Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
- Turbinado sugar, 1 teaspoon (or coarse sugar)
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How do you make the best Homemade Apple Pie ever?
Every time we make this pie, I’m always surprised that it tastes THIS GOOD when it’s such an easy apple pie recipe.
Here’s all you need to do:
Move the oven rack to the lowest shelf. Then preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and prepare a large baking sheet by wrapping it in aluminum foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven so it will heat up with the oven.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then stir in the flour to create a paste-like flour mixture. Add the water, sugar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
In a large bowl, toss together sliced fresh apples with lemon juice. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to coat the individual slices.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch glass pie plate (or a metal pie dish) and then place one pie crust on the bottom. Fill the bottom pie crust with the prepared apple filling. Mound the apples from the center down to the sides.
Slowly pour the liquid over the top of the apples and then cover with the second pie crust – cut slits on top of your pie crust to allow the pie to vent.
If covering the apples with a lattice pie crust, place the crust on first and then pour the apple mixture over slowly to keep it from running over the sides.
Here is the recipe for our most trusted butter pie crust:
You can certainly use store-bought pie pastry but Corey’s homemade crust recipe is seriously so very, very easy and the taste is absolutely divine! I’m not kidding. I believe its buttery crust makes it to be the best flaky pie crust ever! It is my favorite for all of our sweet pie recipes and savory meat pies. Here it is if you’d like to give it a go – Coogan’s Favorite Pie Crust!
Corey rolls his pie dough out on a clean and lightly floured work surface.
He loves to make lattice pies but we got him this awesome pie design cutter and he loves it! It’s like a cookie cutter but only better!
Just press lightly onto the pie dough and then pop out the cut shapes.
The easiest way we have found to place the top crust over the pie is to gently roll it up with a rolling pin.
And then slowly unroll it over the top of the pie.
Then trim the excess dough around the edges of the pie.
Crimp (or flute) the pie pastry dough all around the outer edges of the pie. Ours is never the prettiest as we really enjoy a thicker crust (it is SO yummy!) but when you take your first bite of this delicious apple pie, you’ll forget all about perfectly crimped edges!
Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Use a brush to “paint” the mixture on the top of the pastry to create a nice golden-brown crust as it bakes. Sprinkle the top of the pie with cinnamon and turbinado sugar (this is a thick crystal cane sugar with a slight caramel flavor … it’s yummy and so pretty!).
Place pie on the hot baking sheet in a 425° F preheated oven to bake for 12 minutes. Then reduce heat to 375° F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are soft.
Allow the pie to cool and set for about 10 minutes. Serve each warm slice of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle a little cinnamon over it. This is sure to be your family’s most favorite pie recipe!
Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and refrigerate them promptly.
RECIPE TIPS FOR THE BEST APPLE PIE RECIPE:
Bake the pie on the lowest shelf of a gas oven or the lowest-third of an electric oven. This will ensure a crispy bottom crust.
Allow the center filling to bubble for several minutes to ensure it “sets” properly.
Cover just the edges of the pie crust with foil if it is browning too quickly.
Here’s a few other delicious dessert recipes to try …
- Hummingbird Cake
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Our Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting
- Fresh Strawberry Vanilla Cake
Or try one of our tasty dinner recipes …
- Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
- Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Potatoes
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
- Meat and Potato Timballo Pie
Homemade Sweet Apple Pie
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Pie pan, 9-inch
- Large Bowl
- Small bowl
- Basting brush
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch double pie crust * see Coogan's Favorite Pie Crust!
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all pupose flour
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar , packed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 medium Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored, sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Top Crust – Egg Wash
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp turbinado sugar , or white sugar
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the lowest shelf. Preheat oven to 425° F and prepare a large baking sheet by wrapping it in aluminum foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven so it will heat up with the oven.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then stir in the flour to create a paste. Add the water, sugar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- In a large bowl, toss together sliced apples with lemon juice. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to coat each apple.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan and then place one pie crust on the bottom. Fill the crust with the prepared apples. Mound the apples from the center down to the sides. Slowly pour the liquid over the apples and then cover with the second crust – cut slits on this crust to allow the pie to vent (or cut out your favorite design). If covering the apples with a lattice crust, place the crust on first and then pour the liquid over slowly to keep it from running over the sides.
Top Crust – Egg Wash
- Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Use a brush to "paint" the mixture on the top of the pastry to create a nice golden-brown crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Place the pie on the hot baking sheet in a 425° F preheated oven to bake for 12 minutes. Then reduce heat to 375° F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are soft.
- Allow the pie to cool and set for about 10 minutes. Serve each warm slice of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle a little cinnamon over it.
- RECIPE TIPS:Bake the pie on the lowest shelf of a gas oven or the lowest-third of an electric oven. This will ensure a crispy bottom crust. Allow the center filling to bubble for several minutes to ensure it "sets" properly. Cover just the edges of the pie crust with foil if it is browning too quickly.
Notes
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