Old-fashioned Homemade Apple Pie can sound intimidating, but it isn't complicated. This Recipe is simple but delicious and the perfect dessert any time of the year.
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First, if you are scared of making your own homemade pie crust, don't be! I have a tutorial on how to make a perfect pie crust. I walk you through making the crust step-by-step and have pictures of what every stage should look like.
I keep the spices for the homemade apple pie pretty simple: just a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. You can leave them out or substitute cloves if you don't have allspice. Essentially, you're just making your own homemade apple pie spice.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You can make the crust in advance so there is no stress come pie assembly time.
- Nothing is better than the smell of an apple pie cooking in the oven!
- This pie can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
🥧 Apple pie is my favorite pie from about 4th of July through Thanksgiving, but I try to switch it up and sneak in some other irresistible pie flavors, too!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Sour Cream
For the Apple Filling
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Lemon
- Seasonings - nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice
- Apples
- Egg
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie
Step 1: Peel apples and combine with flour, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and spices
Step 2: Roll out one pie crust and place it in the bottom of the pie dish.
Step 3: Fill the bottom crust with the apple mixture.
Step 4: Place the second crust over the apples, and trim and crimp edges and cut slits in crust.
Step 5: Cover top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Step 6: Bake and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
The most important part of serving Apple Pie is letting it cool completely. While the pie cools, the filling thickens and sets. Apple Pie is great with ice cream and whipped cream.
Apple pie can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can make Old Fashioned Apple Pie up to one day ahead of time. It can be left uncovered for up to 8 hours.
Expert Tips
- A deep pie dish works best for this recipe.
- The easiest way to transfer pie dough is to fold it over the rolling pin and gently glide it over the pie dish.
- If there is more than 1-inch excess crust around the edge, trim it to be only 1-inch.
- You will have to use your hands to wiggle and gently press the apples into the crust. They will be slightly mounded.
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Classic Apple Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks, very cold, sliced)
- 3 tablespoons sour cream (very cold)
- ½ cup water (ice cold)
For the Apple Filling
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 lemon (juiced and zested)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 3 pounds apples (about 7, see note)
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon water
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- Whisk together dry ingredients.
- Cut very cold butter in until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with a few larger pea-sized pieces.
- Mix a couple tablespoons of water with the sour cream and pour it into the dough.
- Add a couple more tablespoons of water to the dough and mix until just combined.
- Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together and isn't crumbly. You may not use all the water! Do not over mix!
- Divide dough into 2 portions, wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Apple Pie
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat (see note). The pie should be baked on the lowest oven rack.
- Peel all the apples. Slice half of the apples ⅓ inch thick and half of the apples ¼ inch thick.
- Combine apples, flour, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, spices and salt. Mix until combined.
- Roll out one pie crust to about 12 inches in diameter and place it in the bottom of the pie dish. A deep pie dish works best for this recipe. The easiest way to transfer pie dough is to fold it over the rolling pin and gently glide it over the pie dish.
- Gently work the pie crust into the pie dish and if there is more than 1-inch excess crust around the edge, trim it to be only 1-inch.
- Fill the bottom crust with the apple mixture. You will have to use your hands to wiggle and gently press the apples into the crust. They will be slightly mounded.
- Roll out the second pie crust to about 12 inches in diameter. Gently place it over the apples, using the same method detailed in step 9. Trim the edges if you have more than 1-inch excess dough around the edge.
- Tuck the edges under and then flute them by placing two fingers from your right hand on the edge of the pie and using your index finger from your left hand to pull the dough between your fingers towards the middle of the pie.
- Combine the egg and ½ teaspoon of water and brush it gently over the top of the pie.
- Cut 4 vents in the top of the pie with a sharp knife.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top of the pie.
- Place pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven (line the baking sheet with foil in case the pie leaks for easy clean-up) and bake at 425 for 25 minutes.
- Leave the pie in the oven but reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for an additional 35 minutes until the inside is bubbly and the top crust is dark golden brown. Cover the top of the pie loosely with foil if it becomes browned too quickly.
- After pie is finished baking, let it cool completely at room temperature. This allows the pie filling to set up, preventing it from being runny.
Notes
- You can use any kind of apples you like, but a tart apple like a Granny Smith will hold up better in the oven. I like to combine a tart apple and a sweet apple in my filling.
- If you have a baking stone, you can bake the pie on the stone instead of preheating a cookie sheet. However, I'd still recommend placing the pie on a baking sheet lined with foil to catch any drips or spills from the filling. The point of baking on a preheated sheet or stone is to apply maximum heat to the pie's bottom crust so it cooks through.
- One of the most important parts of making homemade apple pie is getting the right kind of apples and cutting them to the right thickness. I like to get tart apples for baking, as they tend to be firmer and hold up better when baked.
- Another important tip for making homemade apple pie is to let it cool at room temperature before slicing it. This lets that liquid in the pie distribute and gel, so you'll get those perfect slices without any runniness.
Alli
Such a classic recipe! Love it.