Perfect homemade apple pie - complete with a tender, flaky pie crust and simple cinnamon apple filling - is totally achievable with this easy recipe for old-fashioned apple pie from scratch. This classic recipe tackles your apple pie troubleshooting questions to help you bake a perfect pie the first time!
I'm not really sure where the expression "easy as pie" came from.
Because - let's just be honest - pie doesn't exactly have a reputation for being easy to make.
Many people are intimidated by homemade pie, and I used to be one of them. I've had had plenty of pie fails in the past - from soggy crust to runny filling - and so I've learned a thing or two what not to do when baking apple pie from scratch. And after lots of trial and error, I finally mastered the art of baking perfect homemade apple pie!
This post includes my go-to old-fashioned apple pie recipe and all the tips and tricks I've learned along the way.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This easy-to-follow, old-fashioned apple pie recipe is packed with detailed instructions and helpful tips so that you can bake a flawless apple pie every time.
This recipe combines a no-fail flaky pie crust with a simple apple pie filling and a hint of cinnamon for a perfectly classic apple pie. My troubleshooting tips will help to ensure that your pie is baked to golden perfection and slices cleanly - no soggy crust or runny filling here!
If you're looking for an old-fashioned apple pie recipe like the one your grandmother used to make - this is it!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Pie Crust - You'll need a double crust pie crust for this recipe, giving you enough crust for the bottom and top of the pie. I recommend my foolproof pie crust dough for this recipe (and all pie recipes!), but store-bought pie crust will also work.
Apples - For the tastiest pie, I recommend using a variety of apples with different flavors and textures. You'll want to use mostly sweet baking apples with one or two tart apples and mostly firm apples with one or two softer apples. For this pie I used a mixture of 3 Honeycrisp apples (sweet flavor, firm texture), 2 Granny Smith apples (tart flavor, firm texture), and 1 Macintosh apple (sweet flavor, soft texture).
Sugar - A cup of sugar adds some extra sweetness to the apples without making the filling overly sweet.
Fine Sea Salt - A bit of salt enhances the flavors of the pie filling.
Ground Cinnamon - A hint of cinnamon complements the apple flavor and adds a delicious hint of fall spice without adding a prominent cinnamon flavor.
Lemon Juice - A little bit of lemon juice helps to brighten the flavor of the apple filling.
Egg - Brushing the pie crust with an egg wash - made with egg and water - will add a beautiful sheen to the crust as it bakes.
Turbinado Sugar - Adding a sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top of the pie adds a bit of sparkle and crunch to the pie.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and wooden spoon), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A 9 inch glass pie plate, for baking the pie. I recommend a glass pie plate since it conducts heat evenly and you can check the goldenness of the bottom crust as the pie bakes. If you're using a 9.5 inch pie plate, increase the crust and filling by 50 percent.
- A pie crust shield or aluminum foil, for tenting the pie so that the top crust doesn't brown too much.
- Pastry brush, for brushing the egg wash over the pie.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Core and peel the apples, and slice each apple into 16 wedges. In a large bowl, stir together apple wedges, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Set aside.
Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the pie crust dough into a circle that's ⅛ inch thick. The circle of dough should be a few inches larger than the diameter of your pie plate. Transfer the crust to the pie plate.
Step 3: Arrange the apple slices around the crust until the bottom of the plate is covered, and then pile the rest of the apples on top.
Step 4: Again on a lightly floured surface, roll out the second half of pie crust dough into a circle that's ⅛ inch thick and a few inches larger than the diameter of your pie plate. Place the dough over the apples in the pie plate.
Step 5: Trim any excess pie crust, leaving a 1 inch overhang around the edges of the pie plate. Fold the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust. Seal the edges of the crust by either pressing down all around the edges using the tines of a fork or by crimping the edges.
Step 6: Use a knife to make several small slices in the top crust so that air can escape while the pie bakes.
Step 7: Make an egg wash by whisking together one egg and one Tablespoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin coating of the egg wash over the top and edges of the pie crust.
Step 8 (Optional): Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top of the pie.
Step 9: Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 375°F and continue baking until the top and sides of the crust are golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Allison's Top Tips
The most common issues when making apple pie are a soggy crust and/or runny filling. These troubleshooting tips will help you to avoid these problems with apple pie.
Don't add the liquid with the apples. The sugar in the filling will draw some juice out of the apples, so when you go to add the apples to the crust you'll notice that there's juice in the bottom of the bowl. Spoon the apples into the crust (rather than dumping the entire contents of the bowl) so that this liquid is not added to the pie. Too much liquid in the filling will lead to a soggy bottom crust.
Bake the pie in the bottom third of the oven. Before preheating your oven place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven (I use the second lowest of 5 rungs in my oven). This will put the bottom crust closer to the heat source to help ensure a well cooked (and not soggy) bottom crust.
Use a pie crust shield. The pie crust edges will start to become golden long before the pie filling is finished baking, so adding a pie crust shield (or a piece of aluminum foil) will help to ensure that the edges of the crust don't over-bake while the rest of the crust and the filling continue to bake. See the recipe card for specific instructions.
Don't under-bake bake the pie. Apples are naturally high in pectin (the starch that gives the fruit its structure and a natural thickener commonly used to thicken jam). Fully baking the pie filling will release the apple's pectin, which will allow the filling to properly thicken so that you end up with clean pie slices instead of runny filling. If the pie filling isn't bubbling, keep baking the pie.
Don't forget to vent the pie. Be sure to cut a few slits into the top of the pie crust so that steam can escape as it bakes. Or you can top your pie with a lattice pie crust, which naturally includes space between the strips of pie crust for releasing steam.
Let the pie cool completely before you slice it. As the pie cools, the filling will firm up, so you'll have nice, clean slices when you serve it. Allow the pie to cool completely or even overnight before serving. (I usually bake my pies the day before I'll be serving them.) If you want to serve the pie warm, let it cool completely and then reheat the pie briefly in a pre-heated 325°F oven.
Recipe FAQs
An apple pie - like all fruit pies - should be baked until the filling is bubbling. When the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden, the pie is finished baking.
Adding a pie crust shield or a piece of aluminum foil over the pie as it bakes will protect the crust from over-browning while the filling cooks fully.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Store leftover pie covered with foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Interested in freezing apple pie? This article will explain exactly how to freeze apple pie either before or after baking.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review on the recipe below! And don't forget to subscribe to Always Eat Dessert for even more easy dessert recipes and helpful baking tips.
Recipe
Classic Apple Pie from Scratch
Special Equipment
- Pie crust shield or aluminum foil
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 double-crust pie crust, refrigerated
- 6 medium-sized apples*
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon (11 grams) turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pie crust dough in advance. The dough will need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated (wrapped tightly with plastic wrap) until you're ready to bake your pie.
- Place your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove one disk of pie crust dough from the fridge and place on a cooling rack. Allow the dough to sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the apple filling so that the dough comes to a cool room temperature. (The dough should still be slightly firm, but not so cold and firm that it cracks significantly when rolled. If the dough feels soft or mushy when held or pressed with your thumb, it has become too warm and will need to be re-chilled before it can be rolled out.)
- Core the apples, peel them using a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife, and slice each apple into 16 wedges. Place the apples in a large bowl and add sugar, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir until the apples are well coated. Set aside.
- Remove the second disk of pie crust dough from the fridge and place it on the cooling rack so that it can come to a cool room temperature while you roll out the first disk of dough.
- Lightly sprinkle flour on a pastry cloth or clean counter and onto your rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking. Place the first disk of dough onto the floured surface and roll the dough into a circle that's ⅛ inch thick. (While rolling, be sure to alternate directions and roll your rolling pin beyond the edges of the dough to ensure an even thickness throughout. The circle should be a few inches larger than the diameter of your pie plate.) Carefully lift the rolled out crust by sliding your arms underneath it and gently place the crust into a 9 inch glass pie plate.
- Arrange the apple slices around the crust until the bottom of the plate is covered, and then pile the rest of the apples on top. There will be juice from the apples in the bottom of the bowl; do not add this juice to the pie or the filling will be too wet and the bottom crust will become soggy.
- Sprinkle more flour onto your pastry cloth or counter and roll the second disk of pie crust dough. Again, the rolled out dough should be ⅛ inch thick and a few inches larger than the diameter of your pie plate. Carefully lift the dough and gently place it over the apples.
- Trim any excess pie crust, leaving a 1 inch overhang around the edges of the pie plate. Fold the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust. Seal the edges of the crust by either pressing down all around the edges using the tines of a fork or by crimping the edges.
- Use a knife to make several small slices in the top crust so that air can escape while the pie bakes.
- Make an egg wash by whisking together one egg and one Tablespoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin coating of the egg wash over the top and edges of the pie crust.
- Optional: Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top of the pie.
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 375°F and continue baking until the top and sides of the crust (visible through the glass pie plate) are golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 40 to 50 minutes. (NOTE: A pie crust shield will come in handy to ensure the edges of the crust don't burn. About 20 minutes after the pie goes into the oven, quickly but carefully open the oven and reach in to place a silicone pie crust shield or a bit of aluminum foil around the edges of the pie to keep the crust from burning while the pie filling continues to bake.)
- Allow the pie to cool completely (ideally overnight) before serving to ensure that the filling has a chance to firm up. Serve the pie at room temperature (or reheat the pie briefly in a pre-heated 325°F oven if you'd prefer to serve it warm).
Bernadette Marinelli says
BEST Apple Pie recipe!!
Allison Ferraro says
Thank you so much, Bernadette! I'm so glad you love this recipe!
- Allison