Best Homemade Apple Pie

Best Homemade Apple Pie (From Scratch!) — This fabulous apple pie is a specialty of my grandma’s. The sauce for the apples is slowly poured over the lattice crust until it fills the shell. 

When it bakes, the top has a nice crispy coating over the flaky crust. The center is full of sweet and tart tender apples with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar. This really is the BEST apple pie!

The Best Apple Pie Recipe (From Scratch!)

It’s been a long time since I made this Caramel Apple Crumble Pie, which has been a reader favorite for closing in on a decade! You won’t find an easier pie recipe.

But if you have nostalgic memories of homemade apple pie that your grandma, mom, or perhaps another family member made, this classic American apple pie recipe will take you right down memory lane.

The overall flavor of this lattice apple pie is sweet and perfectly spiced, and with a hint of tartness because of the variety of apples used, including some tart apples.

The tender, flaky crust has a bit of crispness to it because of how the sauce is poured over the crust. It’s an easy pie to make, even for novice pie makers. Don’t be afraid to try your hand at this classic apple pie!

Apple pie never goes out of style, especially during apple season, for Thanksgiving, or really anytime you’re craving a fruity pie.

What’s Needed to Make Apple Pie From Scratch?

To make a classic American apple pie, you’ll need the following common ingredients:

• Crust — You can make your favorite double homemade pie crust recipe or use store-bought refrigerated crusts.
• Apples — For the best apple pie, use a variety of crisp sweet and tart apples. 
• Lemon juice — This helps prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning brown.
• Butter — I prefer real unsalted butter, but salted is fine too.
• White granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar — Using both sugars gives this lots of extra flavor.
• Water
• All purpose flour — This will help to thicken the juices.
• Spices — Cinnamon, ground allspice and nutmeg. Or you can use apple pie spice instead.
• Vanilla extract — Rounds out and enhances the flavors.

How to Make the Best Apple Pie From Scratch

Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven and spraying a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: Make the double pie crust recipe of your choice or use store-bought. Roll out the bottom crust. More details on this in the following section below.

Step 3: Lay the bottom crust over the pie plate and push in the edges, making sure it is flat along the bottom and sides.

Step 4: Place sliced apples in a bowl and toss with lemon juice and then add them to the pie plate.

Step 5: In a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients including butter, sugars, water, flour, spices, vanilla, heat until boiling, stirring well. Allow the sauce to simmer for 4 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from the heat and reserve one-quarter cup of the sauce before evenly pouring it over the apples in pie shell.

Step 7: Now, roll out the top crust and cut into strips. Weave the strips over the top as outlined below and in the recipe section. 

Step 8: Pour the reserved one-quarter cup sauce over the top of the crust, or you can use a brush and brush it on, or spoon it in carefully. 

Step 9: Place the pie on a larger baking sheet with raised sides just in case your apple pie decides to bubble over. This will save you from having to clean your oven!

Step 10: Bake for 45 to 60 minutes noting that if using scratch pie crust, it tends to takes longer to bake than store-bought since it’s usually a bit thicker when rolled out compared to store-bought crust, which is thinner.

If the crust begins to darken too quickly, you can tent the pie with foil, but remove it five minutes before the pie is finished so the crust can crisp up.

Step 11: Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before serving for best results. You can cut it while it’s still hot and serve with ice cream, but it will be much messier.

How to Make a Lattice Apple Pie Crust

Regardless if using store-bought or homemade pie crust, roll out the dough for the lattice making sure it is larger than the pan before following the directions below. 

Here’s how I make a lattice pie crust:

Step 1: Cut the strips and choose what lattice design you want. 

Step 2: Start from the middle and work out. I chose to cut 1/4th inch thin strips and weave 3 strips per weave. 

Step 3: The longest strips I used in the middle and placed the first 3 then turned the pie so the second set of 3 would make a T-shape in the middle. 

Step 4: Leave a space then set the other set of 3 on each side of the first set.

Step 5: Lift the sets gently to weave the others.

Step 6: Gently dampen the crust where the top and bottom will meet to help seal it.

Step 7: Crimp the edges well so the crust doesn’t separate when it bakes.

How Long to Bake Apple Pie 

This apple pie recipe from scratch is made in a standard 9-inch pie plate and needs to bake for roughly 45 to 60 minutes at 350ºF. 

Do I Have to Make Homemade Pie Crust?

No, you don’t have to make a homemade pie crust. You can use store-bought refrigerated pie crusts that you roll out.

However, my homemade All-Butter Pie Crust is a cinch to make and comes together in minutes in your food processor.

What Are the Best Apples for Apple Pie?

For the best apple pie, use a variety of crisp sweet and tart apples.

• When considering tart apples, the Braeburn is top and Granny Smith are also great if you prefer green apples.
• In terms of crisper and sweeter apples, Honey Crisp is my favorite. Jonagold apples are also a good choice.

You want to peel, core, and slice the apples into thin segments before adding them to the pie filling. 

Can I Use Canned Apple Pie Filling?

While I’m sure you could use it, this recipe wasn’t developed or designed for that. 

Instead, cooking the apples on the stove along with the butter, sugars, spices, and other ingredients is the way to go. It’s fast and easy — no need for the canned stuff here! 

How to Store Apple Pie 

I prefer storing my scratch apple pie at room temperature. I cover it loosely with foil to protect the crust. 

Some people love chilled apple pie, and if you’re one of them, pop it in the fridge as soon as it’s cooled to room temp after baking.

How Long Is Apple Pie Good For? 

Homemade apple pie will keep covered at room temp on your counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat Apple Pie

You can reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30-second intervals, noting that the crust will soften. 

Or, you can reheat slices of pie in a 350F oven for roughly 10 to 15 minutes. 

Can You Freeze Apple Pie? 

Yes! You can freeze the entire pie or individual slices. If freezing the whole pie, be sure to bake it in a freezer-safe pie plate and let it cool completely before freezing. 

To thaw, place on the counter overnight or reheat in the oven from frozen. 

What to Serve with Apple Pie

Enjoy this easy apple pie from scratch as is, or top with one of the following: 

• Whipped cream 
• Cool Whip
• Salted caramel sauce
• Vanilla ice cream
• Vanilla custard 

Tips for the Best Homemade Apple Pie

For a quicker pie, use store-bought pie crust rather than homemade.

When pouring the reserved quarter cup of syrup into the pie shell, and over the lattice crust, you may need to tip the pie to help the syrup go in the holes if there is a bit too much. 

Make sure the entire crust has a thin coating of the syrup to help seal it. This also helps the crust crisp up, too. 

Let the pie cool completely before serving. I know, it’s so tempting to eat it warm with ice cream, but if you can, let it cool. This helps the apple pie set up better, which prevents the apples from coming out while slicing and serving the pie.

Save Saved Review Print

4.50 from 14 votes

Best Homemade Apple Pie

By Averie Sunshine

This fabulous apple pie is a specialty of my grandma's. The sauce for the apples is slowly poured over the lattice crust until it fills the shell.  When it bakes, the top has a nice crispy coating over the flaky crust. The center is full of sweet and tart tender apples with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar. This really is the BEST apple pie!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ Double pie crust, homemade or store bought refrigerated pie crust
• ▢ 3 pounds variety of apples, about 6 to 8 medium apples. Braeburn and Granny Smith for tart; Honey Crisp or Jonagold for sweet cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
• ▢ Juice from 2 lemons
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup packed light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon, OR use 1 teaspoon apple pie spice and omit using cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg separately
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350F°.  Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. 
• On a floured surface, roll out one of the pie crusts so that it is slightly bigger than the pie plate.
• Lay the bottom crust over the pie plate and carefully push in the edges, making sure it is flat along the bottom and sides.
• Place the sliced apples in a large bowl, add the lemon juice, and gently toss and stir.
• Add the apples to the pie plate; set aside.
• To a large saucepan, and the remaining ingredients (butter through vanilla) and stir well. 
• Cook over medium-high heat until gently boiling and then simmer for 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, and reserve ¼ cup of the sauce; set aside. 
• With the remaining sauce evenly pour it over the apples in the pie plate; set aside.
• Roll out the top crust and cut into strips* (See Notes below for more details how to do this). 
• Weave the strips over the top to create a lattice crust. 
• Slowly and carefully pour the reserved 1/4-cup sauce over the top of the crust. Alternatively, you can use a brush and to simply brush it on or spoon it on, making sure it completely covers the lattice crust because this is what creates a lovely crispy crust.
• Place the pie on a sheet pan with raised edges (insurance against accidental overflow so you don't have to clean the bottom of your oven if it does happen), place the sheet pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 60 minutes, starting to check for doneness at 45 minutes meaning the crust looks set and not doughy and the inside of the pie where the fruity sauce is is gently bubbling. Note that store bought pie crust tends to bake faster because it's thinner and could be done at the 45-minute mark whereas homemade crust because it tends to be a bit thicker when rolled out, may take closer to 60 minutes, but keep an eye on your pie and not the clock when checking for doneness.
• If the crust begins to darken too quickly, you can place tent the pie by loosely draping a sheet of foil over the top. However, remove the foil 5 minutes before the pie is finished so the crust can crisp up.
• Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing and serving for best results. However, if can be sliced into when it's still hot and if doing so, I recommend serving it with vanilla ice cream.

How to Make the Lattice Top:

• Regardless if using store bought or homemade pie crust, roll out the dough for the lattice making sure it is larger than the pan.
• Cut the strips and choose what lattice design you want. 
• Start from the middle and work out. I chose to cut 1/4th inch thin strips and weave 3 strips per weave. The longest strips I used in the middle and placed the first 3 then turned the pie so the second set of 3 would make a T-shape in the middle. 
• Leave a space, then set the other set of 3 on each side of the first set. 
• Lift the sets gently to weave the others.
• Gently dampen the crust where the top and bottom will meet to help seal it.
• Crimp the edges well so the crust doesn’t separate when it bakes.

Notes

Storage: Pie will keep airtight at room temp for up to 3 days and in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 261kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 91mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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