Classic Apple Pie (Printable Version)

Spiced apple filling in a flaky homemade crust, perfect warm with ice cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pie Crust

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 6-8 tablespoons ice water

→ Apple Filling

06 - 6-7 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

→ Assembly

15 - 1 egg, beaten
16 - 1 tablespoon milk
17 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, stirring just until dough comes together. Divide dough in half, shape into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
02 - Peel, core, and slice apples 1/4-inch thick. In a large bowl, toss apples with both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and lemon juice. Set aside.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Gently fit crust into pie dish. Fill with apple mixture, mounding slightly in the center. Dot with butter pieces. Roll out second dough disk and place over filling. Trim excess dough, seal and crimp edges. Cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
04 - Whisk egg and milk. Brush over top crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake pie on lower rack for 45-55 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling. If edges brown too quickly, cover with foil.
05 - Let pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp apples creates layers of flavor that just sing together
  • That moment when you pull it from the oven and the whole house smells like cinnamon and comfort is pure magic
  • The flaky, buttery crust is worth every minute of chilling time—it practically shatters when you cut into it
02 -
  • Cold ingredients are your best friend—warm butter creates a tough, mealy crust instead of those tender flakes
  • That bubbling filling through the vents isn't just pretty, it's your signal that the apples have cooked through and the filling has thickened properly
  • Refrigerating the assembled pie for 30 minutes before baking can help prevent the edges from shrinking or slumping in the oven
03 -
  • Place a baking sheet on the rack below your pie to catch any sugary drips before they hit your oven floor and burn
  • If your crust starts browning too quickly, create a foil tent by molding foil around the outside of the pie plate
  • For an extra flavor boost, add a pinch of ginger or cardamom to your apple mixture—it'll surprise and delight everyone
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