Homemade Apple Pie

What’s in This Homemade Apple Pie Recipe?

• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the pie. You can swap some or all of the granulated sugar for brown sugar for a richer, more caramel-like taste
• Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken up the filling so the pie doesn’t turn out watery. I like to use flour because it has a creamier, more natural mouthfeel. Cornstarch is a great thickener, but it tends to have a gel-like texture that more closely resembles canned pie filling.
• Cinnamon: Adds warmth and a touch of spice to the pie. You can use store-bought apple pie spice for a bit more flavor.
• Apples: Choose whichever apples you prefer! Granny Smith apples are the best and most reliable to use in baking. They are naturally tart and sweet, which is perfect for baking! Other varieties that work well are Gala (what I used here), Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold.
• Pie Crusts: All you need to make a homemade pie crust is flour, salt, shortening, and a bit of water. Just mix the ingredients together to make the dough, roll it out, then mold it into the pie dish.
• Butter: Unsalted butter adds moisture, flavor, and richness to the filling.

Tips for Success

• I recommend making this homemade apple pie recipe as written, then experimenting to make it your own. Go apple picking, find a few different apples you love, and get baking! This is a great recipe to make with kids and teach them a love for baking.
• You can leave the skin on the apples if you prefer. This is especially nice looking if you use red apples.
• There’s no need to cook the apples before adding them to this pie, but you certainly can if you like a more caramelized flavor.
• I usually make it even easier by using store-bought pie crusts to save time.
• I don’t blind-bake this pie because I find it unnecessary for this particular recipe. The flour does a good job of thickening the filling and absorbing excess moisture as it cooks, so I didn’t find that I needed any extra protection. If you do find your filling to be very wet or liquidy, you can blind-bake the bottom pie crust before adding the filling.
• If your pie always turns out watery, it may be time to turn your attention to the top crust. This crust helps seal in moisture, but it can also cause too much moisture to be retained, leading to watery filling. Make sure to cut some vent slits into your top crust before baking to help the steam escape.

How to Store and Reheat

You can store this homemade apple pie covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 2 days because it doesn’t contain any cream or eggs in the filling. Be sure to refrigerate it after 2 days, though!

It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying cold, at room temperature, or sometimes gently warmed in the microwave.