Buttery, flaky crust filled with soft, deliciously spiced apples and a crispy, sugary top. This Homemade Apple Pie will be your new favorite!
Pie Crust
I used to be anti-pies. I thought they were gross. At some point in time I decided there were acceptable pies out there, but in general, still preferred other desserts.
My biggest hangup with pies was the crust. I found pie crust to be dry and bland. Until I made the crust for this pie. This crust has changed my feelings on pies, entirely.
What is in the pie crust?
I modified this crust for maybe a year until I had just the right combination of ingredients. This crust uses:
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter
- Cold water
- Vinegar
It is buttery, flaky and has just a hint of a sweet flavor. Not bland at all!
Homemade Apple Pie
What apples should I use?
Granny Smith apples are the perfect apple for this pie. They have just a little bit of a crunch, so they don’t turn to mush in the pie, and the tartness of the Granny Smith apples balances out the sweet filling.
If you are not able to find Granny Smith apples, I would recommend using a different tart apple.
How do I prepare the apples?
Previously, I would peel the apples with a knife, and then cut them finely with a knife. But, I found that to be time consuming and slightly dangerous for my fingers.
I then started using an apple peeler and corer (this is the one I use). If you don’t have one, get one. It’s so easy that my 3 and 5 year olds can use it. It takes most of the hard work out of making this pie!
What goes in the filling?
The filling basically turns into a delicious caramel sauce. The ingredients I use are:
- Butter
- Flour
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Water
The filling is the toughest part of this recipe. If you do not work quickly once it has boiled, it will not spread well over the lattice. It can still be pretty, and it will taste good, it just takes a lot more effort.
October 2020 Update
This recipe is a favorite among my family and friends! My husband and father-in-law do not care for dessert, but when this Homemade Apple Pie is around, they’ll go for seconds and thirds!
As this is such a tasty recipe, I wanted to give the post a facelift. So, I have added new photos and added a few more instructions.
Homemade Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold cut into thin slices
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
Filling:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 pounds Granny Smith apples peeled and cored
Instructions
Crust:
- In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and sugar.
- Cut butter into flour mixture (use a butter knife, pasty cuter, or food processor with pastry attachment to do this).
- In a small bowl, mix together water and vinegar.
- Gradually, about 1-2 tbsp at a time, mix liquid into flour until a soft dough forms. You may not use all of the liquid. Note: I use an electric mixer fit with the dough attachment to do this. You can also stir with a large spoon.
- Mold dough into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours
- Once ready to use, divide dough in half. If the dough has been in the refrigerator for longer than 8 hours, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes before you roll it out.
- On a floured surface, roll out one half of the dough to ~1/8 inch thickness. Press dough into a pie pan.
- Roll out remaining dough on a floured surface and cut into about 1/2" strips to use to decorate top of pie.
Pie:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Peel and core apples. Place apple slices into a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Once butter is melted, sprinkle flour over butter and stir until smooth.
- Atir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, sugar, and brown sugar. Stir constantly until mixture begins to boil.*
- Once mixture comes to a boil, set aside 1/3 cup of mixture use for top of pie. Use the rest of the mixture to pour over apples. Stir sauce and apples together until well combined.
- Pour apples and sauce into prepared crust. Use strips of dough to decorate top of pie. Pour remaining 1/3 of sauce over top of the lattice and pie.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes, or until apples are tender and the top of the pie is golden brown.
Notes
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed this Homemade Apple Pie, you’ll probably enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Salted Caramel Tart
Orange Berry Shortcake
Pineapple Coconut Cake
Strawberry Peach Galette
Apple Cider Bundt Cake
