Perfect Apple Pie
Looking for the classic apple pie recipe? This is the perfect apple pie recipe for a beginner pie-maker—simple with delicious results! We’ll make sure you use the right apples for best flavor—and also provide an easy, buttery, homemade pie crust.
If you’re not up to making a pie dough, don’t let that stop you. You can certainly purchase easy refrigerated pie crust. That said, our homemade pie crust only requires a few pantry ingredients and comes out flaky and flavorful!
Tips for Bakers
- To avoid a mushy apple pie, you’ll need a mix of what we call “firm” apple varieties which hold their shape throughout the cooking process. If the apples listed in the recipe aren’t available, choose a mix of “firm-sweet” and “firm-tart” apples: see the list of best apples for baking pies.
- Always use fresh apples. If you don’t use them right away, put the apples in the refrigerator or they will go soft.
More Apple Recipes
- Check out our delicious Caramel Apple Crumb Pie or Sour Cream Apple Pie recipes!
- Have apples leftovers? See more of our favorite apple recipes!
Photo Credit:
Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and core apples, slice them ¼ inch thick, and put in a clean bowl. Toss to coat with lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the larger disk of Double-Crust Pastry Dough into a 12- to 13-inch circle, rolling out from the center and turning the dough as you go. Transfer to a 10-inch pie plate; let extra dough hang over sides.
Place a flat 1-inch layer of apples on bottom and sprinkle with a layer of sugar mixture. Repeat until you’ve used all apples and sugar.
Roll out second piece of pie dough and cover apples with it. Trim excess dough to about 1 inch overhang; tuck edges of top crust under bottom crust and crimp.
Brush egg over pie surface; sprinkle with sugar. Make decorative cuts to let steam escape. Bake 20 minutes.
Lower oven temperature to 375° and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes longer.
Double-Crust Pastry Dough
Ingredients
Instructions
1. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt until well combined.
2. Sprinkle butter over flour mixture, and use your fingers to work it in (rub your thumb against your fingertips, smearing the butter as you do). Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal, with some pea-size bits of butter remaining.
3. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water on top, and stir with a fork until dough begins to come together. If needed, add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times, or just enough to make a cohesive dough—don’t over mix!
5. Gather into a ball; then divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Yield:
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Reader Comments
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Apples
I miss Cortland apples. I live on the west coast and we don't get them here.
Original Recipe
The original Perfect Apple Pie Recipe you had to bake the apples in the oven. Take them out - add cornstarch and then put them in the freezer for 15 min and then fill the pastry. What happened to that recipe?? I just made it last week . But when I went on your website today it was a different recipe. Please help. I know I' not mistaken because I sent recipe to a friend and the sam thing happened to her.
perfect apple pie recipe
Hi, Kathryn. We think we found the apple pie recipe you are looking for on our sister site. Click here and you’ll get there.
missing ingredients
What do you do with the lemon and the cornstarch?
perfect apple pie
Hi, Amy. Toss the peeled apples with lemon juice. The cornstarch goes in the sugar mixture. Enjoy!
This is a great pie recipe.
The only change I made is that I brush cream/milk over the top and sprinkle with sugar rather than use egg.
Perfect with Cortland apples!
I made this pie with all Cortland apples and it was delicious! I’ve never had the apple pie/cheddar cheese combo before but it was great. Wonderful way to use the apples we just picked at the orchard!
Forgot to mention, idea to
Forgot to mention, idea to serve the pie with cheese came from the Vermont cheddar apple pie recipe on this site.
It works!
If you can find them, one of
If you can find them, one of the best pie apples is the Ida Red. But multiple apple types can be combined, depending on what is available -- this year I've used Ida Reds, Granny Smiths, Honeycrips, Fujis, Galas, Liberty, Pink Lady successfully -- Zestar, available early in the season, were bland, even when blended with Granny Smiths. I get my apples from nearby orchards when possible, but am not a fan of Jonathans or Jonagolds. Taste the apples you use in your pie -- cut back on sugar when they're especially sweet.
I love cortlands! I dry them
I love cortlands! I dry them, can them and bake everything with them. They make a perfect pie! I don't know what people are doing to get soggy pies, I never have that problem.