🍎 Classic Homemade Apple Pie

A buttery, flaky crust filled with tender cinnamon-spiced apples and baked until golden and bubbling. This recipe makes one 9-inch pie, about 8 servings.

🛒 Ingredients

For the crust

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6–8 tablespoons ice-cold water

For the apple filling

  • 6–7 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For finishing

  • 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make the pie dough
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar.

Add the cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until you have a coarse mixture with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing until the dough starts to come together. Don’t overwork it.

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Prepare the apples
Peel, core, and slice the apples about ¼-inch thick.

Place them in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Mix until evenly coated.

Let the apples sit for about 15 minutes so the flavors combine.

3. Roll out the bottom crust
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk into a circle about 12 inches wide.

Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing it against the bottom and sides. Leave a little overhang around the edge.

4. Add the filling
Pour the seasoned apples into the crust. Arrange them fairly evenly and gently press them down.

Dot the top with the small pieces of butter.

5. Add the top crust
Roll out the second dough disk and place it over the apples.

Trim excess dough, leaving about ½ inch around the edge. Fold the edge underneath itself and crimp with your fingers or a fork to seal.

Cut 4–6 small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

6. Brush and bake
Brush the crust with the beaten egg mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.

Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices.

Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes.

Then reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 35–45 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the apple filling is visibly bubbling.

If the edges become too dark, loosely cover them with aluminum foil.

7. Cool before slicing
Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.

Let it cool for at least 2–3 hours before slicing. This allows the filling to thicken so the slices hold together.

🍦 Serving

Serve warm with:

  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Whipped cream
  • Caramel sauce
  • A light dusting of powdered sugar

⭐ Tips for the Best Apple Pie

  • Use a mixture of sweet and tart apples for more complex flavor.
  • Keep the butter and water very cold for a flaky crust.
  • Don’t skip the cooling period—the filling needs time to set.
  • Slice the apples evenly so they cook at the same rate.
  • Place the pie on a baking sheet because the filling may bubble over.

Prep: 35 minutes
Chill: 30 minutes
Bake: 55–65 minutes
Cooling: 2–3 hours
Servings: 8