Homemade Apple Pie From Scratch

This homemade apple pie recipe features a buttery, flaky crust, packed with sweetened apples and baked until golden. The perfect pie for the holidays, serve it with ice cream to make it extra special.

Apple pie is such a nostalgic dessert. There is really nothing like it that gives you that homey feeling and warms you up all the way to your toes. Sweet and tart apples with cinnamon in a buttery crust? Yum.

My girls are getting older, and it has been so fun for them to want to be in the kitchen with me. Mixing (and baking) treats together like this is helping us create memories that will last a lifetime. 

As someone who deeply enjoys good food, it’s been really fun for me to share this love with them.

There is something special about creating delicious food with your hands, eating your creations, and then sharing them with your favorite people.

Having the right tools to make apple pie is essential. Especially for someone who may not be familiar with pie and is intimidated, or for my girls as they learn and develop their skills in the kitchen. 

I hope you enjoy this homemade apple pie recipe as much as my family has.

Tips For Making Apple Pie From Scratch

• Get the right tools. A food processor makes making pie dough super easy. You can also use a pastry blender. 
• Pick the right apples. Not every apple is great for baking. Check out my recommendations below.
• Use your favorite pie crust for this recipe. I prefer my einkorn or sourdough pie crust.
• For the top crust of the pie, you can slice or poke it however you like. I like just making a few slices, but you could easily make a lattice crust. You could even use cookie cutters to cut out the dough and make a pretty arrangement. 
• Make sure to brush the crust with milk or egg wash and sprinkle the top with sugar to give it that golden color and a little sweet crunch.
• If, while baking, the edges start to get too brown, you can wrap them in tin foil and then place back into the oven to finish baking.

Pie Making Tools you will need:

Box Grater or food processor

9” Glass Pie Plate

Rolling pin

Knife

Cutting board

Measuring cups and spoon

Should I cook my apples before making pie?

This is definitely an option. For this recipe, I bake after the entire pie is put together. But if you want to pre-bake the crust and cook the apples in a cast iron skillet before putting it together, that is also an option. Some people prefer this way to keep the pie crust extra crispy.

Should an apple pie be refrigerated after baking?

A baked apple pie can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days. It will last up to 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

What apples should not be used for apple pie?

Red delicious, McIntosh, and Gala should not be used. You want to pick apples that hold their structure when cooked, and these apples just don’t cut it. They tend to get mushy and not so pleasant.

How do I keep the bottom of my apple pie from getting soggy?

The easiest and best way to prevent a soggy bottom is to blind back (AKA pre-baking) the pie shell first to crisp the crust before adding the filling. Usually, this is done by adding the pie crust to the pie plate, trimming off extra dough, then covering it with foil or parchment paper, and adding pie weights (you could even add beans) to the top and baking.

The best apples for apple pie

The perfect apples for apple pie keep their shape after baking, don’t get mushy, and add great flavor. Some of my favorite varieties include:

• Granny Smith
• Honeycrisp
• Jonathan
• Braeburn
• Golden Delicious

Just to name a few.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust – Pick your favorite, buttery pie dough. I prefer my einkorn flour pie crust for quicker baking or if I plan ahead, my fermented sourdough pie crust.

Organic sugar – this adds sweetness to the apples without adding any extra liquid.

Einkorn flour– to help thicken the juices from the apples.

Cinnamon – is there such a thing as apple pie without cinnamon?

Zest and juice of a lemon – adds the perfect amount of acidity to meld with the sweet apples. It also helps prevent the apples from browning.

Apples – sliced thinly. See above for the perfect apples for baking.

Butter – the added fat gives it richness.

How To Make Homemade Apple Pie

Step 1: Make Pie Crust

I like to use my einkorn pie crust or my sourdough pie crust, but you can use your favorite pie dough. You can use your favorite pie dough recipe or even a store-bought crust in a pinch.

Stir flour and salt together.

Grate frozen butter with box grater or chop it up into cubes.

Cut butter into flour and salt with dough blender or toss it into a food processor and pulse until pea sized crumbles are created.

Add ice water until dough comes together.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pack it into a ball.

 Cut the dough in half, and flatten the halves into discs (one larger for the bottom crust, and one smaller for the top).

 Wrap the discs tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Step 2: Make The Homemade Apple Filling From Scratch

Peel and cut apples into thin slices.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and apples.  

Step 3: Put The Apple Pie Together

Roll the dough out to about 12 inches in diameter, then transfer the dough to a 9″ glass pie dish. Gently fit it in, and trim any excess dough.

Add apple mixture to the bottom crust and dot with butter. 

Roll remaining half of pie crust dough to 12 inches in diameter and place it on top of the apple filling. Trim around the outside edges, and make sure you cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape. 

Roll the edge of bottom crust over top crust and flute the edges with your fingers.  

Brush crust lightly with milk; sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 425.

Enjoy with some homemade ice cream.

Find more delicious desserts straight from our farmhouse kitchen:

• Toasted Coconut Cookies Recipe With Chocolate Chip
• Sourdough Pumpkin Cobbler Recipe
• Fudgy Peppermint Coconut Flour Brownies
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Topping
• Sourdough Peach Cobbler Recipe

If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate if you could come back, comment on the post, and give it 5 stars! Thanks.