Homemade Apple Pie

4.58 from 40 votes

This homemade apple pie recipe features a buttery, flaky crust, packed with sweetened apples and baked until golden.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple pie from scratch, apple pie recipe, fall, homemade apple pie

Servings: servings

Prepare the pie crust ahead of time, keeping it chilled in the fridge before rolling it out. I like to use my einkorn pie crust or sourdough pie crust, but you can use your favorite homemade crust recipe or a store-bought crust.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and core the apples, slicing them thinly and adding them to a mixing bowl.
Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the bowl of sliced apples and combine.
Roll out the bottom pie crust on a lightly floured surface, forming a 12-inch circle, then transfer the dough to a 9" glass pie dish. Gently fit it in and trim excess dough from the edges.
Add the apple mixture to the bottom crust. Dice the cold butter and dot the pieces over the filling.
Roll the second pie crust to 12 inches in diameter and place it on top of the apple filling. Trim around the outside edges, then roll the edge of the bottom crust over the top crust, and flute the edges with your fingers, much like you're making little pinches around the edges of the pie. Cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
Brush the whole pie with an egg wash (one egg plus one tablespoon of water, whisked well), then sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes, then add an aluminum foil tent around the edges and bake for another 20-30 minutes.
The pie will be done when the top crust is golden and the apple juices are bubbling. Let the pie cool at room temperature for several hours before serving, giving the filling time to thicken.

A food processor makes the process of pie dough super easy, but a pastry blender works well, too.
Keep the pie dough cold while you wait to assemble.
Pick the right apples. Not every apple is great for baking, so consider my recommendations in the post.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and/or allspice for added warmth and spice.
For the top crust of the pie, I make a few slits to release the steam, but you could easily make a lattice top. Or use cookie cutters to cut some of the dough into shapes and make a pretty arrangement on top of the pie crust.
Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle the top with sugar to give it that golden color and a sweet crunch.
Place the pie on a baking sheet to avoid an oven mess if the filling bubbles over.