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Last updated on November 3rd, 2023 at 01:47 pm
In the fall, there’s nothing better than a classic apple pie. With a flaky crust and the perfect combination of sweetness and spice, it is a must-have dessert for fall evenings.
I’ve been in charge of baking pies for our family Thanksgiving for 8 years. After experimenting with many apple pie recipes, the one I’m sharing with you today is the best I’ve found.
Learn how to make the perfect classic apple pie with a flaky pie crust.
Making the pie dough
This pie crust recipe is adapted from the Magnolia Table recipe. I’ve tried a lot of pie crust recipes and this one is quick and consistent.
Mix up the dough in a food processor with a dough blade. The keys are to use cold butter and drizzle only a little water at a time until the dough just comes together.
Also, I learned the hard way to use unsalted butter. Adding 2 teaspoons of salt to salted butter makes for a very salty crust.
Rolling out the dough
The correct method to rolling out a round dough took a long time to figure out. By rolling the dough in a circular motion and turning it about a quarter every few rolls, you’ll end up with a round pie crust. If the dough appears to crack around the edges, continue rolling. As the dough flattens out into a circle, the cracks typically fill in.
Apple Pie Filling
Apple Variety – I used to make apple pie with Granny Smith apples. I switched to Gala or Honeycrisp apples, and I will never go back to using the more sour apples for pies. Despite the sugar and spices, apple variety does make a difference. Mix it up by using different varieties of apples in one pie!
Bite-sized apple pieces – Most pie recipes call for slices of apples. I’ve found that cutting them into smaller, bite-sized pieces makes apple pie much more enjoyable. Yes, it takes longer to prepare. But it’s so worth it.
Lemon juice – Other recipes I’ve used never had lemon juice. Surprisingly, adding lemon juice brings out extra flavor in the apples.
Flour – Flour in the filling helps the filling thicken.
Helpful Tools
Food Processor with dough blade – Using a food processor to make dough has been a time saver. I’ve had this Ninja Blender-Food Processor combo for several years and recommend it.
Kitchen scale – Accuracy in baking makes a difference. I recommend measuring the flour & sugar in the pie filling using a kitchen scale. We have this inexpensive one that does the job.
Pastry mat – It’s hard to measure the diameter of the dough. Using a pastry mat with measurements makes it easier. The one I have is from Walmart, and I can’t find the exact one. However, it would be better to have a non-slip mat like these silicon mats. Mine slides around a lot.
How to bake a classic apple pie
First, make the crust.
Using a food processor, pulse together flour and salt. Add the butter over the flour and pulse until the pieces are the size of small peas. Drizzle a small amount of water on top and pulse (or use the dough function) together. If the dough is still crumbly, add a small drizzle of water until the dough comes together. It should not be wet or watery.
Separate the dough into two flattened balls. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Next, make the filling & assemble the pie.
In a large bowl, gently stir the first 7 ingredients (apple pieces through nutmeg) together until thoroughly combined and the apple pieces are covered. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with foil.
Roll out 1 chilled pie dough disk by lightly dusting a clean surface with flour, turning the dough about a quarter after every 2-3 rolls. Roll into a 12-inch circle.
Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Spoon in the pie filling.
Roll out the second chilled pie dough disk into a 12-inch circle. Lay over the top of the of the pie. Fold the edges under, pinching the top and bottom dough together. Trim the excess dough with a knife. Crimp the pie crust edges to seal. Using a paring knife, cut small slits on the top of the pie dough.
Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with milk. Sprinkle the top with sugar.
Bake the pie
Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees, leaving the pie in the oven. Place a piece of foil over the top of the pie to prevent the crust from burning (or use a pie crust shield). Continue baking for 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling.
Pie Variety
For many years, we made a day trip to Julian, CA during the apple season. They have more than just plain apple pie! They include many different fruit combinations in their pies.
I recommend taking away 1-2 apples and adding a cup of fresh blueberries for an especially scrumptious pie!
Classic Apple Pie with Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients
Double Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour , plus more for rolling
- 2 tsp salt
- 16 TBSP (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter cubed
- ½ cup ice water
Apple Pie Filling
- 8 large sweet apples peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ TBSP milk (for washing dough)
- Optional: sugar for sprinkling on the crust
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Using a food processor, pulse together flour and salt. Add the butter over the flour and pulse until the pieces are the size of small peas. Drizzle a small amount of water on top and pulse (or use the dough function) together. If the dough is still crumbly, add a small drizzle of water until the dough comes together. It should not be wet or watery.
- Separate the dough into two flattened balls. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the Filling & Assemble
- In a large bowl, gently stir the first 7 ingredients (apple pieces through nutmeg) together until thoroughly combined and the apple pieces are covered. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with foil.
- Roll out 1 chilled pie dough disk by lightly dusting a clean surface with flour, turning the dough about a quarter after every 2-3 rolls. Roll into a 12-inch circle.
- Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Spoon in the pie filling.
- Roll out the second chilled pie dough disk into a 12-inch circle. Lay over the top of the of the pie. Fold the edges under, pinching the top and bottom dough together. Trim the excess dough with a knife. Crimp the pie crust edges to seal. Using a paring knife, cut small slits on the top of the pie dough.
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with milk. Sprinkle the top with sugar.
- Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees, leaving the pie in the oven. Place a piece of foil over the top of the pie to prevent the crust from burning (or use a pie crust shield). Continue baking for 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Store the leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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