Best Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Print RecipeThe absolute best apple pie filling recipe — juicy, never runny, perfectly spiced, and paired with the flakiest all-butter crust. Freezes like a dream using Grandma’s whole-pie method!
Servings: 8 slices
equipment (affiliate links
- Apple peeler and corer optional
- kitchen scale optional
- rolling pin sock optional
- pastry board and cloth optional
- flour duster optional
Ingredients
For the filling
- 10 c. (950 g) tart baking apples peeled, cored & thinly sliced (¼-inch slices)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh lemon juice juice of ½ medium lemon
- ¾ c. (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (can sub with cornstarch or tapioca pearls)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp salted butter cut into small cubes
For assembly
- 2 single all-butter pie crust homemade or store-bought
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp (15 g) water or milk
- Coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Place a baking sheet or tin foil on the lower rack to catch drips.
- In a large bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (if using), and salt. Pour over apples and toss until evenly coated. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Roll out bottom crust and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Chill while you prepare the top.
- Mound apple filling into the bottom crust. Dot with butter cubes.
- Roll out top crust. Cover pie, trim, crimp edges, and cut vents (or create decorative cutouts).
- Whisk egg with 1 Tbsp water or milk. Brush lightly over the top crust (avoid crimped edges). Sprinkle generously with coarse or granulated sugar.
- Place a foil shield around the edges (or cover entire rim with 2 layers or foil and cut wedges to turn over crust edge). Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 400°F.
- Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake 40–50 more minutes until filling is thickly bubbling, the crust is deep golden, and apples are fork tender.
- Cool on a wire rack at least 3 hours before slicing (this sets the filling perfectly).
Video
Notes
- Best apples: 50% Granny Smith + 50% Honeycrisp OR Cosmic Crisp for the perfect sweet-tart balance and texture.
- Foil shield: Keep it on the entire bake time for perfectly golden edges.
- Freezing (Grandma’s method): Cool completely → double-wrap in plastic wrap + heavy-duty foil → freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp 4–5 hours and reheat slices 15–20 seconds in microwave or whole pie at 350°F for 15–20 minutes.
- Make-ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate before baking.
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
