This apple pie recipe is one of my absolute favorites. The crust is tried and true (thanks mom), and always turns out golden and flaky. Perfect for a summer cookout, putting your fall apples to good use, or as a Thanksgiving dessert, you can’t go wrong with this classic.
I have tried using multiple varieties of apples since we get so many different kinds when we go apple picking in the fall, but I find that Granny Smith are best. If you use a sweet apple variety with a crumble topping, it can become overly sweet.
For the crust, I use a food processor and find that to be the easiest method. If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or knives. Using a food processor helps the dough to come together quickly and without being overworked which pays off in the long run. Outside of making dough, its just a great tool to have in your kitchen.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s a true classic and a family favorite.
Apple Pie
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup ice water
For Filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 to 9 cups peeled and sliced apples (I use Granny Smith)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon tapioca pearls. I use if the apples are especially juicy- you can tell by the amount of liquid in bowl after combining with sugar and spices.
For Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
For Crust:
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Place butter cubes on top of flour and pricess until mixture resembles coarse meal. It is best to use pulse.
- Add ice water and pulse again until pastry pulls away from side of bowl. This will take less than a minute; don’t overwork it.
- Remove the pastry; wrap and chill, or immediately roll out to desired size and put into pie pan. Chill prepared pie dish while prepping the filling and topping.
For Filling:
- In a large bowl, gently mix sliced apples with sugar and spices.
- Place in pastry lined dish. Remember that the apples will bake down significantly, so heap them up higher than you may think necessary.
For Crumb Topping:
- Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the pie until covered.
- Before placing the pie in the oven, wrap loosely with foil so that the crust does not burn while baking. I also like to tent the foil over the top as well to prevent the topping from browning up too fast.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes to allow the crust and crumble to become golden in color.
Notes
If you have very juicy apples (you will notice lots of liquid pooling when mixing the apples with the sugar and spices), then you may want to add a tablespoon or so of tapioca pearls to help absorb the liquid while baking. Regardless of how juicy the apples are, I like to let my pie sit for a few hours before serving to set up properly.