The Best Homemade Apple Pie Recipe From Scratch

There is nothing like a homemade apple pie recipe from scratch during the fall months and winter holidays.  This one is double thick and topped off with ice cream and caramel.  If baking is your thing then you absolutely have to check out my Best Blondies Recipe and Classic Cheesecake Recipe.

This is just one of those all-American delicious desserts that you’ll find in just about any diner out there across the US.  I’m going to show you how to make this pie double thick and with the most delicious homemade apple pie crust on earth that uses rendered bacon fat.

What Are the Best Apples to Use for Apple Pie

There are several different types of apples that would be fantastic in an apple pie.  I personally like to use a mix of sweet and sour.  Here are my favorites

• McIntosh Apple – They are red and green, incredibly crispy and are a bit tart.
• Granny Smith Apple – They are bright green in color and have a tart crisp flavor.
• Honey Crisp Apple – They are red and golden outside with a delicious crisp sweet flavor.
• Fuji Apple – These are red with a hint of light green and are delicious sweet in flavor.

Apple Pie Filling Recipe

1. Start by peeling the apples using a peeler or a pairing knife.
2. Next, you want to remove the apple from the core by slicing around and then slicing it about ¼” to 1/8” thick.
3. Add the sliced apples to a bowl and add lemon juice, melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, flour, and corn starch.
4. Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly ensuring the apples are completely coated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Do You Cook the Apples Before Putting Them in the Pie

There are several recipes out there where you cook the apples in the apple pie filling before completely cooling it.  My recipe, however, does not call for doing that so there is no need to cook them ahead of time.

Pie Crust With Bacon Fat

Bacon fat makes the absolute most delicious pie crusts imaginable and it ain’t even close.  They make them far more flavorful, tender and flaky, and there’s nothing like it!

• 1. Add the all-purpose flour to a food processor along with some cut up cold unsalted butter, cold rendered bacon fat, salt, and sugar.
• 2. Pulse the ingredients until it is combined, and the butter is about the size of a pea or rice and slowly drizzle in water while pulsing.

• 3. If the pie crust ingredients do not come together when pinching it with your fingers, then drizzle in some cold water while pulsing until it does.
• 4. Divide the pie crust in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.

How to Make Homemade Apple Pie

1. Roll out 1 of the chilled pie doughs on a clean surface dusted with flour until it is about 1/8” thick.

2. Transfer the dough to a fluted 9” pie pan and form it to the pan and flutes cutting off and discarding any excess dough.

3.: Add the apple pie filling to the pie pan and flatten out until even.

4. Roll out the second chilled pie dough on a clean surface dusted with flour until it’s about 1/8” thick.

5. Place the dough on top of the apples completely covering it and pinch the outside edge to the other pie dough cutting off and discarding any excess.

6. Brush the top of the pie dough with 1 whisked egg.

7. Cut 4 slits in the center of the pie to help it bake and rise.

8. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes then turn down the heat and bake the pie at 375° for 30 minutes.

9. Completely cool the pie to room temperature before serving with ice cream and caramel.

This is nothing short of amazing and so easy to make at home.  You’ve got this my friends!

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: If you just want to do the prep now and make the pie later, hold the sliced apples in pineapple juice to help keep them from turning brown.

How to Reheat and Serve: It can be served cold, but if you are one of those who likes it warm, simply heat up a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Serve it with whipped cream or ice cream and caramel sauce.

Storing and Freezing: This will hold in the refrigerator, covered for up to 7 days.  Likewise, it freezes well, covered in plastic for up to 3 months.  Completely thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before slicing and serving.

chef notes + tips

• My combination of apple choices is the ones on the opposite ends of the sweet and sour flavor spectrum, Grammy Smith and Fuji apples.
• It’s important for the butter and bacon fat to keep cool in the pie crust so that the pie does not fall while in the oven, so be sure to chill it before rolling it out.

More Dessert Recipes

• Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Churros
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Tarte Tatin

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Homemade Apple Pie Recipe From Scratch

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5 from 9 votes

There is nothing like an apple pie recipe from scratch during the fall months & winter holidays that is topped off with ice cream and caramel.

Servings: 10

Prep Time: 22 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Apple Pie Crust:

• 2 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut up
• ½ cup cold rendered bacon fat
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 whisked egg

Apple Pie Filling:

• 3 pounds of 5 each peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith and Fuji Apples
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Dough: Add the flour, butter, bacon fat, salt and sugar to a food processor and pulse on high speed while drizzling in the water until it becomes like a meal. Note: you may need a bit more water.
• Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes
• Filling: Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and add to a clean surface dusted with flour and roll out each dough with a pin until they are each 1/8” thick.
• Transfer 1 of the rolled-out doughs to a fluted 9” pie pan and form completely. Cut off and discard, and excess.
• Add the chilled apples to the pie pan and flatten out to level.
• Add the other rolled out dough to the top and form it to the other pie dough pinching it on the outside edges. cut off and discard any excess
• Brush the top of the pie with the whisked egg completely coating it. Optionally sprinkle on sugar.
• 10. Cut 4 slits in the center of the pie and bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375° and bake for 30 minutes.
• 11. Cool completely to room temperature and serve with ice cream and caramel.

Notes

Chef Notes:

• My combination of choice are the ones on the opposite ends of the sweet and sour flavor spectrum, Grammy Smith and Fuji apples.

• If you just want to do the prep now and make the pie later, hold the sliced apples in pineapple juice to help keep them from turning brown.

• When making the crust, It’s important for the butter and bacon fat to keep cool so that the pie does not fall while in the oven.

• How to Reheat and Serve: Apple pie can be served cold, but if you are one of those who like warm apple pie, simply heat up a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds. Serve the apple pie with whipped cream or ice cream and caramel sauce.

• How to Store: Apple pie will hold in the refrigerator, covered for up to 7 days. Likewise, apple pie freezes well covered in plastic for up to 3 months. Completely thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 4gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 89mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 5gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 307IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Chef Billy Parisi