Name: Basic Apple Pie Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: About 5 cups thinly sliced apples (peeled and cored), 8-10 medium apples; 3 tablespoons sugar; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces; Double pie crust; 1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water; granulated or chubby sparkling sugar, optional

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Your go-to Apple Pie Recipe using fresh apples in a homemade crust with very little added sugar.

This recipe is so simple that even the most basic cook can master this recipe the firs time. You can use any fresh apples you have and any crust you like. It's so easy you'll be making it every night for dinner.

whole apple pie next to plates and a gallon of ice cream ready to be served

Table Of Contents

Classic Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients in apple pie:
How to make an apple pie from scratch:
Storing Leftovers:
If you love apple pie, you might also like these recipes:
💬 Reviews

Classic Apple Pie Recipe

A basic apple pie recipe is simple and the end results are just plain tasty. It's a recipe that everyone should have in their collection. This apple pie doesn’t use a lot of added sugar and you don’t have to cook the apples before adding them to the crust.

This pie has about an inch or inch-and-a-half of sliced apples inside the crust, which I think is a nice amount. I think apple pies that are 3 or 4 inches high and stuffed with apples are gorgeous, but I like a more even crust-to-apple ratio myself. When you don’t have that many apples in the crust, you don’t have to precook the apples because there are a lot less in there to shrink and put out extra liquid.

Need a crust recipe to make your apple pie? I got you covered!

I wrote a huge post all about pie crust! This basic apple pie recipe is a staple in our house and I hope you love it. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

slice of apple pie on white plate with vanilla ice cream next to it and a fork

There’s something magical about pulling a pie made from scratch out of the oven. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens.

Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

How many apples do you need for apple pie?

You need 10 medium sized apples to make this apple pie. It has a great apple pie filling to crust ratio (not too many apples but not too few at the same time). You'll need about 5 cups of apples total once they are sliced.

two pieces of pie dough before being rolled out on a marble countertop

What are the best apples to use for pies?

Try to find a firm apple to use in this recipe. I like a mix between sweet and sour apples. You can use Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, or Rome Beauty. I used a mix between Golden Delicious and some kind of tart firm apples from our trees for this pie, and it was great. It's very forgiving, so experiment!

Granny Smith – Tart, green, flavorful, and perfect for apple pie
Jonathan - red on yellow, bright flavor, and juicy
Golden Delicious – Softer, sweet, and yellow in color
Gala - light red, crispy, and mildly sweet

Should I let the apple pie cool before I serve it?

If you want this pie to slice nicely (and not have some of the fruit ooze out onto the pie plate after you remove a slice), then let it cool to room temperature before serving. Hot apple pie is delicious but the apples will slice and stay inside your pie if you wait. It's up to you. Sometimes I cut into hot pie and just scoop some of the apples out of the pie plate, and sometimes I wait. It's up to you.

Can I use a store bought pie crust?

If you don't want to make a Perfect Pie Crust at home, a packaged pie crust will work just fine. Just brush the top with one egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon of water and give it a little sprinkle of sugar (extra chubby or sparkling sugar is really fun if you have it!)

whole apple pie in a glass pie plate with only one slice missing

Ingredients in apple pie:

granulated sugar, only 3 tablespoons for the whole pie!
thinly sliced apples, it'll take about 8-10 medium apples and you can use whatever you like or have on hand! Granny Smith apples are always a popular choice and I have wonderful Golden Delicious apples in my orchard I always use
just a bit of butter and cinnamon
Double pie crust
granulated or chubby sparkling sugar if you want the top to be extra pretty

apple pie before baking and before the top crust is added, you can see the sugar coated raw apples and pats of butter on top

How to make an apple pie from scratch:

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Roll out and place an uncooked pie crust in the bottom of a deep 9-inch pie plate.
Place the apple mixture in the uncooked pie shell. Place small pieces of butter on top of apple mixture.
Top with second pie crust, crimp the edges, and then cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to vent.
Mix the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water together in a small bowl and then brush the top with water and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Bake at 450 for the first 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue cooking for an additional 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Storing Leftovers:

If you have leftovers you can store them covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. The crust gets a little soft when it sits but I like to heat up a slice in the microwave before eating it. And my kids LOVE apple pie for breakfast so if I don't have too much leftover I'll just store it covered on the counter to be eaten the next morning for breakfast, sugar is a great preservative, I have no issues leaving it out overnight.

whole apple pie, cooked and golden brown with pieces of sugar on top

More Pie Recipes:

If you’ve tried this homemade apple pie recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories AND add your photo to your comment so that other can see your creation.

Here's a video on how to make apple pie from scratch:

Basic Apple Pie Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 26 reviews

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8-10 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

My go-to apple pie recipe made with fresh apples! Homemade, flaky crust with juicy apple filling. Makes a delicious pie that goes perfectly with ice cream!

Ingredients

Scale

About 5 cups thinly sliced apples (peeled and cored), 8-10 medium apples
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Double pie crust
1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water
granulated or chubby sparkling sugar, optional

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Instructions

In a medium bowl add the sliced apples. Sprinkle with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt and toss gently to combine well.
Roll out and place an uncooked pie crust in the bottom of a deep 9-inch pie plate.
Place the apple mixture in the uncooked pie shell. Place the small pieces of butter on top of apple mixture.
Top with second pie crust, crimp the edges, and then cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to vent.
Mix the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water together in a small bowl and then brush the top with water and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Bake at 450 degrees F. for the first 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and continue cooking for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
If the edge of the crust starts to brown more quickly than the center, carefully cover the edge with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before serving. Can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature.

Notes

Here's a post about how to cut apples if you need it. If you peel them first and then cut them this way, it's the fastest way to get your apples prepped. You'll want to cut these apples about ¼ inch thick.
Want to make a pretty lattice pie crust? Here's how to do that!
Try to find a firm apple to use in this recipe. I like a mix between a sweet and sour apple. You can use Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, or Rome Beauty. I used Golden Delicious from our trees for this pie and it was great.
In the world of pies, this one has a very low amount of added sugar. If you are using tart apples you might need to double the amount of sugar. Just taste and see. Feel free to add up to ⅓ cup of sugar to this recipe.
You can use apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon if you'd like.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Thanksgiving recipe, Thanksgiving dessert recipe, apple dessert, apple pie recipe, easy pie crust recipe, how to make apple pie, apple pie from fresh apples, homemade apple pie

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4 Recipes for a Perfect Pie Crust (my guide on all things pie crust!)
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The Best Easy Apple Cake
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enlarged photos of slice of apple pie on plate with the words "easy peasy apple pie recipe" on it

Nothing says welcome home like a fresh pie on the counter, and this Apple Pie Recipe is just the one to try! You are going to love how easy it is to customize and how quickly it comes together. Happy pie making, friends, from my kitchen to yours!

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