Best Apple Pie Recipe

The best pie crust recipe has tender (never mushy) apples, a thick and creamy caramel sauce (not watery) and the flakiest all-butter crust you've ever tasted. No soggy bottoms, no cracked crusts. Serve warm with stabilized whipped cream or ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 483kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

pie weights

Ingredients

Flakey Pie Dough

10 ounces all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces very cold butter grated or cut into small cubes
3 ounces ice water

Mealy Pie Dough

12 ounces all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
6 ounces cold butter grated
1 large egg cold
1 ounce ice water

Apple Pie Filling

2 lbs apples about 6 medium-sized apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ounce unsalted butter
4 ounces brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
12 ounces apple cider (juice not vinegar)
1 ounce cornstarch
2 ounces apple cider (juice not vinegar)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the flakey dough

Place flour and salt into a medium bowl
Add grated cold butter and toss lightly with your hands to coat the butter with the flour
Sprinkle half the water onto the mixture and make your hand into a "claw" stir the flour together to get the mixture to start sticking. Do NOT knead
Keep adding in little drizzles of water until your flour and butter mixture is mostly stuck together. Press everything together and wrap in plastic wrap to chill for one hour. Flatten, do not store in a ball.
Chill for at least one hour or overnight. Let warm for 20 minutes on the counter or until dough is pliable but still firm before rolling out.

For the mealy dough

Combine together the flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Add in your cold butter and mix on low until the mixture resembles a coarse mealy sand
Add in the egg and water and mix on low until the dough sticks together
Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough chill for 20 minutes or overnight before using it. Let warm for 20 minutes or until pliable but still firm before rolling out.

For the apple filling

Peel, core and slice apples into ½" wedges
Place apples in a large pan over medium heat with butter. Saute until apples are warm. About one minute.
Add the first quantity of apple cider juice, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar, honey, salt, and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Stirring occasionally, cook until the apples have softened. They should still have a little bit of firmness, but not be mushy.
Whisk second quantity of apple cider juice and cornstarch together in a separate cup to make a slurry, then add the slurry to the apples while gently stirring over medium-high heat.
Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble to make sure the cornstarch is fully cooked.
Add in orange extract, vanilla, salt, lemon juice, and honey. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Pie Assembly

Preheat your oven to 425ºF
Let mealy pie dough and flakey pie dough warm up at room temperature until you can roll it out easily but butter is still firm and not sticky
Fill the pie crust with your cooled apple filling
Roll out to ⅛" thick and place into your pie dish. Trim off the excess, leaving ¼" of space around the pie dish to account for shrinking.
Roll out your flakey pie dough and cut into 1" strips.
Brush the edges of the pie crust with your egg wash (one egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water)
Weave the pie dough on top of the apple filling to form the lattice design.
Pinch the lattice and the bottom crust together and flute the edges if desired
Brush the entire pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired
Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF then reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Bake for another 35-45 minutes or until the crust shrinks away from the sides of the pie plate.
Let cool one hour before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days.

Video

Nutrition