The humble apple pie is a classic dessert that's been enjoyed for centuries. The apple pie has made many a baker famous in Australia for their mouth-watering, award-winning apple pie recipes. While we can't guarantee you'll win the top prize in the Great Aussie Pie Competition with our apple pie recipe, we can promise you a darn good pie.
And we reckon you want to bite into a perfectly flaky, buttery crust that gives way to a warm and comforting filling of tender apples, fragrant cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness. If that’s so, we recommend that you follow our apple pie recipe.
what is apple pie?
Before we discuss our apple pie recipe and explain how to make apple pie – let’s explore what this pie is made of. An apple pie is made up of two main components: the filling and the crust. The filling is typically made by combining thinly sliced apples with cinnamon. The apples are then coated with sauce typically made of butter, sugar and flour.
The crust dough is usually made with flour, butter, sugar, salt and water. Once the crust is ready with the filling, it’s baked until golden brown. If that’s something you want to try, let’s get to our apple pie recipe.
how to make apple pie?
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes + cooling time
Nutritional Value (rough estimate per serving): 471 calories, 24g fat, 62g carbs, 4g fibre, 4g protein
Ingredients:
- 8 apples (best apples mentioned later)
- ½ cup (115gm) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Let’s start off our apple pie recipe by giving those apples a good peel. Slice them up into thin, delicate slices - around half an inch.
- Gently toss your freshly sliced apples into a big bowl and sprinkle the spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves – over them. Gently mix the spices with the apple slices. Ensure that it’s evenly distributed.
- Lay those apple slices onto a couple of baking trays and chuck them in the oven. Ensure that they've softened up but are still holding their shape. This step in your apple pie recipe may take around 30 minutes but keep checking in between.
- Hold an apple tray over a saucepan and transfer the apple syrup into a saucepan. Repeat this with the other tray (and transfer the apples into their earlier bowl). Place the saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and sugar to it and let the butter melt. Now whisk in the flour and let it simmer for a minute.
- Then, add water and sugar to the saucepan. As soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 3 more minutes, whisking frequently. This prevents lumps from forming. Once done, remove it from the heat.
- Then, pour the buttery apple sauce and gently mix it with apple slices. Ensure every slice is fully coated in the delicious sauce.
- Add a dash of vanilla extract and lemon zest, then give everything another gentle stir to make sure the apples are evenly flavoured.
Apple Pie Pastry
- Get started with another major step in our apple pie recipe. Use the pie crust pastry recipe given below (see apple pie crust recipe) to make two dough disks. Refrigerate them.
- Time to get the dough disks out of the cool zone. Scatter some flour on a neat, flat surface and use a rolling pin to flatten one pie dough to form a circular shape of about 12 inches diameter. We’re keeping it a tad larger than the 23cm/9inch pie dish.
- When you roll the dough, make sure it’s not too sticky. In case it is, sprinkle a little more flour. After the dough is rolled out, carefully place it in the pie dish and press it down to line the dish with the dough.
- Take the second crust and roll it out into a slightly smaller circular shape (about 11 inches). Cut it into 10-14 evenly thick strips.
Assembling the Pie
- Before we start with this section of the apple pie recipe, preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Carefully spoon the apple mixture into the pastry-lined dish. Make sure you mound it slightly in the centre without getting any of the fillings on the edges. This’ll let you seal the crust properly.
- Now, it's time to get creative with your apple pie recipe! Arrange the strips in a beautiful woven lattice pattern over the top of the pie filling. The easy way to do that is by starting with the longest strip and placing it across the centre of the pie. Then continue by alternately placing shorter strips on both sides of the long strip. Make sure they’re spaced out evenly.
- Now gently fold back the two strips on either side of the middle strip and lay a long strip across the centre of the pie in a perpendicular direction. Then fold back alternating strips and lay down shorter strips. Continue doing this to complete the crisscross design.
- Put your creative stamp on the pie by sealing the top and bottom crust with your own unique design.
- To give the pie a golden, shiny finish – beat together an egg and a tablespoon of water, and gently brush the top of the lattice with the egg mixture. Some apple pie recipes ask to sprinkle the top with sugar but it’s not necessary.
Bake and Serve
- We’re almost at the finish line of the apple pie recipe and we reckon you would have stopped wondering how to make apple pie. Now pop your masterpiece into the oven. Let it bake for around 45 to 60 minutes or until it achieves a gorgeous golden-brown colour.
- Let the pie cool completely for at least 2-3 hours before serving. You can even let the pie chill in the fridge overnight. And that’s our apple pie recipe for you.
apple pie crust recipe
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Chilling: 1 hour
Nutritional Value: Mentioned above in apple pie calories
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (~185gm) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup (~115gm) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- ½ cup ice water
Instructions:
- Add sugar, salt and flour to a bowl, whisk well to combine.
- Mix the butter pieces also with the rest. Using your fingers, make pea size crumbs of the butter.
- Gradually add the ice water and as you continue to mix it. Pinch the dough to check if it’s sticky enough. Don’t add too much water.
- Split the dough into 2 halves and shape each into a disk.
- Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour before using them in your apple pie recipe.
best apples to choose for your apple pie:
There are numerous tips and tricks on how to make apple pie perfectly and this is one of them. When it comes to selecting the perfect apples for your apple pie recipe, there’s usually no restriction. Even though you can use any apple in your apple pie recipe, you must use those that are comparatively better for baking. Choosing the right type of apple can help ensure your apple pie recipe turns out perfectly.
For an apple pie recipe to be perfect, it’s best to avoid mushy apples. They can turn your delicious dessert into a soggy mix. Some of the best apples for your apple pie recipe are:
- Granny Smiths are the go-to apples for any apple pie recipe. These apples are juicy, crisp and tart. But tartness can be balanced if you add a bit more sugar to the filling.
- Braeburns are also an excellent option for any apple pie recipe. They stay in shape in the oven. The apples have a nice sweet-tart flavour that's perfect for an apple pie recipe.
- Golden Delicious apples are also a good alternative for an apple pie recipe.
If you want to experiment with your apple pie recipe, consider mixing two or three types of apples instead of sticking to just one. This way, you can experience a range of unique flavours and textures that’ll make the best apple pie recipe even more interesting.
tools required to make best apple pie
If you're planning to work on an apple pie recipe from scratch, you'll want to make sure you have the right tools at hand. The following list can be a helpful reference:
- Basic tools: First up, you'll need a measuring cup and spoons to make sure you add the right amount of ingredients as per your apple pie recipe. You'll also need a sharp knife for coring, peeling and slicing the apples. Speaking of slicing, a lattice cutter for pastry is a very useful tool. And so are a spatula and a pastry brush.
- Mixing bowl: Necessary to combine the apples with the sugar and spices.
- Food processor: Using a food processor in your apple pie recipe is a no-fuss way to create perfect pie dough.
- Rolling pin: A wooden rolling pin is a traditional choice but go ahead and use the one you have.
- Pie dish or plate: It’s essential to bake your pie in.
faqs on apple pie:
Q. what is the secret to a good apple pie?
A. The best apple pie recipes recommend choosing the right apples that can hold their shape and not turn mushy when baked. As per them, a flaky and buttery crust is essential. The best apple pie recipes also balance the sweetness and tartness of the apples with the right amount of sugar and spices.
Q. should you cook apples before making apple pie?
A. Treating the apples before baking is key to the success of an apple pie recipe. This helps preserve their texture and prevents them from turning into a pulpy mess. And from remaining undercooked. So, you may consider including pre-cooking or pre-baking the apples in your apple pie recipe.
Q. how do you keep the bottom crust of apple pie from getting soggy?
A. Before you fill up the crust, scatter a bit of dried breadcrumbs on it. This trick in your apple pie recipe helps to soak up any excess moisture and ensures your crust stays crispy and flaky. You can also improve the crust bottom if the crust is blind baked before the filling is added.
Q. what is the best thickener for apple pie?
A. Apples are chock-full of pectin, which is a natural thickener. With pectin in the mix, there's no need to add in a lot of thickeners. However, flour is often used in apple pie recipes to thicken the filling.
