Perfectly Easy Apple Pie Recipe
The perfect apple pie recipe, no matter how experienced you are in the kitchen! Bake up this no-fail recipe and enjoy all the compliments sure to come your way!
Updated May, 2022
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She was kind but ruled her roost (and her three kids) with strength. She was quiet but enjoyed a good joke. Her domain was the kitchen.
My mom loved to cook, bake and entertain. That was her hobby and her gift! She was known for serving outstanding meals! And my mom made the best apple pie I've ever tasted! Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth!
My mom wouldn't just bake one apple pie. Nope, she set aside an entire afternoon for it! She made all her own homemade crusts, using Tenderflake Lard and I've never had a flakier crust. And once her crusts were made, I would get called into the kitchen to help.
My job was to peel all the apples. I learned how to wield a paring knife when I was fairly young, and to this day prefer to peel with a paring knife rather than a peeler! My hands instinctively know what to do.
So I hope you know how special you are, that I'm choosing to share my mom's 'No-Fail Perfect Apple Pie' recipe with you today!
And just in case homemade apple pie has always intimidated you, I can boldly tell you that I've stood in your shoes and that you should fear not! This is one of the easiest pies to make, even if you'll never master my mom's flaky crust (I'm still trying!)
Click here for a printable recipe card
How to make homemade apple pie
Ingredients (makes one 9" pie)
- 5 apples (I like to use MacIntosh because that's what I grew up with)*
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbs flour (or 2 Tbs minute tapioca)
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- dash of salt
- 1 Tbs butter
- lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- 2 pie crusts (either homemade or store bought)**
* a quick word about apples - I like my apples soft in my pie, so that's
why I choose to use a softer apple. If you prefer your apple pie to be
crunchier, then Granny Smith apples will work wonderfully!
** if the thought of making an apple pie from scratch makes you want to pee
your pants, start by using store-bought pie crusts! The rest is just cutting
and mixing!
The ingredients really couldn't be simpler, and you likely have them already.
My mom always used minute tapioca while I prefer flour (it thickens the sauce
in the pie as the apples bake down).
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°FStep 1 - Peel and slice all the apples
Like I mentioned, I prefer using a
paring knife
for this job, but a
vegetable peeler
is fine too. You want to remove just the skin and try to leave all the good
apple meat behind!
Peel one apple at a time, slice it thin and toss in a big bowl. Add a little
lemon juice to keep apples from turning brown while you're peeling them.
Step 2 - Add remainder of ingredients
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl (sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt)
with the exception of the butter. Toss well.
Step 3 - Prepare pie crust
I have made my own crust before, but opted for the easier route with this pie. Store bought crusts that come in a roll are my favorite. I like to roll them out a little bit more with a rolling pin because I like that thick, flaky pie crust edge!
Step 4 - Line pie plate with bottom crust
Fill pie plate with apple mixture. You want it full! Press the mixture down slightly. If for some reason your pie plate doesn't look full, slice another apple on top. Dot the apple mixture with the 1 Tbs butter, just break it into smaller pieces with your fingers.
Step 5 - Add the top crust
Roll out second crust slightly, lay on top of pie and adjust.
Fold edges under (top crust will be on bottom of fold) and crimp to seal. If you're not comfortable with crimping, you can press the tines of a fork around the edge to seal. But crimping is not hard, and makes for a prettier pie!
Poke holes into top crust to allow steam to escape.
I set my pie plate on a large cookie sheet just in case there is any spillage.
Bake in a 400° pre-heated oven for 50 minutes. Halfway through baking, lay a piece of tin foil with the center cut out on top of pie, to cover edges of crust and prevent it fron browning too much.
Bake in a 400° pre-heated oven for 50 minutes. Halfway through baking, lay a piece of tin foil with the center cut out on top of pie, to cover edges of crust and prevent it fron browning too much.
When the timer goes off, you'll know your pie is ready because the smell will
be incredible, the crust will look brown and flaky and your mouth will be
watering!
Lay the apple pie somewhere safe to cool down a little. I know it's hard, but this allows the filling to set up.
Shoo away your teenage sons (and hubby!) who want to dig in immediately!
Once the pie has cooled for about 30-40 minutes, serve warm slices of apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream! YUM, it is sooo good!
I truly hope that if you've struggled with making apple pie, or have been too scared to attempt it, that you will try again.
Apple pie is one of my family's very favorite desserts, and it's relatively
good for you
(compared to chocolate cake, for instance!). I hope I've taken the fear
out of this homemade recipe for you and you try making my mom's perfect apple
pie recipe for your loved ones!
PIN IT to remember it!
As always, if you try one of my projects or recipes, please take a moment to
leave me a comment below!
If you love pie, check these out:
Oh Cindy! Great pie and I know because I use exactly the same ingredients in mine! When I first moved to Greece 20 years ago there was no Apple Pie so I had to learn how to make it from scratch and this was the recipe that I found. There was no way I was living without my pie!! Great recipe and great pics! YUM!!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is a keeper, there's not much that can compare to warm apple pie, made with love! Thanks for visiting :)
DeleteHi Cindy, My grandmother made the best pie crust and she used lard. Wish I had her crust recipe but she didn't really use a recipe - she went by how the dough felt. Thanks for sharing your mother's pie recipe. I lost my Mom 10 years ago too. Blessings, Janet
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks Janet, your comments made my day! Blessings to you too xx
Delete