Should you precook apples for apple pie?

While some apple pies rely on cooked apples for the filling, this recipe calls for a long bake time to ensure that the apples become tender while the crust browns.

Why did my apple pie filling turn to applesauce?

Make sure to use Granny Smith (or other preferred type of firm apple) for an apple pie with a tender (not mushy) filling. Other types of apples may break down during the baking process.

What is the best thickener for apple pie?

This recipe calls for flour to thicken the filling, but cornstarch, quick-cooking tapioca, or other thickeners can also be used.

What else can I add to old-fashioned apple pie?

If you're looking to mix up the filling of this pie, add pears, dried cherries, or walnuts for a unique spin. You can also drizzle the pie with caramel after baking, or serve with homemade ice cream or whipped cream .

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe

Name: Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
Total time: 280 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface; 1 cup cold unsalted butter or cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 9 to 10 tart apples such as Granny Smith or McIntosh (about 4 lb. total), peeled and thinly sliced; .5 cup granulated sugar; .25 cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Dash of kosher salt; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Active Time:

30 mins

Chill Time:

2 hrs

Cool Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

4 hrs 40 mins

Servings:

8

When Courtney Page Ferrell set out to find her grandmother's long-lost apple pie recipe, she got much more than she bargained for. The Virginia-based creative consultant and sought-after speaker put up 'Lost Pie' signs around her neighborhood (and other cities, when she was traveling) and received a slew of recipes and stories from other apple pie lovers. This delicious double-crust old-fashioned apple pie is the closest she came to her grandmother's beloved recipe.

old-fashioned apple pie - southern living — ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: MISSIE NEVILLE CRAWFORD; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX

Why Is It Called an Old-Fashioned Apple Pie?

While apple pies can be made in a variety of ways—crumble-topped, made in a skillet or slab, topped with cinnamon rolls, baked into a chess pie, doused with caramel, fried, or even topped with cheese—an old-fashioned apple pie is a straightforward classic that never goes out of style.

Characterized by a double crust and lightly spiced filling, this comforting pie is an American staple, made by families for generations.

Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

This pie keeps it simple with a flaky butter or shortening-based crust and a lightly sweetened filling that's spiced with cinnamon and thickened with flour. To make this pie, you'll need:

For the crust:

All-purpose flour: The base of the crust. Be sure to scoop flour into the measuring up with a spoon and level when measuring for consistent results.
Unsalted butter or cold vegetable shortening: Use whichever you prefer or a combination of both (see below).
Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the crust. Leave out if using salted butter.

For the filling:

Tart apples: We like Granny Smith or McIntosh, but feel free to use whichever type(s) of apples you prefer.
Granulated sugar: You can also use light or dark brown sugar for subtle notes of caramel.
All-purpose flour: Helps thicken the filling. Can be swapped with cornstarch or other preferred thickeners.
Ground cinnamon: Spices up the filling for a warming touch.
Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the apples.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the filling.

What Are the Best Apples for Baking?

While you might have a favorite apple for snacking on, have you discovered your favorite baking apple? When it comes to different varieties and how they break down, we have some preferences:

Best for Savory Dishes: Golden Delicious
Best for Pies: Granny Smith
Best for Baking Whole: Honeycrisp
Best for Applesauce: McIntosh

Granny Smith apples have a tart flavor and firm texture that hold up well when baked, but a combination of apples can also be a nice way to add distinct flavor to your apple pie. Try combining Granny Smith with a sweet but firm variety like Honeycrisp for great depth of flavor.

Butter vs. Shortening in Pie Crusts

While butter-based pie crusts arguably have the best flavor, our Test Kitchen found that a combination of butter and shortening provides the best flavor and texture overall. Butter is temperamental—it melts easily and can be challenging to work with. Shortening has a higher melting point, which makes it easier to roll as it comes to room temperature, and also has the added bonus of preventing shrinkage of the crust while baking.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Mix together flour, butter, and salt in a large bowl with your fingertips until butter is well incorporated. Gradually sprinkle 2 to 4 tablespoons very cold water into mixture, kneading as you add water, until dough just comes together. Knead dough to a smooth ball on a lightly floured surface. Divide and shape into two disks. Wrap and chill 2 hours or overnight.
Step 2. Let 1 disk stand at room temperature about 5 minutes. Roll into a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Chill.
Step 3. Preheat oven to 425°F with oven rack in lowest position. Stir together apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Spoon into piecrust; sprinkle with butter.
Step 4. Roll remaining disk to a 12-inch circle. Cut into 12 strips and arrange in lattice pattern over apples. Trim and crimp edges.
Step 5. Place pie onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake 45 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil if needed, and bake another 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before serving.

southern living old fashioned apple pie — ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: MISSIE NEVILLE CRAWFORD; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX

Tips for the Best Apple Pie

Making an apple pie can be the easiest thing in the world, or the most terrifying if it's your first time. Keep these tips in mind for a great pie-making experience:

Work with cold but pliable dough: If rolling out pie dough has proven difficult in the past, let the dough soften until pliable before beginning, 10 to up to 20 minutes. Roll on a generously floured surface, and if the dough begins to warm and get sticky at any point, transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
Gently transfer the dough to the pie plate: Lay the rolled pie crust into the pie plate gently, making sure not to stretch, pull, or tear it along the way for an even crust.
Work with the filling immediately: The longer the apple filling sits, the more liquid will be released from the apples. To avoid a soggy crust, mix the filling right before transferring to the pie crust.
Take your time on the lattice: If you'll need more time to create the perfect latticework, prepare the lattice on a sheet of parchment paper before assembling the apple filling. Refrigerate, then flip the lattice onto the top of the pie, trim, and crimp when ready to bake.

Bake until bubbly: For the most tender, delicious filling and crisp crust, bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and sticky fruit juice is bubbling out of the side of the pie plate.
Rest before cutting: To give the filling time to set and keep the juices in place.

Can I Make Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Ahead?

This pie can be baked ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months for peak freshness. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, then reheat in a preheated 350°F oven until hot throughout before serving.

You can also assemble the pie, wrap tightly, and freeze before baking for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed (pie may need additional baking time).

How To Store and Reheat Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

Wrap and refrigerate leftover apple pie for up to three days or freeze up to three months. Reheat in a preheated 350°F oven or toaster oven until hot throughout before serving.

More Apple Pie Recipes You'll Love

If you love a classic apple pie, you'll love these twists as well:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup cold unsalted butter or cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
1 tsp. kosher salt

Filling:

9 to 10 tart apples such as Granny Smith or McIntosh (about 4 lbs. total), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Prepare the Crust:

Using your fingers, mix together flour, butter, and salt in a large bowl until butter is well incorporated. Gradually sprinkle 2 to 4 tablespoons very cold water into mixture, kneading as you add water, until dough just comes together. (You may not need to add all the water.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until it forms a smooth ball, 2 to 3 times. Divide dough in half, and shape into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap; chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Add dough to pie dish:

Unwrap 1 chilled dough disk, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; roll into a 12-inch circle. Carefully fit dough round into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate, leaving a 1 ½-inch overhang around edges. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the Filling:

Preheat oven to 425°F with oven rack in lowest position. Stir together apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until apples are evenly coated. Spoon mixture into prepared piecrust; sprinkle mixture with butter.
Make lattice topping:

Unwrap remaining chilled pie dough disk, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; roll into a 12-inch circle. Cut into 12 (¾-inch-wide) strips. (Discard remaining dough scraps, or use for another purpose.) Arrange strips in a lattice design over Filling; trim strips as needed to meet the bottom Crust overhang. Fold dough edges under, and crimp using your fingers or a fork.
Bake pie:

Place assembled pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (leaving pie in oven); continue baking 45 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; continue baking until juices are thick and bubbly, crust is golden brown, and apples are tender when pierced with a long wooden pick, about 30 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack, and cool at least 1 hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you precook apples for apple pie?

While some apple pies rely on cooked apples for the filling, this recipe calls for a long bake time to ensure that the apples become tender while the crust browns.
Why did my apple pie filling turn to applesauce?

Make sure to use Granny Smith (or other preferred type of firm apple) for an apple pie with a tender (not mushy) filling. Other types of apples may break down during the baking process.
What is the best thickener for apple pie?

This recipe calls for flour to thicken the filling, but cornstarch, quick-cooking tapioca, or other thickeners can also be used.
What else can I add to old-fashioned apple pie?

If you're looking to mix up the filling of this pie, add pears, dried cherries, or walnuts for a unique spin. You can also drizzle the pie with caramel after baking, or serve with homemade ice cream or whipped cream.