Are you an avid home baker? Then I have a challenge for you here that is right up your alley. Because here’s best apple pie recipe ever: sugary baked soft apples in a crunchy homemade pie crust…
A classic pie that is so easy to make from scratch.
Try it out and see for yourself!
A recipe website without a good old apple pie recipe on it: that wouldn’t be a good one!! So here it is then: crunchy baked apples in a flaky pastry jacket. This is as good as any apple pie will ever get.
Are you ready to set your teeth in the world’s most perfect autumn dessert?
Dig in!
Best Apple Pie Recipe Ever
This apple pie is a fun recipe to make.
It might seem like it’s a long recipe, I have to admit that. But it’s such fun because I am making everything from scratch here. Even that flaky pie dough.
Give the pastry on top also the shape you want! Close it up entirely in the end (make a hole in the middle though to let the steam inside escape while baking) or weave a pastry pattern similar to the one I made. I once saw a pie with little pastry stars as a cover.
Apple Desserts
Cute!
Are you looking for yet another quicker apple dessert than this apple pie recipe?
Then also take a look at my baked apples with ricotta, pistachios and honey!
Or how about my classic Apfelstrudel! Try them out and see for yourself!
Enjoy!
Pie Dough from Scratch
My best apple pie recipe ever: sugary baked soft apples in a crunchy homemade pie crust... A classic pie made from scratch then!
- 2 ½ cups plain flour (315 g)
- 2 tbsp caster sugar (30 g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (225 g) ice cold, diced
- 5 tbsp water (ice cold)
- salt
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Pour the plain flour in a clean blender. Add the caster sugar, a pinch of salt and the ice cold diced butter.
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Pulse into a dry crumble. Then add the ice cold water to the flour.
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Pulse well until you get a moist dough. Then add extra flour if it is too wet or an extra drop of water if it is too dry. The dough shouldn't be sticky.
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Transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough quickly for two minutes until it is smooth. Then wrap the dough loosely up in some cling film and let it rest at room temperature until needed again.
From Scratch
So you just made a fabulous pie dough from scratch. Let’s move on to that gooey and spicy apple filling next!
Here we go!
Apple Pie Filling
- 2 medium apples
- 2 tbsp caster sugar (30 g)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 clove
- ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 star anise
- 1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)
- pepper
- salt
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Peel and core the apples. Chop them up into smaller chunks. Add the butter to a large saucepan together with the star anise, the bay leaf and the clove.
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Place the saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, then add the chopped apples. Add half of the caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of water as well.
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Cook and stir the apples for 5 minutes. Then season with a pinch of salt, pepper and the cinnamon. Stir in the instant vanilla pudding mix.
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Then take the cooked apples off the heat and let them cool down fully.
Next Up
Pie dough. Check.
Apple filling. Check.
Next up: here’s how to assemble the apple pie and make a fancy looking dough pattern to cover in all up!
Let’s get started then.
Assemble the Apple Pie
- fresh pie dough
- apple pie filling
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Unwrap the dough and divide it into 2 even balls. Then wrap one ball in the cling film again. Roll out the other dough ball into a thin circle. Coat an 8-inch (20 cm) diameter pie tin with it.
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Cover it with a sheet of baking paper. Pour in some baking beans or weights.
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Blind bake the pie crust in a preheated oven at 256°F (180°C) for 15 minutes. Then let the crust cool at room temperature. In the meantime roll out the other dough ball. Place it on a piece of cling film. This will make it easier to work with. Cut the dough into 11 strips with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
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Carefully remove 5 strips.
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Now you can do 2 things: place the strips on top of the others…
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Or weave them one by one…
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And make a firm pie cover. Then place the dough cover in the fridge for 5 minutes. Fill the cooled pie crust with the cooked apple chunks (remove the clove and star anise).
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Top with the cover and trim the edges and remove any excess dough.
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Brush the top with the beaten egg yolk and then sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar.
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Bake the apple pie in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 35 to 40 minutes. The top should be nicely golden in the end. Cover the pie with tinfoil if it brown too quickly. Remove the baked apple pie from oven. Serve lukewarm.