How to Make Apple Pie from Scratch
Updated: Nov. 02, 2020Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
Don't miss out on this fall classic. Learn how to make apple pie from scratch and enjoy the flavors of autumn.
There’s no fall treat more iconic than the apple pie. Who doesn’t love going to their local apple picking farm, getting crisp apples and combining them with warming cinnamon and buttery pastry? Because this fall dessert is so beloved, it’s one home bakers should try to master. If baking pies is intimidating to you, have no fear—we’ll walk you through how to make the perfect apple pie step by step.
How to Make Apple Pie from Scratch
To make the best apple pie, you’ve got to start with a top-rated recipe, like this apple pie recipe from Maggie Greene, a reader in Granite Falls, Washington. Here’s what you’ll need to make this pie.
What You Need for Homemade Pie Crust
You’ll need a good foundation for this pie. We recommend our Test Kitchen’s favorite butter pie pastry.
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water
Ingredients for the Apple Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 to 7 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large egg white
- Additional sugar
Step 1: Prep Your Pie Crust
Make pie crust by combining flour and salt in a large bowl. Then, using a pastry blender, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are pea-sized. Be sure to use cold butter here. Cold butter will help create a flaky crust. Then mix in ice-cold water until the pastry starts to come together. Start with just a few tablespoons of water and add more as needed.
When the pastry is done, divide it into two, shape into discs and chill for an hour or more. You can even freeze pie pastry if you’re working ahead for the holidays.
Step 2: Make the Apple Pie Filling
Before you even start making your filling, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got great apples to work with. Everyone has their personal preference as far as apple varietals—some prefer tart, others sweet—but just be sure to use a firm, crisp apple that will hold up to baking. Check out these tips for finding the best apples for apple pie and how to keep apples from browning.
With your choice of apples ready, wash peel and slice your apples. You can do this all by hand or use an apple-peeler-corer-slicer or even an apple spiralizer—here’s how to use it.
With the apples prepped, toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice. In another dish, mix together sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Then add the sugar mixture to the apples and toss to coat. That’s all for the filling!
Step 3: Roll Out the Pie Crust
The next step is to pull your pie pastry from the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Then start rolling, working from the middle of the disk to the edges. Turn the round every so often to ensure you maintain the circular shape. You’re aiming for pastry that’s about an eighth-inch thick.
Once it’s large enough to fit into your plate with some excess (you’ll need a bit of extra around the edge to seal the pie), drape the crust over your rolling pin and place in your pie dish. Here are some of the other essential pie baking tools every home baker should have.
Repeat the process for the top crust (but set that aside for a moment).
Step 4: Fill and Seal the Pie
Next, add your apple mix to the pie dish. Dot with butter. Then lay your top crust over the apples. From here, trim the edges of the crust—leave an inch or so of excess around the perimeter.
Then pinch and seal the crust. There are lots of methods for finishing off the edges of your crust, and we have the best tips for how to make decorative pie crusts. If you’re a beginner, you can just pinch the crust closed.
Step 5: The Finishing Touches
Your pie might look oven-ready, but there are a few more steps left. First and foremost, adding vents to the top of your pie. If you have a basic top (as compared to something semi-open like a lattice pie), you’ll want to cut a few vents in the top. This will help steam escape and prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Next, create a simple egg wash by whisking an egg white with a teaspoon of water. Brush this over the top of your pie. This will help give the baked pie a nice shine.
Finally, sprinkle sugar over the top crust. This will give your pie a bit of sparkle and crunch. You can use granulated sugar here, but coarse sugars like sanding or turbinado will give you a bit more texture.
Step 6: Baking the Apple Pie
Before popping your pie into the oven, you may want to create a pie crust shield that prevents your edges from over-browning. You can use a silicone pie shield or make a DIY pie shield out of foil.
Then place your pie on the middle rack of a 375ºF oven and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the shield and bake an additional 20 to 25 minute, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Want to try a twist on the traditional? Check out this cinnamon swirl apple pie!
Serving Apple Pie
Slicing and serving pie—at least the first piece—is always a bit tricky. For neater slices, it’s best to let your pie cool completely. That will help the filling set a bit. Also, use a sharp knife to cut the slice and then break out the pie server to scoop it from the dish.
To finish off the pie, serve it with a scoop of ice cream or even a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Apple Pie Troubleshooting Tips
Need help perfecting your pie recipe or fixing common slipups? We’ve got tips.
- The filling is too watery: Despite our best efforts, apple filling can sometimes be too runny. This depends so much on the moisture of the apples. If you’re particularly worried about a soggy filling, you can precook the apples for a few minutes, as Joanna Gaines does in her signature pie recipe. Then you can drain the apples and then mix up the filling as normal.
- The apples are too mushy: Be savvy about the apples you choose. Opt for firm, tart apples like Cortlands and Granny Smiths. Avoid apples like Red Delicious.
- The crust gets too brown: Don’t skip those crust shields! They do wonders to preserve the color of your pie.
- Slicing the pie is messy: Wait! That’s all there is to it. Waiting overnight will yield the best results.
Strawberry Crumble Pie
I host an annual pie-making party before Labor Day. We host a pig roast on our farm every year, but the pies take center stage at the end of the meal. —Beth Howard, Donnellson, Iowa
Chocolate S'mores Tart
I created this tart for my kids, who love having s'mores on the fire pit. It’s truly indulgent. We simply can't get enough of the billowy marshmallow topping. —Dina Crowell, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Key Lime Cream Pie
I am very proud of this luscious no-bake beauty. It's so cool and refreshing—perfect for any summer potluck or get-together. Wherever I take this pie, it quickly disappears, with everyone asking for the recipe. —Shirley Rickis, Lady Lake, Florida
Perfect Plum & Peach Pie
I created this recipe for in-season summer fruit. The plums give the pie a splash of color as well as flavor, and the crumb topping is both easy and excellent! —Rachel Johnson, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
Strawberry Pretzel Pie
This cool no-bake strawberry pretzel pie is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth this summer. Made with pantry staples and, well, as easy as pie to make, it’s become one of my family’s most requested warm-weather treats. —Shauna Havey, Roy, Utah
Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Pie
I love chocolate, caramel and hazelnuts, so I came up with a recipe that has all three. If you don't have a food processor, place crust ingredients in a zip-top freezer bag and smash with a rolling pin. —Debbie Anderson, Mount Angel, Oregon
Juicy Cherry Pie
Lucky you! Tart, or sour, cherry season is in the heart of summer. Choose fresh tart cherries that are bright in color, shiny and plump. They should feel relatively firm when pressed lightly. —Karen Berner, New Canaan, Connecticut
Cookie Butter Pie
I tasted Biscoff cookie spread at a grocery store one day, and it was so delicious that I decided to create a no-bake pie with it. You can make this pie your own by substituting peanut butter or another kind of spread for the Biscoff spread and then matching toppings. —Katrina Adams, Mount Olive, Alabama
Mixed Berry Pie
Here's a delightful way to enjoy summertime fruits. If you're short on one of the berries, just make up the amount with one of the other fruits in the pie. —Elaine Moody, Clever, Missouri
Honey Lemon Meringue Pie
My husband especially enjoys this lemon meringue pie recipe with condensed milk. His mother made a similar treat for him when he was a child, but it was rewarding for me to create a recipe of my own that he loves so much! —Portia Gorman, Los Angeles, California
Raspberry-Rhubarb Slab Pie
"Slab pie" is a pastry baked in a jelly-roll pan and cut in slabs like a bar cookie—or a pie bar, if you will. My grandfather was a professional baker and served pieces of slab pie to his customers back in the day. Here is my spin, featuring rhubarb and gorgeous red raspberries. —Jeanne Ambrose, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Root Beer Float Pie
This is the kind of recipe your kids will look back on and always remember. And you don't even need to use an oven. —Cindy Reams, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
Cape Cod Blueberry Pie
We Northeasterners have been baking this pie since the 18th century. Settlers would’ve used little wild blueberries and topped it with cream. I do, too. —Nancy O'Connell, Biddeford, Maine
Buttermilk Pie with Pecans
Branch out from the usual pecan pie with a creamy-crunchy version that comes out of the oven golden brown. Big slices are even better with a dollop of whipped cream.—Kathy Harding, Richmond, Missouri
Buckeye Pie
Everyone that eats this pie raves about it! You can cover the whole top with ganache, but leaving part of the filling bare is the traditional way to make it. —Mary Northrup, Alpine, New York
Peanut Butter 'n' Jelly Pie
A chocolate crumb crust is topped with a rich peanut butter layer, then strawberry preserves and whipped cream. The tasty peanut butter and jelly pie is sure to appeal to the young—and the young at heart. —Vikki Rebholz, West Chester, Ohio
Cheese Huckleberry Pie
This huckleberry pie has a cookielike press-in crust, a fluffy cream filling and a layer of luscious huckleberries on top. I think it really shows off the lovely dark glossy berries. —Dianne Doede, Trout Lake, Washington
Grandma's Sour Cream Raisin Pie
The aroma of this pie baking in my farm kitchen oven reminds me of my dear grandma who made this pretty pie for special occasions. —Beverly Medalen, Willow City, North Dakota
Rhubarb Cherry Pie
As a young girl, I dreamed of being able to make pies like my mother. (Her rolling pin, which I inherited, was 2 ft. long and 8 in. wide!) In fact, this is Mom's rhubarb strawberry pie recipe with cherries instead. I first made this pie for a church gathering 20 years ago—ever since, everyone's looked for it at every potluck! —Eunice Hurt, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Butterscotch Pie
This pie's filling is like creamy pudding and is crowned with golden peaks of meringue. —Cary Letsche, Brandenton, Florida
Strawberry Tart
This creamy strawberry tart boasts a crunchy chocolate layer tucked next to the crust. Try making individual tartlets instead of one big dessert. —Dawn Tringali, Hamilton Square, New Jersey
Easy Pink Lemonade Pie
I love bringing something sweet to a potluck, but I don’t like spending all day in the kitchen. Saltine crust is amazing with a no-bake, tart-sweet strawberry lemonade filling. — Gina Nistico, Taste of Home Food Editor
White Chocolate Fruit Tart
It takes a little time to make, but this tart is absolutely marvelous, especially in summer when fresh fruit is in abundance. —Claire Darby, New Castle, Delaware
Lime Basil Pie
This sweet lime and basil dessert has a unique taste, plus less calories and fat than the traditional Key lime pie. —Samara Donald, Redmond, Washington.
Browned Butter Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust
How do you make good old-fashioned apple pie even better? Enhance the crust with shredded cheddar cheese and stir browned butter into the filling. Wonderful! —Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Easy Peanut Butter & Pretzel Pie
My crispy, salty pretzel crust just begs for a creamy no-bake peanut butter filling and a layer of chocolate ganache. — Gina Nistico, Taste of Home Food Editor
Creamy Hazelnut Pie
I've always been a big fan of peanut butter. Then I found chocolaty Nutella hazelnut spread and I was hooked! I even changed one of my all-time favorite pie recipes by substituting that ingredient. —Lisa Varner, El Paso, Texas
Creamy Pineapple Pie
Creamy Pineapple Pie is a light and refreshing dessert that's quick to make and impressive to serve. This is one of our favorite ways to complete a summer meal. —Sharon Bickett, Chester, South Carolina
Creamy Coffee Pie
It’s easy to stir mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips and crushed sandwich cookies into coffee ice cream to create this irresistible frozen dessert. —Cherron Nagel, Columbus, Ohio
Star-Studded Blueberry Pie
Family and friends say this patriotic pie is better than a local favorite from one of our best neighborhood restaurants. Sometimes, I switch things up and use gooseberries for half of the blueberries. —Nancy Barker, Silverton, Oregon
Marshmallow-Almond Key Lime Pie
Summer is peak season for Key limes—a must for this pie’s distinctive sweet-tart flavor. Unlike other Key lime pies, mine has a smooth marshmallow layer on top that makes it stand out as a crowd favorite. —Judy Castranova, New Bern, North Carolina
Fresh Blackberry Pie
I grew up on a farm, and we always picked fruits in early summer and used them to make desserts. This blackberry pie is a real stunner. —Gladys Gibbs, Brush Creek, Tennessee
Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie
You'll love the smell in your kitchen—and the smiles on everybody's faces—when you make this scrumptious caramel apple pie recipe. It takes me back home to Virginia and being at my granny's table. —Jean Castro, Phoenix, Arizona
Dar's Coconut Cream Pie
When I whip up a toasted coconut cream pie, my family goes wild and the pie vanishes. —Darlene Bartos, Shoreview, Minnesota
Easy Cream Pie
Fresh berries and cream pie—it’s a simple, classic combination just like Grandma used to make. My version gets you out of the kitchen and into your lounge chair quickly. Enjoy! —Gina Nistico, Taste of Home Food Editor
