This classic, simple recipe makes the BEST old fashioned apple pie with a flaky, buttery crust and a sweet cinnamon homemade filling. Your mouth will be watering when you smell this apple pie baking to perfection in the oven!
Best Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Time for a classic! This is the BEST old fashioned Apple Pie you'll ever make.
It's the perfect all-American Fall dessert, and everyone needs a go-to apple pie recipe to keep them going through the season, and all through the holidays!
Today, I'm sharing mine, and I assure you, it won’t disappoint! Perfectly spiced baked apples swirling in a caramel-like glaze with a flaky, buttery crust. A special egg-wash creates crunchy sweet sugar crystals on the top crust for a beautiful and extra tasty finish.
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Pie?
For pies, firmer, tarter apples are best. These kind of apples are usually referred to as "baking apples," as they hold their shape and work well for baking. (Go figure, right?!) I usually use a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for my pies.
Avoid sweeter, softer apples such as Delicious (red or gold), Gala, and Fuji.
Should I Cook My Apples Before Making Pie?
With this recipe, cooking or baking the apples before preparing the pie in unnecessary. You can bake them raw, right in the pie crust!
How Do You Keep the Bottom Crust of an Apple Pie from Getting Soggy?
I have never had a soggy pie using this particular recipe. So first and foremost, follow the recipe below.
Some other things to consider:
- Type of apples: "eating" apples are generally softer, and therefore breakdown more, than "baking" apples. Use a firmer baking apple in pies.
- Make a lattice top. The extra venting will help evaporate out the moisture as it bakes.
Will My Apple Pie Thicken as It Cools?
Yes, it will. Hot sugar is liquid, and as it cools, the entire filling will firm up a bit. But as I already mentioned, I've never had a runny pie using this recipe.
Does Old Fashioned Apple Pie Need to be Refrigerated?
If you plan on serving your pie within 24 hours of baking, there's no need to refrigerate.
If you want your pie to last longer, up to 5 days, you should cover and store in the refrigerator.
Can Apple Pie Be Frozen?
Yes! Allow to cool completely, then cover tightly before freezing. Baked pies freeze well for up to 3 months.
To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, allow to come to room temperature before serving.
New to the Pie-Making Scene?
Here are some helpful Pie-Making Resources to make sure all your pies come out perfect and delicious!
- Easy Flaky Pie Crust Recipe – this easy pie crust recipe comes out perfect Every. Time. It’s my grandma’s recipe, and it’s never failed me yet! Includes a video and crust-making tips!
- Rolling Out Pie Crust Tutorial – If rolling out your own homemade pie crust makes you nervous, stop right now! This easy step-by-step tutorial will tell you exactly what to do for a perfect pie crust!
- Pretty Ways to Finish Pie Crust Edges – There are so many ways to finish pie crust once you’re done rolling it out to make a truly special pie. Try some of these easy and fun ones this year!
- Must Have Pie Making Supplies – If you love pies, you need these tools so you can make them all the time at home!
More Apple Recipes You'll Love
- Easy Apple Cobbler - soft cakey cobbler on top of buttery spiced apples.
- Snickers Caramel Apple Salad - crisp apples, gooey caramel, and candy bar pieces swimming in a creamy base!
- Crockpot Apple Butter - juicy apples and spices simmered together in the slow cooker for a perfect biscuit, toast, or ice cream topping!
- Apple Brown Betty - probably the simplest apple dessert out there!
- 44 Fall Apple Desserts - check out this epic list of apple recipes for even more ideas!
Best Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch double crust, top and bottom (My recommended recipe is linked here and below)
- 6-8 baking apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- ½ cup butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter a deep 9-inch pie dish. Set aside.
- Roll out half of the pie crust. Place it in your greased pan. Set aside.
- Place apples in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
- Over medium heat in a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
- When the butter is melted, stir in the flour until smooth.
- To the butter mixture, add remaining ingredients, except for egg. Stir to combine.
- Let come to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat.
- Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the butter mixture in a medium mixing bowl. Then pour remaining butter mixture over apples. Toss or gently stir to fully coat apples.
- Transfer apple pie filling to prepared bottom crust.
- Cover with a lattice work crust. (You can also use a traditional one-piece crust top, BUT make sure you cut large enough slits to allow venting.) Use a small paring knife to trim off excess dough from the sides. Crimp or flute the edges to seal. Set aside.
- Add egg to the reserved butter-sugar mixture and whisk to combine. With a pastry brush, brush the mixture evenly over the crust.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for about an hour, or until apple are soft and crust is golden. If you notice your crust is getting too brown on top or around the edges, cover with foil and continue baking.
- Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the pie to set andhttps://amzn.to/3hTJgGN filling to thicken up.
Notes
- Easy Flaky Pie Crust Recipe – this easy pie crust recipe comes out perfect Every. Time. It’s my grandma’s recipe, and it’s never failed me yet! Includes a video and crust-making tips!
- Rolling Out Pie Crust Tutorial – If rolling out your own homemade pie crust makes you nervous, stop right now! This easy step-by-step tutorial will tell you exactly what to do for a perfect pie crust!
- Pretty Ways to Finish Pie Crust Edges – There are so many ways to finish pie crust once you’re done rolling it out to make a truly special pie. Try some of these easy and fun ones this year!
- Must Have Pie Making Supplies – If you love pies, you need these tools so you can make them all the time at home!
- Use a deep dish pie dish to make this pie or all of the filling won't fit! Here's a link to the one I use and recommend.
- Check your pie halfway through baking. If it's browning quickly, place a piece of foil loosely on top to protect it.
- Place your pie dish on a baking sheet when baking. This will catch any drips or bubbles that happen while the pie is cooking.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Storage: If serving in 24 hours or less after baking, cover tightly and leave on the counter. To keep your pie for up to 5 days, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.
- Freezer Directions: After baking, allow to cool completely. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in October 2014. It has been updated with new pictures, tips, and video, and republished in September 2020.
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Amy | Club Narwhal says
This really does look like a classic! And I am so envious of your perfect lattice crust--those are always a challenge for me 🙂 Thanks for linking up to The Makers!
Ruth Franzen says
I made the BEST old fashioned apple pie. The instructions were clear, it was fun to make, and the pie was DELICIOUS!! We of course had to make it immediately and the most difficult part was waiting the 3 hours for the filling to cool down for best results. There were lots of juices, so I was sure to place a cookie on the rack below to catch the overflow juices as it baked. My fault, I used more apples than the recipe called for. Top notch pie!
Sahana says
Wow!!Looks delicious !! Thank you for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board.Would love to see you again next Monday.
Courtney at A Life From Scratch says
Yum! You did a beautiful job with this classic pie! Thanks for sharing on the Project Parade. If you get a chance to stop by my blog sometime, I'd love to trade recipes 🙂
Christine says
Mmm, I also love the lattice top (I think that's what it's called!). My strips always come out different sizes (need more patience). Yours looks stunning! Thanks for stopping by #FoodieFridays! I'll be sharing this on FB this week:)
Michelle says
Haha. Mine usually do too. I think it was just luck this time. I just use a pizza cutter and try eye about an inch thick, and just go!
Thanks for stopping in and for sharing on Facebook.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Your pie looks absolutely delicious! My oldest son loves apple pie so I have a feeling this one is going to find its way on to the menu! Pinned!
april says
I've got this pie in the oven right now, and I can tell you from licking the remnants of the sauce that it is going to be delicious! My sauce seemed a bit thick when I poured it over the pie, and after just a few minutes in the oven it is still mostly resting on top. I'm hoping it will melt down more as it cooks. Fingers crossed! But either way it will be tasty! Love this recipe. =)
Mandy says
How did yours turn out? Mine is in the oven right now too, and the topping mixture also seemed thick and didn't "drain" down through the crust at all. I,hope it turns out ok, since it's for my husband's birthday today.
Hillary Ernzer says
I have the same thing going on and will also pour the sauce over the apples next time instead of over the crust. It felt wrong from the start. Apart from that, it smells fantastic!
Michelle says
I'll try it that way this year when I make it. I've only ever had it thicken up like that once on me and it was because I left it cooking on the stove for a touch too long. But maybe it would be easier to just reserve 2ish tablespoons and pour the rest in before the top crust is on. Then brush the 2 tablespoons on top because I still love the way it caramelizes and crystallizes on the crust. Pretty and delicious 🙂
Heather S. says
I made this recipe and the filling stayed on top of the crust, it did not sink in as it was way too thick. Next time I will pour the filling on the apples reserving 2T to the side.
Apply the lattice crust and smooth the remaining 2T on the top
Melissa Andersen says
In the oven know!!! Smells and looks amazing
Brooklyn Tanner says
Delicious! Made this for Sunday dinner (my first pie) and it was a HIT! Thank you!!
Margaret says
This pie is well worth 5 stars! Only recipe I will use. My dad also said this was one of the best he's ever had, and he is an honest critique.
Almira says
Tried this recipe and it came out amazing. Thank you so much.
stacey says
I whipped up this quick recipe while I was on the phone and it was SO good! Even my father in law loved it. I used a premade Pillsbury crust and it was perfect. I looked like a total pro.
Deanne Frieders says
I absolutely LOVE apple pie this time of year! It's the perfect fall recipe.
Amy Desrosiers says
I love apple pie but always fail on the crosshatch pattern. I always need some vanilla ice cream on side.
Anita says
Your apple pie weaving looks so neat and beautiful. I always make an apple pie too for Thanksgiving, but they never seems to turn out as pretty as yours. 🙂
Irina says
The best fall flavors are here. I love your apple pie, especially being served with ice cream. I cannot wait to give it a try!
Beth says
This looks so delicious and yummy! I can't wait to make this recipe! My family is going to love this!
Ethan says
Like your all recipes! It' very detailed and clear to understand and practice. Beside arrange like a net have any way to cover this apple pie? A piece of this apple pie with ice cream on the top is engaging! I have to practices right now. Thanks for your recipe!
Michelle says
Yes, you can just cover it with a full rolled out sheet of pie dough. Make sure there are big cuts in it so that it can vent and won't be soggy! Or you can try one of these lattice rollers that does all the work for you 🙂 (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/30ktwqe
Kara says
This is probably a no brainer... but for the filling mixture do you use all- purpose or self-rising flour?
Michelle says
All purpose! All my recipes are all-purpose unless I specifically note otherwise. Hope that helps 🙂
Lola Osinkolu | Chef Lola's Kitchen says
My kids love apple pies!
Min says
You can't go wrong with a classic apple pie recipe! This looks beautiful!
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dessert last night and it did not disappoint! Made my whole house smell lovely, and it was delicious to boot! Easily, a new favorite recipe!
Ned says
This is pure American goodness! I really really loved serving this with ice cream. Family loved it so much!
Shelby says
This is the ultimate apple pie recipe! All the steps are so clear, and results are delicious!
Anjali says
This is one of the best homemade apple pie recipes I've ever made! The crust was flaky and delicious and the pie filling was cooked perfectly and was nice and sweet! Yum!