Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes Old-Fashioned Apple Pie 4.0 (752) Granny Smith apples and a buttery pastry crust are the secret to this fan-favorite apple pie recipe. Servings: 12 Jump to recipe There's nothing quite like an old-fashioned apple pie. It's a comforting dessert that's just right for the holiday table or a dinner party and makes any meal special. (Some fans even prefer this apple pie to birthday cake!) decorvow's apple pie has the irresistible combination of a buttery pastry crust encasing a filling of Granny Smith apples tossed with butter, sugar, and spices. It truly can't be beat. As the pie bakes, the kitchen is filled with the cozy smell of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Then comes the hard part: waiting for the pie to cool before slicing it. To make this apple pie even sweeter, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The Right Way to Cut an Apple—Whether You're Slicing It for Snacking or Making a Pie Credit: Rachel Marek The Best Apples to Use for Apple Pie There is a lot of debate about the best apples to use for an apple pie. Should you use one variety or a combination? Should you slice or dice the apples for the filling? We kept it simple with this apple pie recipe using one readily available type of apple: Granny Smiths. They are tart, firm apples that hold up well to baking. Variations: You can make this pie with two or three MacIntosh apples in place of some of the Granny Smiths. The MacIntosh has a wonderful apple flavor, but its texture is not as firm as the Granny Smith. Together they make a great pairing. Or, try Gala or Golden Delicious in place of two or three of the Granny Smiths. Prepping the Apples Some apple pie recipes do not call for peeling the apples, but we peel the Granny Smiths for this pie because they have a thick skin that would not cook down nicely in the filling. Be sure to slice the apples evenly to avoid any undercooked pieces in the filling. Can You Make This Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Ahead? Apple pie needs to be baked ahead of time to allow time for the pie to cool and the juices to set before it is cut and served. We generally say to allow 6 hours for this. Beyond allowing time for the pie to cool before serving, we do not recommend baking it ahead of time, as the filling would make the crust soggy. If you want to get ahead, make the crust, roll it out, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it up to three days ahead. You can prep the apple filling up to three hours ahead of making the pie. Directions Credit: Rachel Marek Preheat oven and roll dough: Heat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pâte brisée into two 1/8-inch-thick circles to a diameter slightly larger than that of an 11-inch plate. Credit: Rachel Marek Fit dough into pie plate: Press one pastry circle into the pie plate. Place the other circle on waxed paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill all pastry until firm, about 30 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Make filling: In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, spices, and flour. Toss well. Credit: Rachel Marek Place filling in pie plate: Spoon apples into pie pan. Dot with butter. Credit: Rachel Marek Place remaining pastry over filling: Cover pie with remaining pastry circle to create top crust. Credit: Rachel Marek Cut vents in top crust and crimp edges: Cut several steam vents across top. Seal by crimping edges as desired. Credit: Rachel Marek Brush crust with egg: Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with additional sugar. Credit: Rachel Marek Bake: Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on wire rack before serving. Credit: Rachel Marek decorvow If the pie isn't perfect? Cut it into wedges and bring them to the table rather than bringing the whole pie to the table to cut there. Stay in control, and never panic. — decorvow Storing Leftover Apple Pie Store any leftover apple pie, lightly covered, at room temperature for one to two days. After that, transfer the pie to the fridge for one to two more days if needed. Note that the longer the pie sits, the more moisture the crust absorbs and the drier the edges become. Reheating Tent the pie with foil to prevent further browning and reheat in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 minutes. This will bring back some of the freshly baked flavor. Frequently Asked Questions What is the best thickener for a fruit pie? We think the best thickener for a fruit pie is all-purpose flour. It's what we use in this old-fashioned apple pie recipe. You need to use about twice as much flour as cornstarch or tapioca for the same thickening effects. But that doesn't bother us, the flour works well with fruits that are less juicy and naturally high in pectin—such as apples and blueberries—where you do not need to add much thickener. Do you put an egg wash on pie crust? Yes, we do put an egg wash on pie crusts. It is a nice finishing touch before baking a pie. Brushing on beaten egg mixed with water or milk or cream helps give the pastry a glossy finish. And if you are sprinkling the crust with sugar prior to baking, the egg wash acts like a glue to hold the sugar in place. How soon can you cut an apple pie after baking? You shouldn't cut an apple pie right out of the oven. It needs to be cooled completely before slicing, which will take several hours. Cutting any fruit pie that's still warm is a messy business; the filling continues to thicken as the pie cools—if you cut it too soon it will be runny. How do you tell when apple pie is done? There are two main ways to tell an apple pie is done—without slicing into it. One is if the crust is golden. The other is that the filling is bubbling through the vent holes or around the edges. Other Apple Pie Recipes to Try Mile-High Apple Pie Apple Crumble Pie Stencil Apple Pie Apple Pecan Pie Cinnamon-Swirl Apple Slab Pie Brown-Butter Apple Pie Apple-Raspberry Pie Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the decorvow recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.