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A whole baked homemade apple pie with a beautiful golden lattice crust, sitting on a rustic wooden table. The pie is cooling before being sliced.

Homemade Apple Pie Recipe (The Only One You'll Ever Need)

The only homemade apple pie recipe you'll ever need! This guide details how to make a perfectly flaky, all-butter crust and a sweet, spiced apple filling from scratch for a truly classic dessert.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the All-Butter Pie Crust
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, very cold and cubed 16 tablespoons
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6-8 tablespoons ice water
For the Spiced Apple Filling
  • 7 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick about 3 lbs, a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch pie plate
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Pastry blender
  • 1 Rolling Pin

Method
 

Make the Pie Crust
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and cut it in using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter.
  2. Gradually sprinkle in 6 tablespoons of ice water, mixing with a fork until the dough begins to come together. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. Do not overwork.
  3. Divide the dough in half, form into flat disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the Filling & Assemble
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Pour sugar mixture over apples and toss to coat.
  2. Roll out one dough disk to a 12-inch circle and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Fill with the apple mixture and dot with butter.
  3. Roll out the second dough disk and cut into 1-inch strips. Weave the strips into a lattice top over the filling. Trim, fold, and crimp the edges to seal.
Bake the Pie
  1. Brush the lattice with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional). Place pie on a baking sheet.
  2. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake for another 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
  3. Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.

Notes

For an extra crisp crust: Place the assembled, unbaked pie in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. This helps the butter stay solid longer, creating more steam and flakier layers.
Check for doneness: The pie is done when you can insert a knife into a vent hole and the apples feel tender.