Classic Apple Pie

Classic apple pie is Americana on a plate — a flaky, golden, all-butter crust wrapped around tender cinnamon-spiced apples. This foolproof recipe gives you a crisp bottom crust and a beautifully bubbling filling every single time.

Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

55 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

Servings

8 servings

Calories

390

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (225 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) apples — a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for the filling)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash (plus coarse sugar for sprinkling)

Instructions

1. Make the crust: whisk the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until you have pea-size crumbs with a few larger flakes.
2. Drizzle in the ice water one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, just until the dough holds together when squeezed. Divide into two disks, wrap tightly and chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Toss the sliced apples with both sugars, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes so the apples release some juice.
4. On a floured surface, roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle and line a 9-inch pie dish with it, letting the excess hang over the edge.
5. Fill with the apples and all their juices, mounding them slightly higher in the center.
6. Roll out the second disk, lay it over the filling, trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut 4 to 5 slits in the top for steam to escape.
7. Brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
8. Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 F (190 C) and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the vents. Shield the edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
9. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 3 hours before slicing — the filling sets as it cools, so patience gives you clean slices.

Pro tips

• Mix tart and sweet apple varieties — the combination gives the filling complexity no single apple can match.
• Keep everything cold: cold butter, ice water, even a chilled bowl on a hot day. Cold fat equals flaky layers.
• Do not slice the pie warm, tempting as it is — the filling needs those 3 hours to set into clean slices.
• If the top browns before the filling bubbles, tent the whole pie loosely with foil and keep baking.

Frequently asked questions