The Best Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
User Reviews
5
The Best Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
Description
The Best Homemade Apple Pie Recipe features a pie crust made by pulsing flour, cold butter, and rendered bacon fat, which creates a unique flavor and flaky texture. The filling uses a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji apples combined with lemon juice, melted butter, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, flour, and corn starch to ensure the apples remain tender but not soggy after baking. The baking process highlights the contrast between the buttery crust and the well-spiced, juicy apple layers.
The pie is traditionally served as a dessert and pairs well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, with an optional drizzle of caramel sauce to complement its sweet-spiced flavor. It requires several hours to cool completely, which helps the filling set and enhances slicing.
Practical tips include chilling the fats before making the crust to keep it flaky and using pineapple juice to preserve peeled apple slices if preparing in advance. The pie can be made up to three days ahead, refrigerated for up to seven days, or frozen for up to three months. Reheating a slice in the microwave for about 30 seconds brings out its flavors nicely.
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 unsalted butter cut up, stick, cold
- ½ cup bacon fat cold, rendered
- pinch salt coarse
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water cold
- 1 egg whisked
For the Apple Pie Filling:
- Granny Smith apple medium-sized, cored and sliced
- 5 Fuji apple medium-sized, cored and sliced
- lemon juice of 1 large
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 egg large, whisked
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Add the all-purpose flour to a food processor along with some cut up cold unsalted butter, cold rendered bacon fat, salt, and sugar.
- Pulse the ingredients until it is combined, and the butter is about the size of a pea or rice and slowly drizzle in water while pulsing. The pie crust should come together to form a ball at this point.
- Divide the pie crust in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Apple Pie:
- Start by peeling the apples using a peeler or a paring knife. Next, you want to remove the apple from the core by slicing around and then slicing it about ¼” to 1/8” thick.
- Add the sliced apples to a bowl and add lemon juice, melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, flour, and corn starch.
- Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly ensuring the apples are completely coated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Roll out 1 of the chilled pie doughs on a clean surface dusted with flour until it is about 1/8” thick.
- Transfer the dough to a fluted 9” pie pan and form it to the pan and flutes cutting off and discarding any excess dough.
- Add the apple pie filling to the pie pan and flatten out until even.
- Roll out the second chilled pie dough on a clean surface dusted with flour until it’s about 1/8” thick. Place the dough on top of the apples completely covering it and pinch the outside edge to the other pie dough cutting off and discarding any excess.
- Brush the top of the pie dough with 1 whisked egg.
- Cut 4 slits in the center of the pie to help it bake and rise.
- Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar on top and then bake at 400° on the lower third rack for 30 minutes, then turn down the heat and bake the pie at 375° for 30 minutes.
- Completely cool the pie to room temperature before serving with vanilla ice cream and caramel.
Notes
- Prepare the pie crust by keeping the butter and bacon fat cold to maintain flakiness.
- Hold peeled apple slices in pineapple juice for up to two days to prevent browning if prepping ahead.
- Make the pie up to three days in advance and store covered in the refrigerator for up to seven days or freeze for up to three months.
- Allow the pie to cool for 6-8 hours to set properly before slicing.
- Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30 seconds to serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 443 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 443kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 64g | 21% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 46mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 89mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 195mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 33g | 66% |
| Vitamin A | 307IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 31mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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