This Old-Fashioned Apple Pie has a flaky, buttery crust filled with juicy apples that are covered in a delicious thick, cinnamon filling. It is absolutely divine! Honestly, I was never a huge apple pie person until we created this recipe. Peach pie was my absolute favorite…until now.
I am quite picky when it comes to apple pie. It can’t be overly tart or overly sweet. This recipe has the perfect balance of both. A lot of apple pie recipes use Granny Smith apples and that is totally fine! I prefer to use HoneyCrisp apples or a mixture of different kinds. You do you! Any of the following make excellent baking apples:
- Honeycrisp – My favorite apple, hands down! Crisp texture that holds up extremely well while baking with a sweet albeit slightly tart flavor profile.
- Jonagold – A large apple with a tangy sweetness resembling honey. These are great for baking however, they do not store well so use them up quickly during the peak of the season in early fall.
- Braeburn – Very crisp and juicy texture with a mix of sweet and tart flavors. It is believed that this apple resulted from an accidental cross between a Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apple.
- Pink Lady – This apple retains its shape while baking and has a wonderful balance of sweetness to tartness. It does tend to favor the tart side than sweet.
- Granny Smith – A great baking apple that is tart, crisp, and sour.
How to Avoid a Runny Pie
One common problem many people have with fruit pies is that their filling is runny. To avoid this issue, it is imperative to make certain your pie is baked thoroughly – and then a little more. The thickeners used in fruit pies need time to set up properly. So how do you tell if it is done? The top crust should absolutely be golden brown and the filling should be bubbling through the vents and around the edges for at least 5 minutes or more.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Pie crust – It is important to use “ice cold” water when making your crust. The fat in the crust tends to warm as it is mixed with the flour. In order to achieve maximum flakiness, we need to prevent the fat from melting. Hence, the “ice cold” water. I typically fill a bowl with ice and water while collecting the rest of my ingredients so that it is nice and chilled when I am ready to begin. This crust recipe is for a double crust. I prefer to lattice the top crust but that is completely a matter of personal preference. For more pie crust tips, please see our crust post.
- Aluminum foil – Making a ring of aluminum foil around your pie edges helps to prevent excess browning. Additionally, placing a sheet lined with aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven to catch drippings is highly recommended!
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Pie Plate – 9.5″ diameter
- Pastry Cutter – to cut Crisco into flour in crust
- Rolling Pin – to roll out pie crust
- Peeler – to peel apples
- Pizza Cutter – to cut crust into strips if using lattice method
- Decorative Sugar – to top pie crust
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
This Old-Fashioned Apple Pie has a flaky, buttery crust with juicy apples that are covered in a delicious thick, cinnamon filling.
Ingredients
- DOUBLE CRUST:
- 2 2/3 cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (184 g) Crisco
- 8-10 Tbsp cold water (ice water)
- APPLES:
- 7 ½ cups (6-7 apples) thinly sliced apples, peeled and cored
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- FILLING:
- 8 Tbsp salted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Milk/Decorative Sugar for Crust topping
Directions
- Step 1 Crust: Measure flour and salt together with whisk in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening (Crisco) with pastry cutter until crumbly and about the size of peas (do not overwork). Sprinkle in water 1 Tbsp at a time and mix until dough forms a ball. Split into two even balls. Press into round discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing apples and making filling. For more pie crust tips, please see our crust post.
- Step 2 Line bottom oven rack with a foil-lined cookie sheet for drippings. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 3 Apples: Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Toss apples with lemon juice and ½ tsp cinnamon in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate while making filling.
- Step 4 Filling: Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until a paste forms. While whisking, add water, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Continue whisking until it boils. Turn heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add to apples and mix gently.
- Step 5 Assembly: Roll out both top and bottom crusts. The bottom crust should be slightly larger than the top. Place bottom crust in 9 inch pie pan (do not trim). Add apple filling and slightly mound center. Cut top crust into 10 even strips about ½ inch thick with pizza cutter. These strips will be used to make a lattice pattern. (Place 5 strips evenly spaced across pie. Bend every other strip back halfway. Place first perpendicular strip across center of pie. Lay strips back down. Fold back every other strip you didn’t fold back the first time. Place another perpendicular strip and repeat process until completed.) After lattice pattern is completed, roll edges of bottom crust over lattice and pinch. Flute edges and cover with foil to prevent burning (optional). Brush lattice with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.
- Step 6 Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 40-45 minutes or until apples are soft. Let pie cool for at least 2-3 hours prior to serving so juices can thicken.
Thank You for sharing your time with us
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Have a wonderful day!
