Terri Ramsey Beavers Let’s face it, store-bought apple pie doesn’t cut it, and delicious homemade apple pies are few and far between. The best way to solve this problem is to learn how to make apple pie yourself!
Yes, nothing is quite as deliciously American as apple pie, and this holiday season you deserve to be the one to impress your friends and family with a tasty homemade pie.
So what are you waiting for? Read on to learn some tips and tricks that will result in a delicious pie.
What Kind of Apples Are Best?
You can’t have the best apple pie recipe without the best tasting apples, so that’s where you should start.
Find apples that are tart, sweet, and firm. You’ll want apples that don’t turn to mush when baking but are light enough that they soften up in the oven. Granny Smith is the tried and true apple pie apple, but you might also try Idared, Northern Spy, or Golden Delicious.
How to Make the Filling
First, you’ll want to peel, core, and thinly but not too thinly slice your apples.
Some people leave the skin on for color, but it can be a bit chewy for most. Mix your apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of vanilla extract. Add some flour which will help absorb all of the extra juices.
The drier your filing, the better the chances that your pie will come out with a firm bottom crust. The apples will continue to produce liquid while cooking, so don’t dump any of that extra liquid into your pie no matter how tasty it looks.
What About the Crust?
If you want to make apple pie the right way, you ought to make your crust from scratch. There are plenty of recipes online, so try different ones until you find your favorite.
No matter what, the best crust is made with butter that is as cold as possible. When you mix your butter with your dry ingredients, little nuggets of butter will remain until baked. Once your dough goes into the oven, the butter nuggets will melt leaving pockets of air which results in an amazingly flaky crust.
It takes practice to get this right, but the effort is worth the end result!
Baking in the Oven
Start your pie in an oven at 425 and bake at that temperature for about 15 minutes. This will help keep your crust from getting soggy.
Then turn the oven down to 375 and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until the apples are nice and tender and your crust is golden brown. If your crust starts to burn, cover the edges with aluminum foil.
If you’ve made a top crust, use an egg wash to create a glistening golden-brown crust that will look beautiful and taste delicious.
Now You Know How to Make Apple Pie
Once you find your preferred recipes (don’t forget to check with family members!) you’ll be well on your way to making apple pie the right way.
If your first pie doesn’t come out great, look at it as an excuse to make another pie! Soon you’ll be an expert and can tell all of your friends how to make an apple pie.
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Image Attribution:
Pixabay.com royalty-free image #5601654, ‘pie, apples, fruit’ uploaded by user congerdesign, retrieved from on November 10th, 2020. License details available at – image is licensed under Creative Commons CC0 license.