Old Fashioned Apple Pie is a classic dessert recipe made just like your grandma. Tart apples are spiced with cinnamon and layered in a flaky pie crust for the perfect fall treat.
Apple Pie Recipe
There’s nothing quite like a warm slice of old fashioned apple pie on a cold fall day for a special treat. This classic dessert recipe from my grandmother is absolutely perfect the way she made it generations ago and remains a favorite to this day.
Apple Desserts
Apple desserts are actually great all year long. Apples are an affordable fruit with amazing flavor. They transform into some of the best sweets like Apple Custard Bars or Apple Crisp.
Not only are apples great for desserts like Apple Pie, they are incredibly versatile. Some of my favorite recipes include this Pomegranate Apple Chicken Salad and this Pulled Pork Apple Salad.
The tart apples add fantastic crunch and flavor to so many dishes.
How do you make an old fashioned apple pie from scratch?
The most important ingredient to make your apple pie just like grandma’s is a homemade flaky pie crust. It’s what really sets any pie apart. A tender and flaky homemade crust is like nothing else.
Ingredients for Apple Pie
- 2 unbaked pie crusts
- 6 cups sliced baking apples
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. apple pie spice
- 1 Tbsp. Minute tapioca -or- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Which are the best apples to use for apple pie?
To make an apple pie, you want to make sure you choose the right apples. A baking apple that is crisp and tart is the idea choice.
If I don’t have my beloved apples from our family farm, then Braeburn and Pink Lady are my preferred choice. Granny Smith apples are also a good choice.
Should you peel apples for pie?
You can technically leave your apples unpeeled, but it comes down to personal preference. While peels add color and nutrients, they can also prevent the slices of apples from baking down as well.
Just like my grandma, I always slice the baking apples into a cold bowl of water with some lemon juice. This prevents them from browning before they are added to the pie crust. After the 6 cups of apples are peeled, cored and sliced, drain the water off of the apples.
How do you make Apple Pie not runny?
My grandmother always uses Minute Tapioca on the bottom of the pie crust to thicken her old fashioned apple pie. If you don’t have tapioca on hand, then you can substitute flour.
You will want to mix the flour into the apple slices with the sugar and apple pie spice. If you are using Tapioca, forgo the flour.
How to make apple pie
Layer one pie crust in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Top the unbaked crust with the Tapioca. Arrange the sugared apples over the pie crust so there aren’t any poking out the top that will damage the top crust.
Top the apples with thin slices of butter and cover with the second pie crust. Trim the excess dough around the edges, leaving one inch of crust around the perimeter.
How to pinch a pie crust?
Fold the two layers of pie crust together under the edge of the pie plate. Using your two fingers pinch the crust together around the edge to seal it. Alternatively, you can use a fork to seal the edges.
After your crust is pinched, brush the top of the crust with a light layer of cream or milk. Sprinkle the cream with some granulated sugar.
Add a few slits to the top of the pie crust if you didn’t form a lattice design. Add a pie crust shield to protect the edges from over baking.
Bake at 400° for 55-60 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is baked. Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to set. If you slice the pie open too early, it will be runny.
How to serve apple pie?
It is important to allow the pie to cool some, so you can cut nice slices that don’t run. This doesn’t mean you have to chill the pie before serving.
There is nothing quite like a warm slice of apple pie topped with a scoop of ice cream. The combination of warm and tart apples with cold and sweet ice cream is absolutely delectable.
Apple Pie ala mode, as it’s otherwise know, brings back fantastic memories of serving food in the 4-H canteen at the county fair. It was always one of the most popular items on the menu with Midwestern fair goers.
It’s truly a classic dessert combination and there isn’t anything quite as American as this delicious treat.
More old fashioned dessert recipes
If you love old fashioned recipes that your grandmother used to make, check out some more of these classics!
- Mocha Peanut Square Bars
- Homemade Peach Pie
- Old Fashioned Lemon Squares
- Sour Cream Raisin Meringue Bars
- Rhubarb Custard Pie
with margarine spread over the top. Place second crust on top and make slits or form lattice design. Brush with cream an
Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 2 unbaked pie crusts
- 6 cups sliced baking apples
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. apple pie spice
- 1 Tbsp. Minute tapioca
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Garnish for top of crust
- 2 Tbsp. cream or milk
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Slice the apples into a large bowl with cold water and a splash of lemon juice. Once all of the apples are sliced, drain all of the water off the apples and toss them with the sugar and apple pie spice.
- Lay one pie crust in the bottom of a 9 or 10 in. pie plate. Spread the apples over crust. Top the apples with thin slices of butter.
- Place second crust on top and trim the excess crust 1 inch from the edge of the pie plate. Fold the crust under the edge and pinch together the edges of the crust.
- Make slits in the top of the pie crust if you didn’t form a lattice design.
- Brush with cream or milk and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
- Cover the edges of the crust with a pie shield or folded tinfoil. Bake at 400° for 55-60 minutes until the apples are tender and the crust is browned.
- Allow the pie to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Joan McDonald says
Greetings! I decided to make an apple pie for the first time ever this Holiday season. The pie crust recipe was nice and easy as well as preparing the apple filling. Finished product looks so delicious and juicy. But, I will know once I taste my pie and my son will be my critic.
Happy Holidays,
Joan M💖
Alison says
Came out perfectly! Delicious with ice cream.
Julie says
This was the perfect apple pie recipe! Thank you so much!
Megan says
I LOVE apple pie and this was the perfect recipe! I’ll be keeping this one for my recipe box!
Malinda says
This pie turned out so good! I was very pleased with it!