Apple Pie Recipe

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Is there anything more American than apple pie? This classic dessert is a favorite for a reason – it’s delicious! In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make your own apple pie from scratch.

It’s easy and the results are heavenly. So get ready to celebrate America’s favorite dish with this mouth-watering apple pie recipe. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!

cast iron baked apple pie recipe with a slice cut out

When I was a kid I was definitely more of a cake person. I would rather have a rich slice of decadent chocolate cake over a slice of pie, any day.

However, as I’ve gotten older I have developed more of an appreciation for pie.

I’ve also learned that there was a reason that as a kid that I didn’t like pie. Most of the pie that I happened to taste when I was a kid was store-bought pie. Comparing a store-bought pie to a homemade pie just isn’t fair.

After many years of figuring out how to make pies in my own kitchen, I am now a pie lover. This doesn’t mean that I no longer appreciate a really good cake.

I’ve come to the realization that when it comes to anything baked if it’s not from scratch, it’s just not worth eating.

slice of apple pie with flaky pie crust

What You’ll Love About this Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

This is an easy apple pie recipe that I’ve been making for years. I bake this pie in my cast iron skillet, and it comes out perfect every time.

  • This is a homemade apple pie recipe is made from scratch — is there anything better than that?
  • This apple pie filling is hands down the BEST I have ever tasted.
  • This apple pie is made with fresh apples.
  • The buttermilk pie dough I use to bake this apple pie makes the most amazing apple pie crust.
apple pie filling with caramel sauce baked in a cast iron skillet

The BEST Apple Pie

This recipe will work fine when baked in a pie plate (affiliate link) or in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (affiliate link).

Ingredients For Apple Pie

  • Pie Dough:  I have two recipes that are my go-to pie crust recipes: Buttermilk Pie Crust and All-Butter Pie Crust. Either of these works! Or feel free to use your own favorite pie dough.
  • Fresh Apples: The best apples to use for apple pie are Granny Smith apples (tart flavor), Fuji (sweet), and Pippin Apples (tart and sweet.) I like to use a variety of apples in the filling. You’ll need about 8 to 10 apples.
  • Apple Pie Spice: Cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and all-spice.
  • Thickeners: Flour and cornstarch.
  • Caramel Sauce: I use my Homemade Bourbon Caramel in this recipe. If you don’t want to make homemade caramel sauce you can use a store-bought variety.

Special Equipment

You will need either a pie dish or a cast-iron skillet to bake the pie in. I also use a baking sheet to set the skillet on while it is baking, just in case there is any fruity bubble over.

I use a food processor to make my pie dough. This is completely optional. If you don’t have a food processor you will want to have a pastry cutter. (affiliate link)

  • Cast Iron Skillet (affiliate link). You can bake this pie in a cast-iron skillet. I usually use my Lodge or my Staub.
  • Pie Dish (affiliate link). If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, a regular pie dish will do.
  • Baking Sheet (affiliate link)
  • Food Processor (affiliate link)
apple pie baked in a cast iron pan with a slice cut out

How To Bake An Apple Pie 101

You’ll want to plan ahead for this recipe because you’ll want to make an apple pie crust recipe a few hours before you bake the pie. I usually make my pie dough the night before and let it chill in the fridge overnight.

  1. Make The Pie Dough: After you make your pie dough, set it in the fridge to rest. I usually recommend at least 4 hours. Pie dough can be in the fridge for a few weeks and in the freezer for months. If you are short on time, freeze your dough for 30 minutes before rolling it out.
  2. Caramel Sauce: Either make a caramel sauce or have one ready to go.
  3. Peel the Apples: Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a bowl. Peel and slice the apples. Add the apple slices to a large bowl and add the spices and the sugar to the apples. Toss.
  4. Assemble the Apple Pie: Roll out half of the pie dough and place the bottom crust in the pie pan or cast-iron skillet. Add the cornstarch and the flour to the apples and toss. Place the apples into the pie dough. Cover with one-third cup of caramel sauce. Roll out the second half of the pie dough and place it on top.
  5. Baking The Pie: Preheat the oven to 450℉. I start all of my pies on a higher temperature because the extra heat helps the butter and water in the pie crust expand. This step gives you an extra flaky pie crust. After 10 minutes, turn the temperature of the oven down to 350℉ and bake for another hour—until the crust is golden brown. Make sure to check the pie occasionally. If the top starts to get too brown, you can cover it loosely with foil.

PRO-TIP: Use a woven top for the crust OR vent the top crust with a sharp knife. There are a million creative ways to do pie crust design, so if that is in your wheelhouse, knock yourself out!

Pictorial Guide

apple pie recipe pictorial guide
  1. Peel and slice the apples. Then, add the sugar, spices, and lemon juice.
  2. Roll out the pie dough.
  3. Put the pie dough in the cast iron pan.
  4. Add the apples and the caramel to the pie dough.
  5. Add the top layer of pie dough. Crimp the edges and vent the top with a sharp knife. Wash with an egg wash.
  6. Bake the pie. Preheat the oven to 450℉. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350℉.

Variations and FAQS

This recipe is just like my easy double-crust apple pie recipe, except there is salted caramel inside the pie. You can also serve extra caramel sauce on the side.

How to make perfect pie crust.

I have a detailed tutorial on how to make pie crust. Try my all-butter pie crust or my buttermilk pie crust.

Tip#1: To make a flakey pie crust, keep everything as cold as possible.
Tip#2: Chill the assembled pie before baking.

How long does it take to bake an apple pie?

Bake time can vary depending on your oven. Plan on baking your pie for about an hour.

How many apples are needed for apple pie?

I recommend 8-10 apples for apple pie.

Other Pie Recipes To Try

Leave A Review

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and a 5 ★ review. Your feedback helps other readers and helps me continue to offer recipes at no cost. Happy Cooking!!

apple pie baked in a cast iron pan with a slice cut out

Caramel Apple Pie

This is the best Apple Pie Recipe. The apple pie filling is sweet and cinnamon-y and has a caramel sauce that takes this classic apple pie recipe to the next level.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 306 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

Buttermilk Pie Crust

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (affiliate link)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup butter, ice cold
  • ½ cup buttermilk, right out of the fridge

Apple Pie Filling

  • 8 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced (I used Pippin apples.)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • ¾ cup sugar (affiliate link), organic cane sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp allspice

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water,
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 shot bourbon, or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (affiliate link)

Instructions
 

Make the Pie Dough

  • Add the flour, the salt, and the sugar to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse a few times to mix.
    2 ½ cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Dice the butter and add it to the work bowl. Pulse 10 to 15 times until the flour resembles a coarse sand.
    ½ cup butter
  • Turn the food processor on and add the buttermilk. Keep the food processor on until the dough mostly comes together.
    ½ cup buttermilk
  • Turn the dough out onto the counter and press it together. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge while you assemble the rest of the ingredients for the pie.

Make The Bourbon Caramel Sauce

  • Add the sugar to a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium. Add the water. Heat until the mixture is bubbly and turns a lovely golden honey color.
    1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water
  • PRO TIP: If crystals form around the edges, use water and a pastry brush to re-dissolve the sugar.
  • When the sugar is a golden honey color turn the heat off and immediately add the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble violently. Whisk gently until the caramel sauce is fluid and the bubbling has stopped.
    ½ cup heavy cream
  • Add one shot of bourbon (or one tbsp of vanilla) and a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate.
    1 shot bourbon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • PRO TIP: You can kick the heat on for a 10-20 second to mellow the alcohol in the bourbon if desired.

Make the Apple Pie Filling

  • Peel and core apples. Slice and add to bowl.
    8 cups apples
  • PRO TIP: Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl that you will be adding the apples too. That way you can toss them with the juice as I go.
    2 tbsp lemon juice
  • Add the sugar, the spices, the flour, and the cornstartch. Toss until apples are evenly coated.
    2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp corn starch, ¾ cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp allspice

Baking the Perfect Apple Pie

  • Roll out the pie dough into the bottom and top pie crusts. Put the bottom layer of the pie dough into the pie dish.
  • Add in the apple pie filling mixture. Top with about ⅓ of a cup of caramels sauce. Save the rest for topping.
  • Add the top pie dough. Finish the edges and add several vents to the top of the pie dough. Brush the dough with buttermilk or whisked egg, if desired. Brushing the crust will give you a glossier finish on the pie crust.
  • Put the entire pie in the fridge and let it chill while you preheat the oven.
  • Preheat oven to 450℉. The hot start encourages the water in the butter to release CO2 and puff the curst, creating ultimate flakinees.
  • Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and place it into the oven. Bake the pie for 10 minutes @ 450℉
  • Reduce oven temperature to 350℉. Bake the pie for another hour. The crust should be a rich golden brown.
  • Let the pie rest for at least an hour before serving. 
  • Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and more caramel sauce.

YOUR OWN NOTES

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 360mgFiber: 3gSugar: 44gCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.8mg
Keyword apple pie, pie recipes
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5 Comments

    1. You add the caramel sauce as part of the pie filling. Thanks for finding my oversight. The instruction is in the blog post, but I left it out of the recipe card. I’m updating it now. Happy baking.

  1. The recipe itself never said when to use the caramel sauce so I went back through the post and saw you put 1/3 cup into the pie. What do you do with the rest of the sauce? Save it or serve it over the pie?

    1. Thank you for catching this oversight. I will update the recipe card. Yes, the extra sauce is served on the sauce over a scoop of ice cream with the pie. Whatever your heart fancies.

  2. 5 stars
    Such a great pie recipe and so informative for making a homemade apple pie! I’ve never heard of a Pippin apple, but I used a combination of Granny Smith and Macoun. (New England variety) SO good!

5 from 9 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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