Nothing beats the taste of Grandma's Old Fashioned Apple Pie! This best apple pie recipe has an amazingly flaky crust and delicious apple cinnamon filling.
Autumn is such a beautiful season, full of vibrant colors. As a kid growing up in Saskatchewan this was a very busy time, as it was harvest time! We grew an enormous garden at my Grandparent's farm as well as one in town. The best home-grown vegetables to keep a large family well-fed over the winter. After spending a hard day working, my Grandma would make a hearty dinner, usually her Sunday Dinner Chicken. For dessert, we would enjoy her best-ever Apple Pie!
I don't think I will ever be able to bake apple pie quite as good as my Grandma's, but this homemade apple pie recipe comes pretty close. She baked her pie using a wood-burning stove! It was incredible how Grandma could bake amazing bread, cakes, cookies and pies, in a wood-burning oven. I have no idea how she regulated the baking temperature!
Tips for making the flakiest pie crust
Use a combination of butter and lard. Make sure it is well chilled, NOT room temperature!
The water should be ice-cold! Add only enough water until the pie dough comes together.
Don't overwork the dough, you want to have small chunks of butter in the dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Try not to stretch the pie dough as you place it into the pie plate. This will cause it to shrink.
Be sure to cut slits in the top crust, this vents the pie and prevents moisture from building up causing a soggy crust.
How to make the apple pie filling
Peel and slice the apples making sure to remove any seeds. There is nothing worse than taking a bite of apple pie with a bitter seed in it. An apple peeler works great for this job.
Toss the apple slices with brown and white sugar, cinnamon and Minute tapioca. I prefer my apple pie with just cinnamon and no other spices.
Why use Minute tapioca in Pies?
Minute tapioca is an ingredient I always use to thicken fruit fillings. It helps prevent the pie filling from being too watery and the juices making your bottom crust soggy.
I prefer Minute Tapioca as a thickener, but all-purpose flour or cornstarch can also be used.
Best apples to use for apple filling?
- I am lucky to have two apple trees growing in my yard. I have no idea what kind they are, but they are firm, with tart flavor that tastes similar to a Macintosh apple.
- My favorite baking apple is Macintosh.
- Granny Smith are also great to use. They are a bit more tart apples, so you may have to add a tad more sugar.
- Honeycrisp
- Pink Lady
Some other great apple recipes to enjoy!
Grandma's Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 8-10 apples peeled and sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon Minute tapioca
Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup butter chilled
- ½ cup lard chilled
- 5-7 tablespoons ice cold water
- 2 teaspoons cream
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Mix together flour, 1 ½ teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Using a pastry blender, blend together chilled butter, lard and flour until crumbly (pea size chunks).
- Start by blending 4 tablespoons of ice-cold water into the flour mixture.
- Add more water a tablespoon at a time until mixed and dough sticks together when pressed. Do not make it too wet, just enough water to have the dough come together.
- DO not over-mix the dough or your pie crust will be tough.
- Divide in half, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Apple Filling
- While the dough is chilling, in a large bowl toss together apple slices, white and brown sugar, tapioca and cinnamon.
- Roll out pie dough to make two crusts that cover the pie plate with about an inch excess.
- Place one crust in the bottom of the pie pan.
- Pile high with apple filling, cover with the other pie crust. Pinch together the crusts to seal the edges.
- Brush the top of the crust with a bit of cream.
- Sprinkle top with white sugar and cinnamon.
- Cut slits in the crust to vent the pie as it bakes
- Bake in the oven on the middle rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour The top should be golden brown.
- Cover the edge with a pie shield or foil if the edge starts to brown too much while baking.
Notes
Nutrition
Laureen says
Thanks Michelle, I picked a lot of nice sized apples off my tree this year, so I need some more apple recipes, got any good ones?
Virtual Paul says
Wow looks delish! I am so going to make this lol. BTW, I am your newest blog folower.
Laureen says
Thanks for the follow, checked out your blog and followed you back
Sheri Johnson says
Looks wonderful. New Superbowl tradition.
Laureen King says
That's a great Sheri, we always need another reason to bake up an apple pie!
Unknown says
This looks absolutely delicious! I will attempt this recipe and make it for my family on Easter! 🙂
Laureen King says
Apple pie will be an awesome Easter dessert for your family!
J Goff says
What kind of apples did you use?
Laureen King says
Hi J , the apples I used came off my very own apple tree that was a special graft of tree, so not sure variety but they are very similar to a macintosh apple.
Michelle R. Taylor -Franklin says
I used Granny Smith Apple's from Washington State! They are a little sharpness because of the tart apples, I prefer them. ~It cuts the sweetness and goes perfect with a little vanilla ice-cream!!!~
Anonymous says
Making this today just scared about making the crust. Never made one before
Laureen King says
The crust is simple to make, just don't overwork the dough. I've always had a problem with my pie dripping as I bake it, then burning to bottom of oven, so make sure you have tin foil (fold to make sure it has edges so drips don't just run off) and replace with new foil if it starts to burn on and smoke.
Anonymous says
I WANT TO USE MAC APPLES, WILL THEY WORK FOR APIE?
Laureen King says
McIntosh apples are perfect! one of my favourite apples for baked desserts.
Anonymous says
looks delicious gonna make on today, ty
BTW i live in McIntosh country in upstate New York Several apple orchards around me
Laureen King says
You are so lucky, one of my favourite apples are McIntosh!
edie says
How do you keep the bottom pie crust from becoming soggy??
Laureen King says
Hey Edie, I find that varies with type of apples used. I actually don't mind bottom crust being a bit soggy, but if you don't you can always toss a tablespoon of minute tapioca or flour with the apples before filling pie crust. I will add that to recipe instructions.
Nancy Fowler says
I was told to prebake the bottom crust at least halfway and the crust won't be soggy. It was from the baking show on tv
Laureen King says
Hi Nancy, I've been baking this pie for over 20 years and never prebaked the crust. Adding the minute tapioca helps thicken the juice from the apples, but who knows maybe its a trick I will try next time I make pie!
Rebecca Reamey says
What could I use instead of tapioca?
Laureen King says
you can use a tsp go cornstarch Rebecca
Rosetta Archie says
This 🍎Apple ie is absolutely the closest to my dear Grandma 's Apple pie ever, 😋delicious with that Old fashion taste!
Laureen King says
Thank you kindly Rosetta, it is so nice to have recipes that remind us of our Grandma's great cooking.
Karen says
I love your recipe for apple pie, but I always bake the bottom crust for about 15 minutes and let it cool for an additional 15 minutes. So can I do this? Also your recipe calls for lard, can I use an alternative? Thank you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 💛
Laureen King says
Hi Karen, I have never pre-baked the bottom pie crust, so can't say how that would turn out. The lard makes the crust extra flaky. You could use Crisco or any other kind of vegetable shortening. Enjoy.