Okay funny story… I never ate pie growing up. What?! Yeah, I was a picky child and pie just looked weird to me, so I didn’t ever want to taste it. It wasn’t until last year that I decided to try and make a homemade apple pie from scratch for Thanksgiving, so I found a recipe on Pinterest and gave it a shot. I kid you not, that was the first time I ever tasted apple pie! And let me tell you, my life was changed.

Homemade apple pie

This pie always turns out amazing, and now I know it’ll be a tradition to make every year. But I have to say, making a pie from scratch isn’t exactly a quick and easy task. In fact this will take you a good 2 hours total. But it’s totally worth it! Store-bought pies just don’t compare.

I suppose you could cheat and use a pre-made pie dough, and still consider it a homemade apple pie, but remember to take a look at the ingredients before you do (they might scare you!).

If you decide to do that, you can just skip the dough recipe and go straight to the pie filling.

I also gotta mention that this is not in any way a healthy recipe! But I think for holidays, which only come once a year, taking the time to make a delicious and unhealthy pie and then enjoying it to the fullest is totally acceptable. Now ON TO THE RECIPE!

Homemade pie crust

Note: this recipe makes a double batch of dough for the top and bottom crust of the pie. I used a 9.5 inch round pie dish.

Prep time: 45 minutes*

*Prep takes 15 minutes, refrigeration takes 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 sticks of butter, cold
• ¼ cup ice water

Directions:

1. Mix flour and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Grate the butter into the flour & sugar using a large-holed cheese grater, stirring it in as you go to prevent the butter from clumping together. You should end up with a course crumb consistency.
3. Add ice water a little at a time and mix until dough forms into a ball. If it doesn’t form just add a few more drops of water until it does.
4. Once the dough is formed into a ball, split it in half and flatten it into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Crust recipe adapted from: https://audreysapron.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/one-minute-homemade-pie-crust/

Apple pie filling

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour*

*Could take a bit longer depending on your oven and if you bake over a cookie sheet. Mine usually ends up taking a few minutes longer than 1 hour!

Ingredients:

• 8 small granny smith apples (or 7 medium)
• 1 stick of butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup water* (*optional: the recipe I followed calls for water, but my filling came out a bit runny. I would just add a few drops unless your filling is too thick to pour!)

Directions

1. Peel, core, and slice the apples into small pieces, and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 425° F.
3. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Stir in flour to make a thick paste. Add sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and water, mixing well. Bring the mixture to a boil for about a minute. Lower to a simmer and leave on for another minute, then set aside to cool.
4. Take dough out of refrigerator and roll the first half into a large circle (should be about ⅛ inch thick). Lay in pie dish and flatten out any air bubbles.
5. When pie filling has cooled a bit, set aside about ¼ of mixture for the top of the pie. Pour the rest over apple slices and mix until the apples are well coated. Pour the coated apples into the prepared pie dish, mounding slightly.
6. Roll out the second half of dough and cut into ½ to 1-inch strips to make a lattice pattern, or any pattern you like. Cover the top of the pie.
7. With the last bit of filling, brush the top of the pie so it will get crispy while baking.
8. Cover pie with foil and put into the oven (put on a cookie sheet if you want to catch any drips – may take a few minutes longer for the pie to bake all the way through!)
9. Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350° F and bake for another 45-50 minutes or until done*. Remove foil for last 10 minutes so the top of the pie can get crispy. *Pie is done when the crust is golden-brown, and the apples are soft when pierced with a fork.
10. Allow to cool before serving, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for the best dessert ever!

Serves: 8-10 people.

Pie recipe adapted from: https://audreysapron.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/the-best-apple-pie-ever/

I hope you love this pie! It’s now one of my favorite desserts of all time. If you try the recipe for Thanksgiving, let me know how it turns out! What’s your favorite holiday recipe? Leave a comment so I’ll know what to try and make next! 🍂

Xo,

Becka

P.S. – A last minute Thanksgiving outfit idea, and the best homemade sugar cookie recipe!