Best Ever Apple Pie

Whether you’re baking for Thanksgiving or entering an apple pie bake-off, this Best Ever Apple Pie is the only recipe you’ll ever need! I’m confident this warm, flaky pie can go toe-to-toe with the best apple pie recipes out there. So, let’s start baking!

‍

I love the warm spices and comforting aromas of fall, and this apple pie bursts with those flavors! Easy to make and full of brown butter, cinnamon, and sweet apples, all in a perfectly flaky, buttery crust, this Best Ever Apple Pie certainly lives up to its name. I can’t wait for you to taste the rich depth of flavor. So, let’s dive right into this recipe!

What You’ll Need:

First, let’s gather our ingredients. You can find exact amounts in the recipe card below, but to make the

Best Ever Apple Pie, you’ll need the following:

FOR THE FLAKY PIE CRUST

• All-purpose flour

• Sea salt

• Granulated sugar

• Cubed, unsalted butter (keep this cold!)

• Ice water

• Egg wash (One egg + one tbsp of water)

FOR THE APPLE PIE FILLING

• Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

• Cinnamon

• Unsalted butter

• All-purpose flour

• Lemon juice (or substitute white vinegar)

• Granulated sugar

• Brown sugar

• Salt

• Vanilla extract

How to Make the Best Ever Apple Pie:

First, in every recipe, especially simple ones, high-quality ingredients make all the difference in the final

product. Believe me when I tell you this is the time to skip everyday grocery store butter and opt for

high-quality, European-style, grass-fed butter. This butter is brighter yellow and gives you a much richer

flavor. So, grab your European butter and food processor, and let’s start baking!

Step One: Make the Flaky Pie Crust

Start by placing your flour, sugar, and salt into the food processor and pulsing them a few times until

mixed. Now, add your cubed butter. The key to this flaky crust is COLD ingredients. So, be sure to cube

your butter ahead of time and let it chill in the freezer for a few minutes before you start baking.

Once the butter is in, turn the food processor on for just a minute until you see roughly pea-sized

clumps of butter. Then, use the pulse setting while you slowly stream in ice water. Stop once a rough,

crumbly dough starts coming together.

Sprinkle flour on a cutting board or directly on your countertop, and then turn the pie dough out of the

food processor. Begin pressing the crust into itself. While you bring the crust together, stack it in layers

and press them together. This creates lamination in the dough, giving you a beautiful, flaky crust. Finally,

form the crust into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge to chill for at least one

hour.

Step Two: Create the Best Ever Apple Pie Filling

Now, while your pie crust dough chills, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and get started on the

delicious apple filling. The secret to this Best Ever Apple Pie filling is the brown butter, so we’ll make that

first. Grab the rest of your grass-fed, European-style butter and melt it in a saucepan over medium heat.

Let the butter cook until all the excess water evaporates, and you start to see brown bits forming. This

should take about five to six minutes.

Next, remove the brown butter from the heat, whisk in your flour, and then add lemon juice, white

sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Set this aside for a moment. You now need

those beautiful Granny Smith apples. If you haven’t already, peel, core, and thinly slice your apples and

place them in a large bowl. Then, sprinkle cinnamon over the apples and toss them to distribute the

spice evenly. Finally, pour your brown butter sugar sauce over the apples and stir until all the slices are

well-coated.

Step Three: Roll Out the Pie Crust

After the pie crust dough has rested for at least an hour, pull it out of the fridge and get ready to roll it

out. This is where that OXO pastry mat comes in handy, but any floured surface will work for this step.

Cut your crust in half (rewrap half and put it back in the fridge), then roll it out to about a ten- to twelve-

inch circle.

Once you’ve created your circle, gently place the crust into the bottom of your pie dish, letting the

excess dough hang slightly over the edge. Now grab that apple pie filling you just made and pour it into

the center of the pie crust. Make sure not to leave any of that delicious sauce behind in the bowl!

Step Four: Carefully Design Your Lattice

Now comes the part so many people dread: it's time to create the lattice for our Best Ever Apple Pie. But

trust me, it’s so easy! First, pull the remaining half of your pie crust dough out of the fridge and roll it

out into an eleven-inch circle. Next, cut the circle into ten equal strips with a pizza cutter.

Then, we create the lattice! Start by laying strips vertically all across the top of the pie dish. Gently fold

every other strip back on itself, then lay your first horizontal strip across the pie over the strips that are

lying flat. Now, lay the folded strips flat over the horizontal strip, fold back the strips you left flat the first

time, lay another horizontal strip across the pie, and continue until you’ve completed the pattern.

Step Five: Bake and Serve the Best Ever Apple Pie!

And that’s it! Pop your pie in the preheated oven for one hour, then let it rest on the counter for

another hour before serving. I hope you love this apple pie recipe as much as I do!

Click here for a peek inside my personal cookbook and even more delicious recipes. Plus, check out my

YouTube channel for complete recipe tutorials on how to make this Best Ever Apple Pie and more!

‍

Until next time, Buon appetito!

‍