Award Winning Apple Pie Recipe ~ Barley & Sage

Name: Award Winning Apple Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 195 min
Ingredients: 1 Perfect Pie Crust; 6 cups tart apples (peeled and sliced (8-9 large apples)); 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons cold water; 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional); 1 egg (beaten (for egg wash)); sparkling sugar (optional)

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I promise you this is the best apple pie you'll ever make! I use my perfect pie crust recipe and fill it with the most flavorful, but not too sweet apple filling. The secret to this classic apple pie pre-cooking the filling before assembling! There's nothing worse than cutting into a perfectly golden brown pie and finding out the filling is watery or under-cooked. Pre-cooking the filling ensures that your pie turns out perfectly every time!

Now you know I'm not one for pointless stories, but I do have a great story about this pie! When I was 15, I entered an apple pie contest at my local community center (random I know). I used this exact recipe, made some gorgeous designs on the crust, and I won!! It was so exciting and validating and I got a lot of death glares from some sweet little old ladies (lol). So when I tell you this apple pie is the best, I'm not lying. It's literally award winning!

For best results I recommend making this apple pie over the course of two days. Making the pie crust dough and filling the night before makes assembly the next day a breeze! Especially if you're making this pie for Thanksgiving and need to prep ahead of time!

Ingredient Notes

You just need a few simple ingredients to make the best award winning apple pie!

Apples - What are the best apples for apple pie? Granny smith are the classic choice but I also love to use 1-2 few honey-crisp as well to add some extra sweetness. One of my favorite tools is this apple corer that peels, cores, and slices apples for you, but an old fashioned vegetable peeler works great too.
Pecans - This might be controversial, but I love adding pecans to my apple pie filling! It adds the perfect amount of crunch! But just leave them out if you prefer.
Cornstarch - We use cornstarch to help thicken the filling, but you can also substitute flour or clear jel. This is a great guide for making those substitutions!
Pie Crust - I use my homemade buttery pie crust recipe for this apple pie! But you can use store-bought crust or your own homemade crust if desired.

Homemade Pie Crust Notes

I use my homemade flaky pie crust for this recipe. I have a super in depth post with all my best advice for making your own pie crust, so you can check out this blog post for all my pie crust tips and tricks!

Making a lattice or braided crust can also look intimidating but is actually a lot easier than it seems! My number one tip is just making sure the dough stays cool! A cool, firm dough is drastically easier to work with and will hold together when you try to pick up delicate strips. But my number two tip is to get a Stainless Steel Ruler that you keep in the kitchen so you can always cut straight pieces of dough.

Before baking, lightly brush the top of the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar if desired.

Pre-Cooked Apple Filling

Pre-cooking the filling is a game changer! It ensures you never end up with a soupy, under-cooked filling. You also won't end up with a filling that shrinks down during cooking and leaves space underneath your top crust. Best of all, it gives you complete control over the taste and sweetness level of your filling!

My most important note with pre-cooked filling however is that you want it to be completely room temperature before you assemble the pie! If it's too hot, it will melt the butter in the crust too soon and if it's too cold, it won't heat up all the way through in the oven (although that's the better alternative since it's already cooked).

How to Make Apple Pie

Prepare your favorite homemade pie crust dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes but 1-2 hours is best. Check out my recipe with all my tips and tricks for my perfect pie crust.

Peel and core your apples and thinly slice into equal sized slices. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add in the sliced apples stirring to coat. Let the apples cook down for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften slightly.

Then add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let the apples continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft, 10-15 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water then add to the apples and stir until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust flavorings if needed. Stir in the chopped pecans if desired (I love that they add a little crunch).

Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely to room temperature (1-2 hours).

Lightly flour your counter-top and roll out the pie dough to ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and cut away any excess crust. Place the pie pan back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Roll out the top crust and cut into 2 inch wide strips (or keep it in one piece, you do you).

Pour the cooled filling into the bottom crust and top with the strips in a lattice pattern. Place the pie back in the fridge to chill again for at least 15 minutes while the oven is heating.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Lightly brush the top of the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar if desired.

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the edges of the crust start to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remainder of baking.

For best results, let the pie cool completely before slicing (however since we know the filling is fully thickened, it won't ooze too much if you cut into it early.

This apple pie is best served with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Recipe Notes

Pre-cooking the filling is technically optional but I highly recommend it! It allows the filling to fully thicken so that you don't end up with runny apple pie filling. [I know I've mentioned this like 4 times but I swear by this okay!!!]

For best results, make the pie crust dough and filling the night before assembling. In the morning, take the filling out of the fridge and allow it to come fully to room temperature before assembly (about 2 hours).

You can make both the pie crust dough and filling ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 3 days before assembling the pie!

slice of apple pie with pre cooked filling

Recipe FAQ's

How long does this apple pie last?

This pie is best eaten the same day, but will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Why is my apple pie filling runny?

This happens when the pie isn't cooked long enough, or there wasn't enough thickening agent added. But if you pre-cook the filling, you'll never have a runny pie again!

Best way to reheat apple pie?

Reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes for best results.

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