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10 Apple Pie Tips for Tasty Pies Every Time + Recipe

Apple pie tips are here! Apple pie happens to be my specialty. I think my husband actually married me for my apple pie! I learned pie-making from my Grandma Howard, and worked to perfect some of her techniques. Here are my 10 tips for better apple pies, just in time for Thanksgiving and holiday baking! My grandma’s Apple Pie recipe is at the bottom of this post! 

Sliced apples placed in pie crust

Apple Pie Tips for a Flaky Crust

People think apple pie is difficult. Far from true. Apple pies are very easy to make if you practice a little and know some tricks for working with the pie crust. My apple pie tips start with creating a delicious crust. 

Collage with rolled crust dough at top and folded pie crust in pie dish at bottom

Make more – if you’re going to make one apple pie, make two. Make three! I just made three apple pies in two hours before writing this post. Honestly, you have all the ingredients out anyway, and the steps are so simple, you might as well make the most of it!

Butter is BEST – Crisco works. A blend of butter and Crisco is better.

Don’t Overwork the Dough – First of all, it’s not dough anyway, it’s pastry crust. So you don’t want to knead it. I stir mine with a fork while adding the water slowly in little dribbles. Stir and fluff as I add water until everything starts to lump together.

Flour Your Rolling Pin – The worst part of rolling out the crust is that if you have some sticky spots, it will stick to the rolling pin, and your crust will tear. Leading you to have to patch it together, or ball it up and re-roll. Leading you to… well, see tip #3 again.

Pie crusts stacked on plate

Fold It – instead of trying to lift the entire crust up off the counter and into the pie shell, fold it in half and then into quarters. Then you can lift the crust without it stretching and breaking. Put the folded crust into the pie pan and then unfold. This will save you a lot of grief!

Store It – Did you know pie crust can be stored in the fridge for a few days? or that you can assemble the entire apple pie and put it in the fridge to bake the next day. Or even wrap it well and put it uncooked into the freezer for a later date? Remember when I told you to make more pies – this is why! (You can freeze a cooked apple pie, but I don’t recommend it.)

Apple Pie Tips for Better Filling

Collage with pie crust in pie plate at top and filled pie at bottom

Granny Knows Best – Granny Smith apples are the best choice for apple pie in my opinion. Although…

Variety is the Spice – how many times can I use THAT phrase! Try using a variety of apples in your pie. Or add some other fruit along with the apples. Try tossing in some cranberries. Or blueberries. Pears might work too.

Even Steven – cut your apples all about the same size to ensure even cooking throughout

Toss Up – instead of dumping your apples into the pie crust and then pouring the sugar on top, toss the cut-up apples with your spice/sugar mixture for an evenly spiced pie.

close up of apple pie filling

Grandma Howard’s Apple Pie Recipe

Grandma Howard's Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • CRUST:
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • Pinch Salt
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup ice water
  • FILLING
  • 5-6 tart, firm apples (I prefer Granny Smith), peeled and sliced
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 T Flour
  • 1 T Cinnamon
  • 1 T butter
  • 1 T milk or scrambled egg

Instructions

  1. For the crust:
  2. Blend flour and salt.
  3. Cut in chilled butter pieces with a form or pastry blender until crumbs form.
  4. Slowly dribble in ice water while stirring crumbly crust mixture. You'll see the crush start to clump together and get a little stretchy. Don't overstir.
  5. When it starts to form big chunks, press together with hands.
  6. Divide into 2 balls and press into flat disk about 1" thick.
  7. Roll out on a little flour to the size of your pie dish.
  8. For the Filling:
  9. Toss apple slices with the sugar/flour/cinnamon mixture.
  10. Layer into pie dish lined with crust.
  11. Dab the 1 T of butter over the apples.
  12. Cover with 2nd crust. Trim and crimp edges.
  13. Brush with milk.
  14. Bake at 475 F for 15 minutes.
  15. Lower temperature to 350 F and bake for 45 minutes.
  16. **Place foil under pie pans to catch sticky apple juice which may bubble out during cooking.

https://happystronghome.com/10-tips-for-better-apple-pies/

More Pie Recipes & Ideas

We can all use a little more pie right!? How about these:

Get ready for baking season!

Shop for all the accessories to make baking pies a breeze! Some of these accessories are more for the beauty of decorating the crust, so I’ve put these in order of importance. All you really need is a pie dish and wooden rolling pin! But, it’s fun to have nice tools to get creative with too, or to put together a gift set!
(These links are Commissions Earned Amazon Affiliate links)

Pyrex Easy Grab Glass 9.5 Inch Pie Plate (2-Pack)Pyrex Easy Grab Glass 9.5 Inch Pie Plate (2-Pack)Pyrex Easy Grab Glass 9.5 Inch Pie Plate (2-Pack)Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Wooden Rolling Pin, German Beechwood with Steel Ball Bearings, 10-Inch by 2-InchMrs. Anderson’s Baking Wooden Rolling Pin, German Beechwood with Steel Ball Bearings, 10-Inch by 2-InchMrs. Anderson’s Baking Wooden Rolling Pin, German Beechwood with Steel Ball Bearings, 10-Inch by 2-InchSpring Chef Dough Blender, Top Professional Pastry Cutter with Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Blades, Medium SizeSpring Chef Dough Blender, Top Professional Pastry Cutter with Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Blades, Medium SizeSpring Chef Dough Blender, Top Professional Pastry Cutter with Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Blades, Medium SizeWalfos Pie Server, Stainless SteelWalfos Pie Server, Stainless SteelWalfos Pie Server, Stainless SteelElegant Pie: Transform Your Favorite Pies into Works of ArtElegant Pie: Transform Your Favorite Pies into Works of ArtElegant Pie: Transform Your Favorite Pies into Works of ArtArt of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and LifeArt of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and LifeArt of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and LifeJoinor Cake Leaves Baking Pie Crust Cutters Set of 4Joinor Cake Leaves Baking Pie Crust Cutters Set of 4Joinor Cake Leaves Baking Pie Crust Cutters Set of 4Mini Cookie Cutter Shapes Set - 24Mini Cookie Cutter Shapes Set – 24Mini Cookie Cutter Shapes Set - 24Non-slip Silicone Pastry Mat Extra Large with MeasurementsNon-slip Silicone Pastry Mat Extra Large with MeasurementsNon-slip Silicone Pastry Mat Extra Large with MeasurementsEmile Henry Made In France HR Modern Classics Pie Dish, 9Emile Henry Made In France HR Modern Classics Pie Dish, 9Emile Henry Made In France HR Modern Classics Pie Dish, 9Cast Iron Pie PanCast Iron Pie PanCast Iron Pie PanMrs. Anderson’s Baking Ceramic Pie Crust Weights, Natural Ceramic StonewareMrs. Anderson’s Baking Ceramic Pie Crust Weights, Natural Ceramic StonewareMrs. Anderson’s Baking Ceramic Pie Crust Weights, Natural Ceramic Stoneware

 

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Let’s Go to Grandma Camp!

Monday 30th of June 2014

[…] I’d count the blueberry, cherry, peach, and apple pies lined up on top of my Grandma’s washer and dryer and hope we’d get to taste all of them after dinner. (My Grandma was famous for her pie crust, which I have attempted to master, and you can find here). […]

Brett

Tuesday 3rd of July 2012

i love that you make them piled high like me!! YUM!

T Rex Mom

Friday 5th of November 2010

WOW! Can I win an apple pie? I don't even like apple pie but yours looks amazing!Great tips - I never thought to fold the dough before placing in the pie tin. Thanks.

Sara

Friday 5th of November 2010

I love to make apple pie. The only thing I have never tried is freezing the pies. With five of us, we can gobble up multiple pies pretty quickly. I always make extra pastry dough....hubby really loves a thick crust on the edges. Personally, I like using a variety of apples....probably because that is the way I have always done it. But no matter how you slice it, homemade is always the best. (And if you have Vermont roots, you eat it with slices of sharp cheddar cheese).

Crunchy Beach Mama

Thursday 4th of November 2010

That looks FABULOUS! And you make it look so easy...And no I don't make pie though I may have to try now. Maybe for Thanksgiving. I like ALL pie I think :)

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