The BEST Apple Pie

Notes

1. Getting Started: Apple pie crust and filling can have a learning curve, so we’ve included extra tips to guide you. Feel free to ask questions in the comments—we’re here to help!
2. Servings: Makes one standard 9 to 11-inch pie. (8-12 servings)
3. Storage (Baked Pie): Keeps 2 days at room temperature or 5 days refrigerated. Freeze slices for up to 3 months.
4. Make-Ahead (Dough): Pie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance or frozen for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
5. Make-Ahead (Filling): Apple filling can be made 4 days in advance. Cool completely at room temp, then transfer to an airtight and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking. This can be frozen for up to 3 months, but it can change the texture of the apples. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp before baking.
6. Make-Ahead (Whole Pie): You can assemble the entire pie up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. The filling will be cold, so add 10-20 minutes to the bake time, monitoring closely. For longer storage, freeze the assembled unbaked pie for up to 3 months and bake from frozen (add at least 20–35 minutes). Just note that the apples may be more juicy and the crust soggy inside.
7. Make-Ahead: 1) Pie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance or frozen for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. 2) Apple filling can be made 1 day in advance. Cool completely at room temp, then store airtight and refrigerate. 3)
8. Pie Dish: Ceramic or glass benefits from baking on a preheated pizza stone/steel. Metal pans crisp well on their own. Ceramic/glass may need a little extra bake time.
9. Dough Thickness: Roll to ⅛” exactly. Many recipes say, 1-inch beyond your pie dish, but that’s not accurate. Too thin of dough results in a soggy, limp bottom. Too thick of dough can’t bake fully which makes the crust dense and unable to support the filling. Use a Birchberry Adjustable Rolling Pin to be sure you get it’s the exact ⅛” thickness needed for a crispy bottom. (It’s 16” long to roll out the full size of your pie crusts.)
10. Chilling the Dough: Chill anytime the dough softens. Depending on the temperature of your house, you may need to chill up to 3–4 times (Fridge: 10–20 minutes; Freezer: 5-10 minutes). Chill the assembled pie before baking as well.
11. Egg Wash: A classic egg + milk wash works best. Heavy cream instead of milk gives deeper color but browns faster.
12. Apple Varieties: Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady are ideal. Using two varieties adds more depth of flavor. Less-juicy apples may shorten reduction time.
13. Maceration: Macerating deepens apple flavor and helps apples shrink slightly before baking, reducing gaps and sinking. Letting rest for the full 2 hours will give you more flavor and even layers.
14. Reducing the Juices: You may be tempted to increase the heat, but keep it at medium. Stir constantly during the last few minutes to prevent sugars from burning. The syrup is done when scraping the pan leaves a trail that slowly fills in, like a caramel sauce.
15. Apple Cider: Reducing cider adds concentrated apple-caramel flavor. You can omit it, but flavor intensity will decrease. (this is not apple cider vinegar)
16. Cornstarch + Flour: Using both gives the most stable filling. Subbing one for the other works, but texture and sinkage may vary.
17. Apple Brandy: The filling is delicious without it, so more often than not I’ll leave it out to appreciate the organic flavor.
18. Spices: This spice blend balances the caramelized reduction. Stronger spices/flavors (ginger, cardamom, cloves, lemon zest) can overpower, so add in small amounts first if experimenting.
19. Apple Layering: This is super important for preventing gaps. Do not, I repeat do not just dump all of your apples in at once. This is almost a guarantee for sinkage and gaps in your pie. Add apples in layers, adjusting slices as needed. Press each layer firmly to eliminate gaps. Mound the center higher to account for natural sinking. This takes a bit more time, but it results in the most beautifully layered and level pie!
20. Lattice or Single Crust: Lattice is as functional as it is beautiful, it also allows steam to escape. If skipping the lattice and using a solid top crust, add several slits to vent for steam—you’ll also likely have extra dough that can be used for cutouts.
21. Oven Temperature: Use an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy—consistent heat is key for an even bake with pies.
22. Cooling Time: Cool completely for at least 4 hours before slicing. Cutting early causes syrup to run because the thickener hasn’t set.
23. Cutting Into Slices: Use a small serrated knife to help saw through all the apple layers for a clean slice. With this recipe, the filling should be perfectly set and the crust nice and crisp, so I’ll even turn the pie completely over to help get the first slice out!

Best Practices

1. Pie Dough Prep and Bake: See “Best Practices" on our “Flaky Pie Crust” recipe.
2. Use Firm Apples: Not all apples come the same. Many types are too soft for using in pies, so they get soft or mushy while baking. My favorites are Cosmic Crisp (sweet-tart, strong apple flavor), Pink Lady (sweet-tart, tangy, bright), and Braeburn (sweet, warm spiced-pear notes) . These add so much flavor, balance each other well, and are the perfect soft exterior with a little crunch still left after baking. If you like a tart/sour pie, make half of the apples Granny Smith (very tart) instead. These apples are the best options for this particular recipe, since there’s maceration and pre-cooking required. There are many other options, but you’ll just have to monitor them a little more closely so they don’t overcook beforehand. This results in a squishy apple sauce-like filling. Here are other good baking apples if you can’t find the recommended varieties: Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Jazz, SweeTango. If you go with other apples, choose varieties that have similar firmness levels and complementary flavor profiles so they bake evenly.
3. Apple Slice Thickness Matters: Aim for ¼-inch slices—thinner slices collapse and turn mushy, while thicker slices stay too firm and don’t conform to the shape of the pie. Keeping them uniform ensures they cook at the same rate, stack evenly, and reduce center-sink.
4. Don’t Over-Macerate: Maceration draws out water, which is great for preventing a soupy filling—but too much maceration weakens the apples before they ever hit the oven. Stick to a 1 hour if your apples are soft, 2 hours if your apples are firm. Extra-firm apples like Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady can go up to 3 hours max. Longer than that creates excess juices and weakens apple structure.
5. Pile Apples High—Properly: The signature domed top prevents sinkage. Always mound the apples firmly in the center, pressing down slightly to remove gaps. Under-filling leads to the pie collapsing even if your apples stay firm.
6. Vent Top Crust Well: Good ventilation is not just decorative—it allows steam to escape. Poor venting traps steam and softens the apples. Be sure the lattice isn’t too tight, and add 4-5 slits to a solid sheet of crust.
7. Bake Until the Filling Is Actually Bubbling: The most reliable doneness marker is visible bubbling through the vents or lattice—that’s your thickeners fully activating. Thermometers can trick you because apples heat unevenly; bubbling tells you everything has gelled.
8. Don’t Underestimate Carryover Heat: Apple pies continue cooking for 10–15 minutes after leaving the oven. If your apples are already softening or you’re using a softer variety, remove the pie when bubbling is visible but before they reach full softness.
9. Prevent Soggy Bottom: There are two major culprits behind soggy-bottomed pies, and I’m always shocked that the first is so overlooked when it’s so common. 1) Dough Thickness: Dough that’s rolled too thin absorbs juices too quickly and collapses into a soggy, limp bottom. Dough that’s rolled too thick won’t bake through by the time the filling is done, which leaves you with a dense, gummy base that can’t support the slice. These frustrations are one of the main reasons we made the Birchberry Adjustable Rolling Pin. It’s changed my pie-baking life and made my time in the kitchen so much more fun. 2) Lack of Heat Under Pie Dish: If you use ceramic or glass pie plates, investing in a pizza steel completely changes the game. Since using one, I haven’t had a soggy bottom even once. A pizza stone works well too. A baking sheet is an option, but in my experience, it doesn’t deliver the same crispness. Metal pie plates are naturally better at transferring heat, so they typically do best on a baking sheet rather than a steel, which can overbrown them. 3) Other commonly blamed issues—too much water in the dough, not chilling long enough, humidity—I’ve found are not typically the cause if you’ve followed the recipe.
10. Protect the Crust Early: High heat is essential for crisp bottoms, but the top can brown too quickly. Shield the edges or lattice at the 20–30 minute mark to prevent burnt tips while letting the filling finish cooking. You can always take it back off for the last few minutes if you’d like a little extra browning later.
11. Let the Pie Cool—Fully: Cutting too soon is the #1 reason fillings seem runny. Cool for at least 3–4 hours, or overnight, for clean slices and a set gel. The cornstarch and flour need time to completely cool to thicken.
12. Adjust Timing to Match Your Dish Material: 1) Metal pie plates: best bottom browning. Need less time to bake. 2) Ceramic/glass: longer bake time without using a pizza steel/stone underneath. Timing will be the same if using a preheated steel/stone. If using ceramic, an unglazed bottom will bake faster. 3) Deep-dish pans: require more apples and longer bake time.

Troubleshooting

1. Pie Crust Issues: See “Troubleshooting" on our “Flaky Pie Crust” recipe.
2. Thickened Syrup Turned Grainy or Clumpy: 1) The flour/cornstarch slurry wasn’t stirred in immediately and cooked at a rolling boil instead of a simmer. 2) The syrup reduced too far and scorched slightly before thickeners were added.
3. Reduced Syrup Tastes Burnt or Bittersweet: 1) Heat was too high; syrup scorches easily in the last few minutes. This burned the sugar. Remove from heat immediately if you smell any burning or see any black specks forming. 2) Spices sat directly on the hot pan for too long. Stir constantly once spiced apples are added. 3) There wasn’t enough liquid to start with, so too much evaporated below ~⅓ inch depth.
4. Apples Turned To Mushy Applesauce While Baking: 1) The filling likely hit 200°F or more for too long—at that temperature, apple pectin breaks down completely. Softer apples will especially lose structure quickly at that temp. 2) The apple slices were cut too thin, so they couldn’t hold their shape or heated faster than expected. 3) The apple variety used was naturally softer, which requires less bake time. Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady are firm, so they will hold up better than others.
5. Apples Stayed Too Firm After Baking: 1) The slices may have been cut slightly too thick (over ¼"). This would have needed a few extra minutes to soften. 2) Using extra-firm varieties (Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady) sometimes need slightly longer. This can even make a difference depending on the season and when they were picked. 3) The filling was too cold going into the oven and needed more time to heat all the way through. 4) The pie was taken out too early. Wait until consistently bubbling towards the center, not only at the edges.
6. Filling Separated (apples on top, gel pooled below): 1) The apples weren’t packed tightly enough during assembly so the thickener dropped between haps. 2) Thickener amount wasn’t evenly dispersed—mix the syrup thoroughly into the apples. 3) Slices were uneven thickness (thinner slices collapsed, thicker ones stayed firm).
7. Crust Over-Browned Before Filling Was Done: Can be prevented by tenting with foil as soon as you see browning. Here are some causes: 1) Your oven might run hot—shield with foil earlier (at 15–20 minutes), or move the rack down as a last resort. 2) Be sure you’re not using a pizza steel + metal pie dish—the crust will brown too fast. Use a baking sheet instead. 3) Too much sugar in the syrup bubbled up and caramelized on the crust edges.
8. Pie Sunk In Middle: 1) A sunken center typically means the filling reduced during baking or cooling—often from excess steam escaping, under-thickened filling, apples that weren’t pre-cooked long enough, or apples that weren’t stacked high enough in the middle. 2) It can also happen if the pie was overfilled with apples that softened significantly after baking. This is more common with softer apples, but Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady should be fine. 3) The apples macerated too long (longer than 3 hours) before reducing the juices, pulling too much moisture out of them.
9. Gap Between Apples and Crust: 1) If the apples weren’t layered evenly, they’ll fall into any gaps that weren’t filled with apples beforehand. 2) The apples syrup wasn’t thick enough to “fill in” between the apples, so the top crust collapses down into the empty space. Though that shouldn’t be an issue with this particular recipe since we add extra thickener and stack apples higher in the middle. 3) Apples shrink as they lose moisture during baking, so depending on the variety you use, they may not have been firm enough to keep their shape. 4) The apple filling got too hot for too long, and is slightly overbaked.
10. Top Crust Separated From Edges: 1) This usually happens when the filling shrinks as it cools if the filling was stacked loosely, leaving air pockets that collapsed even if apples didn’t. 2) Apple got overcooked beforehand, or overbaked and stayed too hot in oven. 3) The pie was under-filled, which should happen with this recipe long as you weigh your sliced apples beforehand. 4) The edges dried out faster because they weren’t crimped tightly enough to seal the top and bottom crust.
11. Pie Top or Lattice “Floated” Up During Baking: 1) Too much liquid under the apples caused the top crust to rise with steam bubbles. 2) The apples weren’t mounded tightly enough, so steam inflated the space below the lid. 3) The top crust wasn’t properly anchored to the bottom before crimping.
12. Bottom Crust Baked, But Inside Edge (where crust meets filling) Stayed Doughy: 1) Filling was too cool and condensed moisture against the crust. 2) The thickened syrup wasn’t reduced enough, leaving too much free water. Though this is unlikely with this recipe. 3) The edge of the dough was rolled too thick and insulated.
13. Soggy Bottom Crust (Soggy-Bottom Syndrome): There are a few common causes. 1) Dough Thickness is a major factor and often overlooked. Roll dough to the exact thickness specified in the recipe, not by dimensions—most recipes say “Roll to 1-inch beyond your pie dish and ⅛” thick,” but every pie dish is different, and it’s nearly impossible to roll dough to that exact thickness, so it ends up too thick or too thin. Thick dough won’t bake through and end up raw. Thin dough, the filling seeps into the dough too soon making it limp. Use a Birchberry Adjustable Rolling Pin to be sure you get it’s the precise thickness needed in your recipe. (It’s 16” long to roll out the full size of your crust.) 2) Bottom heat is another factor. Ceramic and stoneware take longer to heat, so preheating a lined pizza steel or stone helps the bottom crust bake through. Metal pie dishes conduct heat more efficiently, and preheating a baking sheet can mimic this effect for glass dishes. If you’re new to pies, using a clear glass dish can also help monitor bottom browning.
14. Taking Extra Time to Bake: 1) Glass or ceramic heats more slowly than metal dishes. If you’re not using a pizza steel/stone, ceramic may need more time. 2) Since this is pastry, an uneven oven temperature can impact baking time. Use an oven thermometer to monitor. 3) If your pie was chilled longer than the 20-30 minutes, your filling may have been colder and required more time to heat though. 4) Your apples may be extra fresh or firm, depending on the season. They may have released more liquid, which will need more time to heat through and set.
15. Juices Are Leaking Form The Pie: The hot syrup inside expands when heated and looks for escape routes — the tiniest gap along the edge or lattice will allow syrup to bubble out. It means your pie is actively reducing liquid inside (which is good). Some juices escaping actually signal the filling is near done—the internal syrup is thickening and bubbling up, and a good time to take out of the oven and check to see if it’s done. If there’s an excess coming out of the sides, the top and bottom crust weren’t sealed tightly enough—next time be sure they’re pressed together well before crimping so there are no gaps during baking.
16. Apple Filling Was Runny After Baking: 1) The pie wasn’t baked long enough—thickeners activate only once the syrup is actively bubbling. 2) The syrup wasn’t reduced enough before adding thickeners. 3) The pie was cut into too soon, so the thickeners didn’t have time to fully set.

Happy Baking! ❤️

Emma & Eric