How To Make Apple Pie Filling Recipe Video
Every week I have a list of things Im going to bake or cook. At the beginning of the week, usually on Mondays, I make a list of what I have to bake/photograph/video for the week, do an inventory of my pantry, and make a shopping list. Then, as is also normal, by Wednesday when Im actually doing the recipes, I change my mind 10 times or add a few new recipes to the mix. Last week was no exception to my rule: I decided I needed apple pie filling for a recipe
I never buy apple pie filling unless its for a recipe, because in all honesty, I dont really like canned pie filling very much. Sure, I use it, because its easy and makes things like dump cake or slab pie even easier than normal, and you all love easy recipes. So of course, on a random Wednesday when I decide to make an apple recipe using pie filling, I dont have any in my pantry. And because, by Wednesdays, Ive been to the store usually 3 times already, I dont want to go again.
But then I realized something: I can make my own apple pie filling. It will taste better, be fresher, and I can use it in so many recipes .
I dont know why its taken me 7 years to make my own pie filling, but Im glad I finally came around to the other side of things. Homemade apple pie filling is better tasting and better for you, Im sure. Plus, its good in so many recipes!
Let’s Break Down What Pie Dough Is
At its heart a good pie dough is a balance of three key ingredients: flour, butter and water. This butter pie crust recipe contains a few other ingredients that make it the best it can be, but the aforementioned three are the fundamental elements.
The water interacts with the flour to form the gluten that creates the structure for the dough. You want to develop just enough gluten formation that the pastry has some strength to hold its shape but not so much that it’s tough.
The butter coats the flour, helping to keep the dough together, but it also creates pockets of steam as it melts which then creates that flakiness we all love.
Each ingredient added to this pie dough recipe is there for a reason, and with a recipe like this it’s best to follow the instructions as closely as possible.
But truth be told? Any homemade pie dough you make is worlds away better than anything you can buy at the store, so don’t be worried if you are a beginner: you’re going to do great!
Favorite Crazy For Crust Recipes
**Did you make this recipe? Dont forget to give it a star rating below!**
SaveSave
SaveSave
All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
Recommended Reading: Marcus Lemonis Key Lime Pie
How To Make Apple Pie Filling From Scratch
This isn’t a very complicated task. Essentially, apples are peeled and sliced, then mixed together with a few ingredients on the stove. They’re cooked until softened, and then a cornstarch slurry is added to thicken them up! Overall you’ll find this recipe very simple, but there are a few tricks you should follow to ensure you get the best flavor in your filling.
The first is that the recipe calls to macerate the apples for about 15 minutes. This helps bring out some of the natural juices in the apples, so the apples are a bit more firm.
Secondly, there is apple cider added into the mixture. This not only adds a boost of apple flavor to the filling, but it also adds in extra sauce around the apples. I just love that apple sauce that surrounds the apple slices, and this ensures it’s plentiful.
And finally, the cornstarch is added later in the cooking process. I prefer to cook the apples to the correct consistency first, and then add the cornstarch to thicken it up. If the cornstarch is added in at the beginning, it can become a little thick or gloopy and possibly even burn, so I like to add it in right at the end, once the apples have fully cooked.
At the very end of the cooking process, some butter and vanilla are folded into the hot mixture. The butter adds a delicious richness, and the vanilla adds a depth of flavor that complements the apples very nicely.
What Apples Should Not Be Used For Apple Pie
Red Delicious and Gala are two apples that wont withstand cooking temperatures and should not be used for apple pie. Many new apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, have a flesh that fractures when you bite it. This is so appealing for snacking on an apple, but not the best feature for a good apple pie apple.
Recommended Reading: Mrs Budd’s Chicken Pot Pie Review
More Baking Tips For Apple Pie
- Use a trusted pie crust recipe. We always use this homemade pie crust recipe for our pies.
- Prepare the apple pie filling first and set it aside for 1 hour, allowing the apples to release their juices then mix the apples and the juices with a thickener like cornstarch or tapioca starch.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 75 minutes, turning a few times for even browning. The long bake time makes sure that the filling thickens inside the pie.
- If your crust starts to brown too quickly or looks to be turning too dark, mold a large piece of foil over a bowl thats been placed upside down to make a foil dome. Place the foil dome over the pie for the remaining bake time. This will slow the browning.
- Let apple pie cool before cutting into it. For the best results, the filling should be room temperature or cold before slicing. Cooling the pie gives the liquid inside a chance to thicken even more, which means it wont spill out into a pool when you cut into the pie.
How To Tell When The Pie Is Done
Here are three simple methods for telling when apple pie is ready to come out of the oven:
Visual cue: Apple pie is done when the juices are bubbling through the vents of the top crust or lattice. If you do not see bubbles, the pie needs more time.
Internal temperature: The pie is done when an internal thermometer inserted into the middle of the pie reads 195 degrees Fahrenheit .
Texture of the apples: Piercing the pie is a good indication of how soft the apples are. If they feel too crunchy, the pie needs more time.
You May Like: Mermaid Cupcakes Denver
Tips For Apple Pie Filling
- You can cut your apples into any size or shape that you like, just be sure to cut them uniformly so that they all cook at the same rate.
- Freshly grated nutmeg has so much more flavor than the pre-ground variety. Whole nutmegs keep for years when stored in a cool dry location, so buy a bottle and shave off a little nutmeg as needed for your dishes.
- I use butter in this pie filling because it makes the finished product taste a little richer. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Homemade apple pie filling can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months
Now that Ive had homemade apple pie filling, Ill never be able to go back to the store bought kind. The flavor of this version is SO much better, so even if you have to cheat and use a pre-made pie crust like I do, youll still end up with an amazing pie.
Cinnamon Rolls With Apple Pie Filling
These cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are soft, gooey and delicious. These enriched rolls are filled with the traditional brown sugar cinnamon roll filling, with a cooked apple pie filling and topped with a cream cheese frosting.
This particular recipe was inspired by a gift of the first of season Pink Lady Apples! I was pretty stoked when they arrived as they are the favourite apple variety in this house!
With the cold weather knocking at the door, I decided that I needed to revamp my Chelsea Bun recipe into a Cinnamon Roll with Apple Pie Filling recipe.
Also Check: Impossible Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Tips For Making Apple Pie Filling
Sliced apples or chunks of apples. You can slice the apples or cut them into chunks depending on how you prefer when you are making this easy recipe.
Use a variety of apples. If you want to you can use a few different kinds of apples to give your pie different flavors. You can use your favorite apples and use all of the same kind of apples, or you can use different varieties in the same pie.
Add more spices. If you love cinnamon, feel free to add a bit more., love nutmeg add a bit more. It is easy to get the balance of spies that you want.
Wash, dry and peel the apples before getting started. II find that it makes things much easier if I peel the apples and have them ready to go before I do anything else. You can use a hand apple peeler or an electric one.
Tips For Getting A Baked Bottom Crust
We’ve already covered one of the biggest tips for getting the bottom crust to bake through thoroughly, and that is what is mentioned above: put a very cold pie into a very hot oven.
Now, let’s dive into the specifics about your oven. The first tip is to know your oven. Most ovens are not calibrated correctly, and their actual temperature isn’t what the display reads. For instance, my oven is off by 15ºF. That can make a big difference when it comes to pie crust. I know this because I have an inexpensive thermometer I use to get an accurate read on my oven temperature.
The second tip is to strategically place the racks in your oven. The recipe below instructs for the pie to be baked initially on the lowest rack in the oven. Then, towards the end of cooking, the pie is moved up to the middle rack. Cooking it on the lowest rack will help ensure the heat reaches up to fully bake the bottom crust. It’s moved to the middle rack towards the end of cook time to ensure the top crust is also fully baked, as the heat bounces back down from the top of the oven. This advice is geared towards ovens that have the heat coming up from the bottom. If your oven has your heat coming from a different source , then this advice will not apply.
One trick that works really well to make sure the bottom crust is well cooked is to use a pizza stone ! Place it on your lowest rack while the oven is preheating and cook the pie on it.
Don’t Miss: Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie Key West
Do You Cook Apples Before Putting Them In A Pie
There is no right or wrong as some recipes will ask for cooked apples and some no. For example, you can just toss the raw apples with lemon juice, sugar, and flour and make a tart. On the other hand, you can cook them using the recipe below and either can them for later or use them in other recipes.
How To Bake All Butter Pie Crust
Almost as important as how you prepare pie pastry is how you bake it. There is one main rule to remember when it comes to baking all butter pie dough: very cold dough should be put in a very hot oven. All butter pie pastry should be thoroughly chilled before baking, and baked at a high temperature, ideally around 425ºF.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s always best to chill a pie crust either in the freezer for 10-20 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour before you bake it. While this is an extra step, it makes all the difference in the world.
One of the most common problems bakers ask me about is why their pie crust melted, or lost it’s shape, or sank in the pie pan. And the most common reason for this is because the crust was too warm, or the oven wasn’t at the right temperature.
So make sure to chill your pie crust and fully pre-heat your oven!
However, not all pie fillings can be baked at that high of a temperature, which means that sometimes the pie crust will need to be partially or fully blind baked. Usually, a pie recipe indicates how the pie crust should be baked, so reference those directions for pies using this flaky pie crust.
Read Also: Original Bean Pie Recipe
Easy Homemade Apple Pie Filling
This homemade apple pie filling is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than anything youll buy in a can! Whip it up in just minutes and use it in classic apple pie or in a variety of desserts all year round.
Use this easy apple pie filling recipe for apple dumplings or apple hand pies!
Im not against prepackaged food at all convenience food can be a total lifesaver! Nobody would argue that homemade is so much better, though, and if you can make something from scratch in the time it would take you to run to the store, then why not do that?
This easy apple pie filling is a perfect example. With all natural ingredients, it takes 5 minutes of prep, 10 minutes to cook, and 10 minutes of cooling, and the flavor is infinitely better than canned apple pie filling.
Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Let’s just say it like it is: there is never an excuse to buy a canned apple pie filling when it’s so easy to make and keep on hand at home! This homemade apple pie filling, made with apple cider, brown sugar, and warm spices is rich and delicious obviously, a winner for any dessert needing apple pie filling.
In case you didn’t know, using pre-cooked apple pie filling decreases the amount of time needed to bake an apple pie. It also prevents the crust from separating from the filling because the apples have already been cooked!
Apple pie filling is perfect for all kinds of baked goods, such as apple crisp, apple pastries, apple handles, an apple galette or, even as a cake filling. It’s also delicious all by itself, or with a scoop of ice cream.
It freezes well too, so this recipe is one of the best ways to use up any large quantities of apples you might have from apple picking.
So let’s get to make it, shall we?
Recommended Reading: Hardee’s Apple Pie