Classic Apple Pie with Precooked Apple Filling

Making apple pie with precooked apples is my tried-and-true method! Pre-cooking the apple pie filling before baking ensures that the filling is never undercooked or watery. It’s also a great way to avoid that dreaded gap between the baked top crust and the filling.

Today I’m sharing all the secrets for making the best apple pie with precooked apples! Precooking your apple pie filling before baking is a sure way to maintain the right consistency (goodbye undercooked apples!), avoid that dreaded watery filling, and test for sweetness. It’s like a quality check before baking the apple pie! And if you know your apple pie filling tastes good, then you know the pie will be good.

I still remember…6 Thanksgivings ago, I made a beautiful apple pie. I let it cool for 3 hours. I then proceeded to cut into it, and the entire thing was swimming in liquid! It was a huge mess. There was also a huge gap between the top crust and the filling. My heart sunk, as you can imagine.

So, I experimented with precooking the apple pie filling several times, and success! It works every single time. Perfectly soft apple filling, adjusted to my desired sweetness level, and thickened to perfection. I seriously love it!

Why Precook the Apple Pie Filling?

• No more undercooked apples: No chances that the middle will be undercooked!
• Avoid an apple filling that is too watery: Precooking the filling will get rid of extra moisture and ensure that the filling is perfectly thickened before going into the oven.
• Taste and adjust sweetness: Here is where you can make sure the filling sweet enough. You can even add more cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice!
• Avoid the gap between the baked crust and the filling: Sometimes the filling shrinks after the dough has set, leaving a huge gap. Precooking the apple pie filling takes care of that.

Now you can see why I love to make my apple pie this way, right?! I swear it makes my life easier, especially when I’m in charge of  bringing the pie!

Best Apples for Apple Pie

Choose your apples wisely. It could make or break your apple pie.

There are 2 important things to keep in mind:

• Do they hold together in the oven? Some apples hold their shape better than others, providing structure to the pie. Good choices: Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith. Bad choices: Red delicious (ehem, like…really bad!) 
• Are they sweet or tart? This one depends on your preferences. If you like tart apple pies, Granny Smith is the way to go. If you like sweet apple pies, use Honeycrisp or Braeburn. I like a combination of both, leaning more towards sweet.

Here’s my recommendation: Honeycrisp + Granny Smith. I use about a 3:1 ratio between Honeycrisp (6-7 apples) and Granny Smith (2 apples) for a 9-inch pie.

Ingredients for this Classic Apple Pie

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pie crust: Try my super flaky buttermilk pie crust – ingredients in recipe card below. You can also use your favorite store-bought pie crust to save time.
• Apples: You’ll need about 4 pounds, which is about 8-9 large apples.
• Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar will give it a deep molasses-y flavor and the granulated sugar adds sweetness without overpowering it.
• Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice: My favorite spice trio for apple pie! 
• Salt: Salt always brings out the flavors in baking.
• Lemon juice and lemon zest: Not only does the lemon juice add flavor and brightness, it also prevents the apples from browning.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the juices from the apples.
• Unsalted butter: For flavor and richness.
• Egg wash: Made of egg and heavy cream or milk. Using cream or milk will get you a beautiful shiny golden brown color.

How to Make Apple Pie

1. Make the pie crust dough and chill: This recipe uses my homemade buttermilk pie crust. It is flaky, tender, and so delicious! It’s the same pie crust I use for my chicken pot pie. After making the dough, refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To speed things up, you can use your favorite store-bought pie crust, but nothing beats a good homemade pie crust!
2. Make the apple pie filling: Make sure to slice or cut the apples the same size for even cooking. Then cook the apples with the spices, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch in a large pot or Dutch oven. Let it cool to room temperature.
3. Assemble the pie: Detailed instructions in recipe card!
4. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes only if you’re making a lattice pie crust. This helps to keep the pattern’s shape in the hot oven.
5. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar. 
6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Put a pie crust shield around the edges. Then reduce temperature to 375 degrees F.
7. Let it cool for 3 hours. Yes, 3 hours! This will help the juices thicken.

How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

I like to make a lattice pie crust because it’s pretty and makes it easier for the steam to escape. If you prefer not to do a lattice pie crust, simply lay the rolled out dough on top and cut slits for the steam to escape.

1. Use a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out 1 dough disk to an 12-inch circle. Transfer to the pie pan.
2. Add the filling. Make sure it’s cooled. Dot with butter…aka place a few small cubes of butter on top of the filling.
3. Roll out the second dough disk to a 12-inch circle. Cut 12 strips of equal width using a pastry wheel or a pizza cutter.
4. Lay each 6 strips (alternating) on top of the pie so that they are evenly spaced. Then fold back only 3 of those strips, alternating. Place another strip (from the remaining 6) perpendicular to the ones you folded back. Then fold those back into place.
5. Fold the other 3 strips back, and lay another strip (from the remaining 5) perpendicular on top. Then fold them back into place. Repeat until you finish using all the strips. See picture above for a visual representation. As you can tell, it’s not easy to explain in words…
6. Refrigerate the pie for 15 minutes before baking. This helps to firm up the dough so that it holds its shape in the oven.
7. Brush with egg wash (egg + heavy cream or milk) and sprinkle with coarse sugar right before baking.

Note: For instructions on how to make the pie crust, see recipe card below. It’s super easy!

Make Ahead Apple Pie Instructions

I love the fact that many components of this apple pie can be prepared ahead! Here’s what you can prep in advance:

• Make the pie crust 1 day ahead.
• Make the apple pie filling up to 1 day ahead. Let cool completely at room temperature and refrigerate until ready to use. Store in an airtight container.

Phew! That was a lot to take in.

I hope you can make the best homemade apple pie ever with this method! Just remember, the secret to a great apple pie filling is to precook the apples. This will ensure perfect consistency and balanced sweetness. You’ll also avoid that gap between the crust and the filling.

I hope you like it because I promise it doesn’t get any better than this!

For more Fall baking recipes, check out the following:

• Apple Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze
• Apple Peach Crumb Bars
• Cranberry Scones with Dark Chocolate
• Easy Apple Crisp by Joyous Apron
• Apple Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid by The Baking Fairy

Thanks for reading and please don’t forget to pin this recipe! Much appreciated.

If you try my recipe, use #cookingformysoul on Instagram! Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook for the latest fun updates and recipes!