Apple Pie with Pre-Cooked Apple Filling

4.92 from 70 votes

Apple Pie with Pre-Cooked Apple Filling

This Apple Pie with Precooked Apple Filling is so delicious! Precooking the apple pie filling ensures the perfect consistency and sweetness. No more watery apple pie filling! With this method, you can be sure to have a perfectly baked apple pie! Makes one 9-inch pie.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Cooling3

Total Time5

Course: Dessert, Pies

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 594kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Ingredients

Pie Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (2 sticks)
⅓ cup cold buttermilk

Apple Pie Filling

4 pounds large apples about 9 large apples, I use honeycrisp and granny smith, see notes below
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more if desired
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more if desired
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice, plus more if desired
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Other

1 large egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk
Coarse sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Make the pie crust

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor by pulsing a few times. Add the very cold butter cubes and pulse a few times until a pea-size coarse meal forms. Add the buttermilk and run the food processor continuously for several seconds until a dough forms. At first, it will look like it's not coming together but it will.
Transfer onto a non-floured clean surface. Press to form a dough. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into balls and flatten into thick disks. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Before using, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes to slightly soften it.

Make the apple pie filling

Peel apples and cut out the core. Then cut into ¼ inch slices. They should all be cut to the same size for even cooking.
In a large deep skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and add the sliced apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook, stirring for about 12-15 minutes until apples have slightly softened but not lost their shape.
Dissolve cornstarch with about 2-3 tablespoons of room temp water, and slowly stir it into the filling, stirring to dissolve with the juices. It will start to thicken. Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 3 minutes until juices thicken. If not thick enough, add more cornstarch slurry little by little, stirring. Note: The amount of cornstarch depends on the amount of juices released by the apples, so add gradually.
Set aside and let cool at room temperature. Tip: to speed up the cooling process, transfer the apple filling to a large shallow bowl or a large pan.

Assemble the pie and bake

After the filling has cooled down, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut remaining 1 tablespoon of cold butter into small cubes. Set aside.
Get a 9-inch round pie pan ready. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle using a rolling pin on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Repeat for the second disk.
Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Fill with the cooled apple pie filling and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter cut into small cubes. Cover the pie with the second rolled out dough. Trim any overhang or excess dough. Seal edges with a fork or with your fingers. Make a few slits at the top to let the steam escape.
Alternatively, you can make a lattice pattern. For instructions and visuals, see the “Make a Lattice Pie Crust” section above.
Make the egg wash by whisking the egg with heavy cream or milk. Brush the pie dough with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Place pie on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove pie from oven and put a pie crust shield or cover edges with foil. Lower oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Let it cool on a wire rack for 3 hours before serving. Trust me, if you cut into it before it has cooled down, it will fall apart (been there, done that). Enjoy!

Notes

Choice of apples: I like a combination of honeycrisp apples (about 7-8 large) and granny smith (2 large). Honeycrisps hold their shape really well and are sweet, and granny smiths add a touch of tartness while also maintaining their shape. Do not use Red Delicious apples - they will disintegrate.
Lattice pie crust design: This design pattern is optional. If you want to keep it simple, just place the second crust on top, press the borders, and cut a few slits to allow for venting.
Make ahead: Since the pie needs to cool down to 3+ hours anyway, I always bake it 1-2 days in advance. Store on your kitchen counter, covered, at room temperature.
Prep ahead: The pie crust can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The apple pie filling can be made up to 3 days in advance; let it cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing: I would not recommend freezing an unbaked pie, but you can freeze a baked pie for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Substitutions and variations:

Other apples you can use: Braeburn. If you want more tartness, use more granny smiths.
Additional spices: Feel free to add extra spices you like.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per slice) are approximates only.

Nutrition