Apple pie
A golden double-crust American-style apple pie with spiced, glossy filling and a buttery shortcrust — perfect warm with cream or ice cream.
This apple pie is the sort you remember from childhood: a buttery, flaky double crust filled with tangy, spiced apples and glossy, bubbling juices. It’s American in spirit but made with reliably British ingredients and technique.
Make it for Sunday lunch, a show-off pud for guests, or whenever you need a warm, comforting slice. The trick is cold pastry and patience while the filling sets—don’t rush either and you’ll be rewarded.
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour — for the pastry
- 250 g unsalted butter — cold and diced; amount covers pastry and dotting the filling
- 65 g caster sugar — total for pastry and filling
- 5 ml salt
- 60 ml ice-cold water
- 900 g Granny Smith apples — peeled, cored and sliced about 7mm thick; for the filling
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 25 g cornflour
- 10 ml ground cinnamon
- 0 ml ground nutmeg
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 5 ml lemon zest
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 egg — beaten with milk for egg wash
- 15 ml whole milk — mixed with egg for egg wash
Equipment
- 23cm pie tin (loose-bottom or deep dish)
- rolling pin
- pastry brush
- baking parchment
- wire rack
Instructions
Make the pastry: in a large bowl rub the cold, diced unsalted butter into the plain flour with the caster sugar and salt using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs — work quickly so the butter stays in small pieces.
Bring the dough together: sprinkle the ice-cold water over the flour mixture a little at a time and gently mix with a fork until it just holds together. Split into two discs, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 60 minutes.
Prepare the filling while the pastry chills: put the Granny Smith apples in a large bowl and stir in the soft brown sugar, caster sugar, cornflour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and a pinch of the salt until well combined. Leave to sit while you preheat the oven — the cornflour will begin to thicken the juices.
Preheat the oven: set to 200°C fan/220°C conventional.
Roll out the pastry: lightly dust your work surface with plain flour and roll one disc to a circle about 3mm thick to fit a 23cm pie tin with a 2–3cm overhang. Keep the second disc chilled until ready for the lid.
Line the tin and fill: ease the rolled pastry into the pie tin, trim the overhang to leave about 2–3cm. Spoon the apple filling into the case and dot the surface with small knobs of the unsalted butter.
Top and finish: roll out the second disc and place over the apples. Trim and crimp the edges to seal, cut vents in the top to allow steam to escape. Mix the beaten egg with the whole milk and brush the top lightly for colour.
Bake at high temperature: put the pie on a baking tray and bake at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 15 minutes to set the pastry.
Reduce heat and finish baking: lower the oven to 170°C fan/190°C conventional and bake for a further 35 minutes until the top is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
Cool and rest: remove the pie from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to set before slicing.
Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with double cream or vanilla ice cream.
Tips
- Keep everything cold when making shortcrust: chill bowls, butter and finished discs of pastry to prevent a greasy, soggy case.
- If the edges brown before the centre is cooked, tent the pie edges with foil for the last 15–20 minutes.
- Make the pastry a day ahead and keep chilled; roll and assemble on the day for best texture.
- Use sharp, uniform slices of apple so they cook evenly—7mm is a good guide.
- To reheat, warm slices in a 160°C fan/180°C conventional oven for 10–12 minutes to refresh the crust.
Substitutions
Granny Smith apples → Bramley apples, same weight
Stays closeunsalted butter → margarine designed for baking, same weight
Noticeably differentplain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same weight (check blend contains xanthan gum)
Noticeably differentsoft brown sugar → demerara sugar, same weight (results in crisper, slightly molasses-lite flavour)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 520
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 66 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 28 g
- Sugar
- 300 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the pastry in a food processor?
Yes — pulse the plain flour, salt and cold unsalted butter until crumbs form, then add the ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Don’t over-process.
Why is my filling runny?
Either the cornflour amount is too low for the juices released, the apples were too wet, or you sliced them unevenly. Ensure you use enough cornflour and allow the pie to rest 20–30 minutes after baking to set.
How far ahead can I make this?
Make the pastry up to 48 hours ahead and keep chilled. The assembled pie is best baked on the day, but you can freeze an uncooked, wrapped pie for up to one month.
Can I use pre-rolled pastry?
Yes — swap the homemade pastry for ready-rolled shortcrust for speed. The texture will be slightly different but still very enjoyable.
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