Classic Apple Pie with Cinnamon Crust
This Classic Apple Pie with Cinnamon Crust is everything you want in a holiday dessert without any of the fuss. Tender Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples are tossed with warm spices and baked between flaky pie crusts, then finished with a simple cinnamon sugar topping that caramelizes into a gorgeous, sparkly golden crust. It uses everyday pantry ingredients, requires no blind baking, and tastes even better the next day.
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish glass or ceramic works best
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp chef's knife for slicing apples
- Apple peeler (optional), but saves tons of time
- Pastry brush
- Rolling Pin (optional) if your crusts need reshaping
- Small bowl for egg wash and cinnamon sugar
- Fork for crimping edges
- Aluminum foil or pie crust shield, to protect edges
- Baking sheet catches drips and makes handling easier
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the filling
- 6-7 medium apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 15g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the crust
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts one for bottom, one for top
- 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon cinnamon for the topping
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with sugar for the topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Let refrigerated pie crusts sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and clear a large workspace.
- Peel, core, and slice apples into ¼-inch slices. Place in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the apples and toss until evenly coated. Let sit 5 minutes to release juices.
- Unroll one crust and press into a 9-inch pie dish with a ½-inch overhang, sealing any tears with your fingers.
- Mound the apple mixture tightly into the crust, dot with butter, and pour over any accumulated juices.
- Place the second crust over the filling, seal and trim edges, fold under, and crimp. Cut 4-5 slits in the top for steam.
- Brush the top crust with beaten egg, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake on a baking sheet at 375°F for 25 minutes. Shield the edges if browning too fast, then bake 25-30 minutes more until deep golden and bubbling.
- Cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours (4 hours or overnight for cleanest slices) before cutting.
Notes
- Use a 50/50 mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples for the best balance of tartness, sweetness, and structure.
- Don't skip the lemon juice—it brightens the flavor and keeps the apples from browning while you work.
- Slice apples uniformly so they cook at the same rate and none turn mushy.
- Pack the apples tightly; they shrink significantly during baking.
- Brush egg wash on the crust only, not the crimped edges, or it may prevent a good seal.
- Wait for the filling to bubble through the vents before removing the pie—that means it has thickened properly.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing; a warm pie is gorgeous but messy.
- Bake on the lower oven rack so the bottom crust gets crispy and isn't soggy.
- Make ahead: bake up to 2 days ahead and store covered at room temperature, or freeze unbaked up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 15-20 minutes.
- Storage: room temperature up to 2 days, refrigerator up to 5 days, freezer up to 3 months. Reheat slices in the microwave 20-30 seconds or warm the whole pie covered at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
- Variations: try a Dutch crumb topping, drizzle in caramel sauce, swap half the sugar for maple syrup, add cranberries, bourbon, or fresh ginger.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 220mgFiber: 3gSugar: 32g
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