The Apple Pie

The only apple pie I’ve ever LOVED.

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Season: Fall, Winter
Dosha: Vata

There are few things I’ve made in my lifetime as often as this apple pie. There are even fewer things that continue to sparkle and shine, year after year, each time the recipe comes out and each time I share it with the people I love…but this pie is on that list as well.

It needs no introduction, an apple pie, and this one is no exception. But there are a few things that I feel make this particular pie very special. The sheer amount of apples is the first thing. It’s a ridiculous amount of apples, and they melt right down into the most gorgeous stack of spiced, sweet goodness when baked. I love that you only need a proper pie crust for the bottom half, and that the cinnamon crumble topping forms a golden shell of caramel and cinnamon. And, I love that THIS apple pie seems to contain just the right amount of butter and sugar, more or less simply would sell the experience short.

I make this pie year after year, and every time I do it solidifies it’s name in our minds as THE Apple Pie. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Recipe Notes

  • On apples: I recommend using firm apples that will hold their shape, honeycrisps are my favorite here, but other varieties, like Jonagold or Gala apples work too. Some varieties are sweeter than others so you may want to experiment with a variety or two combined to find your perfect pie apple.
  • On butter: ice cold butter is recommended for the crumble. It is important not to allow the butter to warm much when working as it allows the crumble to stay together and creates a uniform topping to hold all the apple goodness inside.
  • On pie crust: While simple, there’s quite a lot to understand to master the process of making pie crust like a pro. You can find the information on all things pie crust, and why I use this simple and delicious recipe for all my pie baking adventures here. Read on and you’ll be making your own crust like a pro in no time! And, if making your own isn’t in the cards, a storebought crust will work in a pinch.
  • On vegan/gluten-free: this is not a recipe that I recommend attempting without gluten or dairy. There are other recipes for pie that will work beautifully, but this isn’t one of them!

Flavor Notes

Flavors are FUN, yes, but they also are the mechanisms by which our bodies nourish themselves. Flavors basically tell our bodies what the food is giving us – on a nutritional and energetic level. Our bodies then prepare enzymes to break those components down, assimilate them, and turn them into fuel for our vibrant lives. We can’t eat just one flavor and get all of the things we need, so learning to track the flavors in our foods helps us to be sure that we’re really getting all of the things we need in our meals. This particular recipe has four of six flavors. The more flavors we can enjoy in any meal or food, the happier and more balanced our bodies will be. If you’re wanting to learn more about how the flavors we eat fuel our bodies – energetically and nutritively, check out this little blog post.

  • SWEET: apples, cinnamon
  • SALTY: kosher salt
  • SOUR: lemon juice
  • BITTER: N/A
  • ASTRINGENT: cinnamon
  • PUNGENT: N/A

The Apple Pie

The only apple pie I've ever LOVED.

Makes 1 - 9" pie // 8-10 slices

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Active Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Serves: slice

Ingredients

for the crust:

for the filling:

  • 3 lbs apples (thinly sliced)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp flour (AP or functional)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp butter (melted)
  • 1/2 lemon (juiced)

for the crumble topping:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (AP or functional)
  • 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter (cold, cut into cubes)

Instructions

  • 1Get prepped

    Preheat the oven to 350℉ and move a rack to the center of the oven.

    If using my favorite pie crust recipe, the dough can be made ahead and refrigerated, or pulled from the freezer to thaw (if you keep it on hand like I do). Allow the dough to rest on the counter for about 20 minutes (or to thaw in the fridge overnight) prior to unfolding so it will be pliable and won’t crack when manipulated.

    Once thawed, gently lay your crust out into a 9″ pie plate, pushing gently to fill the corners and come up the sides. Trim the edges as needed.

    Peel, core, and thinly slice your apples. (There are A LOT of apples that go into this pie so the thinner the slices, the better they will lay flat and fit into your crust!)

  • 2Make the filling

    In a large bowl, combine your sliced apples, cinnamon, melted butter and lemon juice. Toss with clean hands to coat evenly, then add 2 Tbsp flour and mix well once more.

    Begin filling your pie crust with sliced apples, careful to place them as closely as you can so there are no air pockets. Continue stacking and wedging the apples in until they’re all loaded into the pie, towering above the bottom crust.

    Place the pie in the fridge to stay cool while you prepare the cinnamon crumble topping.

  • 3Make the crumble topping

    Either with cool hands, or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the plastic blade attachment, combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt to combine. Add cold cubed butter and pulse the processor/squeeze the mixture with your hands to form a coarse crumble. Work quickly if using your hands – you don’t want to warm the butter too much – it’s the cold that makes it all stay together!

    Spoon it directly on top of the apple slices, gently filling gaps in the apples and pushing down gently to adhere slightly to the apples, as if you’re creating a sandcastle that you don’t want to fall apart!

  • 4Bake the pie, rest, and serve

    Bake pie for 50-60 minutes, rotating once at the halfway mark. You’ll know your pie is finished once the top is golden brown and you can see a little bit of apple pie filling bubbling around the edges. If the crumble topping starts to brown before the filling bubbles, you can cover with tented foil and continue baking.

    Once baked, allow the pie to rest on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes, but better if longer. This time allows the ingredients to meld further and will make for easy slicing once diving in.

    Serve with homemade whipped cream, ice cream, or just as is!

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