Mom's Easy Apple Pie

Close up square side shot of a slice of easy apple pie with vanilla ice cream on top

Print Pin

4.84 from 31 votes

Mom's easy apple pie recipe is a classic dessert that's perfect for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie, apples, easy apple pie, easy apple pie recipe, pie

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Cooling 2

Total Time 1 10

Servings people

Calories 323kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 (14.1 oz.) box refrigerated pie crusts (I use Pillsbury brand, which has 2 crusts in each box)

For the Filling:

6 cups peeled, thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 5-6 apples; approximately 2 lbs. before peeling and slicing)
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
Optional for serving: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream; caramel sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring refrigerated pie crusts to room temperature.
Unroll 1 pie crust and press it into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Cover and chill the crust for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the filling (the cold pastry will yield an flakier crust).
In a large bowl, toss together all of the filling ingredients.
Transfer filling to the pie plate. Unroll the second pie crust and place it on top of the apples. Tuck the extra top crust under the bottom crust edge, pinching together with your fingers to seal or crimp. Cut slits in the top of the pie (to allow the steam to vent).
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. About halfway through the baking time, cover the edge of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent the edges from becoming too dark.
Cool pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

I have since learned that "Mom's" apple pie recipe is just slightly adapted from a Pillsbury recipe that she got many years ago -- but in my mind, Mom deserves all of the credit! :)

Let the pie crust come to room temperature before you try to unroll it. Otherwise the cold pastry may tear or crack.
Once the dough is unrolled, I like to cover the dish and chill it in the refrigerator for about 10-20 minutes before I add the filling. This isn't necessary, but the cold pastry yields a flakier pie crust! You can do the same for the top layer -- unroll the dough at room temperature, then cover and chill the dough before topping the pie.
Halfway through the baking time (after 15-20 minutes), I suggest that you lightly cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil. This will prevent the edges from burning or getting too dark while the rest of the pie bakes.
Allow the pie to sit on the counter on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours before you slice it and serve it. This gives the filling a chance to set.
Top each slice of pie with vanilla ice cream or freshly-whipped cream for a real treat! A drizzle of caramel sauce is also great.
Make your own pie crust from scratch. This is my favorite all-butter double crust recipe.
Use a variety of apples for more complex flavor. Just make sure that you're picking firm apples that won't break down during baking. For instance, try a combination of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples.
Adjust the spices. My mom originally just used cinnamon and nutmeg, but I've added a handful of other warm spices for an even more flavorful filling. Feel free to omit those spices that you don't have on hand, or use others that you enjoy. A touch of cloves is also a nice addition!

Nutrition