Old-Fashioned Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe

Make the best deep dish apple pie with this easy recipe. This towering, old-fashioned American dessert features layers of sweet, mildly spiced apples nestled in a flaky, buttery homemade pie crust. With my recipe tips and secrets, you’ll take the traditional apple pie to the next level.

“This is by far the best crust and apply pie recipe. I’ve tried multiple pie crust recipes and this one wins hands down…won’t be trying any other recipes. The apple filling was phenomenal. Never have to search for a recipe again. Thank You!”

Debbie

You can’t deny that apple pie, along with pumpkin pie, steals the spotlight at a Thanksgiving feast. My deep dish apple pie consistently receives rave reviews at Thanksgiving and other holiday parties.

Not all apple pies are equal. If you’re on the hunt for the ultimate Thanksgiving pie, this old-fashioned deep dish apple pie recipe made from scratch unquestionably takes the crown!

Why Should You Try Making Deep Dish Apple Pie?

A deep dish apple pie, also known as a mile-high apple pie or American apple pie, is a grand version of the traditional apple pie. Its defining feature is a significantly larger volume of filling, which results from using a deeper dish for baking. This pie stands tall with layers of apple slices.

In addition to height, the pie’s taste sets it apart. Thanks to the extra filling, each slice is packed with mildly sweet spiced apples.

Despite the extra quantity, the ingredients remain simple: apples, sugar, spice (cinnamon), lemon juice, and flour, all housed in a sturdy yet flaky crust.

While making a deep dish apple pie might require a bit more effort and baking time than a regular pie, this process can be simplified with my easy recipe. The end result is a deliciously satisfying dessert that truly embodies the concept of ‘more is more.

And don’t forget to pair this with a homemade pie crust! Light and flaky, thanks to the perfect combination of leaf lard and butter, this crust is simply heavenly. It’s incredibly tender, ensuring the bottom never turns soggy – that’s the epitome of a perfect deep dish apple pie

Expert Tips and Advice

In order to maximize the taste and texture, follow these tips. You will bake a truly amazing apple pie every single time.

1. Use 3-4 different apples – Most people use only one type of apple to make their pie. Try mixing with other baking apples that are suitable for pies. Your apple pie filling will be well balanced with taste and texture. A list of baking apple choices is below. (FYI, I used Granny Smith, Gala, and Golden Delicious)
2. Uniform apple slices – Make sure your apple slices are uniform in size so that they bake evenly.
3. Lightly spice the apple filling – It’s a personal preference but I like the apple flavor to shine through without being overpowered by the spices. A hint of cinnamon is all you need.
4. Precook the apple filling prior to baking – It makes the filling soft and balances the sweetness. It also maintains the even consistency of your pie and prevents an unsightly hollow gap between the crust and the filling.
5. Use both white sugar and brown sugar – While white sugar dominates the sweetness to the filling, precooking apples with brown sugar will help bring a caramel taste to the filling. Who wouldn’t love it?
6. Use the correct pan – I love my deep dish pie pan, but the standard pie pan will work great too. This recipe will make a pie about 2 inches in height.
7. Enjoy pie making time – Peeling and slicing apples takes time, and you shouldn’t try to bake an apple pie in a hurry. Find some quiet time in your kitchen and enjoy yourself making an apple pie from scratch. Make the time a therapeutic one for yourself.

Best Apples for Baking Apple Pie

While tart apples are commonly used for baking pies, there are also some sweet varieties that work well. Here’s a list of apple selections for baking:

• Granny Smith – Granny Smith apples are the most common baking apple. Super tart and very firm. It holds up well during the baking process.
• Gala – Multi purpose apple for baking and eating. Mellow sweetness and holds shape and texture well. Available all year round and easily found.
• Honeycrisp – Sweet and crisp (as name says). Creates less juice when baked.
• Golden Delicious – Mild flavor. They tend to break down easily when cooked, so they need to be combined with other firmer apples
• Jonagold – Sweet and tart. Firm fleshed apple.
• Pink Lady – Sweet, tart and super crisp. They hold their shape very well.
• Northern Spy – One of the best apple for pie but not always available. Sweet, slightly tart, and firm. Look for them in farmers’ markets in the fall.
• Braeburn – Well balanced taste, not too sweet nor tart. They release very little liquid when baked, which makes them very suitable for making pie
• McIntosh & Cortland – Although most people consider these apples as baking apples, I find them to be too soft, and even mushy, when baked. Great for making apple sauce.

Perfect Pie Crust

To create a superb apple pie, it all begins with an impeccable buttery flaky pie crust. Nothing compares to the tenderness and flakiness of a homemade pie crust.

Give my recipe for light and flaky pie crust a try, combining the best of both worlds: leaf lard and butter.

It’s buttery, light, tender, and flaky. Once you have tried this pie crust recipe, I assure you that you won’t return to your previous methods.

Moreover, you can conveniently prepare the crust several days ahead of time and store it in the fridge (or freezer) until you’re ready to assemble your pie.

Try my Crustless Apple Pie Recipe if you’re not in the mood to make a homemade pie crust from scratch

Helpful Pie Baking Tips

• Lower your oven shelf to the bottom 1/3 or 1/4 position: Pies need a long baking time. And the higher the oven shelf is, the more browning occurs. If you bake the pie on the lower shelf, it prevents the top crust from browning too much.
• Place a large baking pan (lined with foil) underneath the pie pan to catch overflowing juice dropping – easy clean-up!
• If the top crust browns too much before it finishes the baking time, place a loose foil tent over the pie to prevent it from browning further.
• If you have a baking stone or baking steel, put it on the lowest rack of your oven, but not touching your baking pan directly. The heat from the baking stone (steel) will rise and cooks the bottom crust quickly, making it nice and crisp. Big difference!

Ingredients Lists

For the equipment:

You don’t need fancy equipment to make a pie. You can make pie crust with an inexpensive dough blender if you don’t have a food processor. It’s easy as pie! Here are a few of other tools to make the job easier:

• a large skillet or shallow everyday pan – to cook the apple filling
• 9-inch deep dish pie pan or standard pie pan
• pastry brush: to brush the egg wash over the top pie crust

For the apple pie

• Pie crust: recommend using homemade double crust pie dough
• Baking apples: Use 3-4 different varieties. I used Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala
• Lemon juice: A touch of lemon prevent the apples from browning and keeps the pie flavor bright.
• White sugar & brown sugar: white sugars for sweetness and brown sugar for the hint of caramel flavor
• Salt: balances the sweetness
• Cornstarch: thickens the pie filling
• Cinnamon: adds warmth to the filling without an overpowering taste
• Egg white (well beaten): it prevents the bottom of pie crust from getting soggy. It’s optional but recommended.
• Egg wash: I use the leftover egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water.

How to Make Deep Dish Apple Pie

For the apple filling

Step 1. Prepare apples

Peel, core, and slice apples into thin slices to make 12 cups in volume in a large bowl.

Step 2. Combine apples with sugars and cinnamon

In a large shallow pot or skillet, gently toss the apple slices, lemon juice, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, salt, cornstarch, and cinnamon, until well combined.

Step 3. Cook apple filling:

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when poked with fork but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes.

Step 4. Preheat the oven:

Adjust oven rack to bottom third position and heat oven to 400˚ F. 

For the pie crust

Step 5. Rolling out the pie crust:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the chilled pie dough disks (keep the other one in the fridge) with a rolling pine to a 13-inch diameter. Place the dough into a pie dish.

Roll out the other pie dough disk into a circle that is about a 12-inch diameter. This will be the top crust.

To bake the apple pie

Step 6. Add apple filling

Reclaim the bottom crust from the fridge and put the cooled apple filling on it.

Step 7. Flute the edges:

Cover the pie filling with the top crust. Trim or arrange the loose crust around the edge of pie pan. Crimp or flute the edges to seal.

Step 8. Brush and bake:

Lightly brush the top crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar or sparkling sugar. Cut a few slits on the top to allow steam to escape during baking.

Put the pie on a spacious baking sheet and bake for a total of 60 minutes until it turns golden brown. Around 40 minutes into baking, inspect the pie crust for excessive browning. If necessary, gently cover the pie with a aluminum foil tent to prevent further browning, and then continue baking for the final 20 minutes.

Allow the pie to cool to room temperature, about 2-3 hours before serving. This will allow the filling to thicken up.

Warm up a slice of the apple pie and serve it with a scoop of classic vanilla ice cream on the side. The contrast between the hot pie and cold ice cream is heavenly. For a twist, consider caramel or cinnamon-flavored ice cream.

Pie Freezing Tips

For unbaked pie: Don’t brush the top crust with egg wash or sprinkle with sugar. Tightly wrap unbaked pie in 3 layers of plastic wrap, making sure all sides of pie are completely sealed and unexposed to the air. Place pie in an extra large freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

For baked pie: Place the pie uncovered in the freezer for 2 hours. Once frozen solid, wrap the pie in plastic wrap and place it back into the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQs

My pie crust often turns out soggy. How can I prevent this?

To prevent a soggy pie crust bottom, brush the bottom of the pie crust with a well-beaten egg white before adding the filling. This creates a barrier and prevents the moisture from the filling from making the crust soggy.

What if I don’t have a deep dish pie pan?

If you don’t have a deep dish pie pan, a standard pie pan will work. However, be aware that the recipe provided will produce a pie about 2 inches in height, so adjust the filling quantity accordingly.

Can I reduce the sugar in the recipe?

Yes, you can adjust the sugar to your taste preference. However, remember that sugar contributes not just to sweetness but also to the texture and caramelization of the filling.

More Homemade Pie Recipes

If you love making pies, you will love some of these pie recipes.

• Butterscotch Pecan Pie Recipe
• Maple Blueberry Pie
• Peach Custard Pie with Streusel Topping
• No Bake Sour Cream Lemon Pie
• Polish Apple Pie (Szarlotka)
• Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup Recipe