If you love a good deep dish apple pie that is loaded with fresh apples, my great grandma’s apple pie recipe is for you. It has the perfect balance of sweet fruit and cinnamon spice.
There is something so simple and so good about a great apple pie. The flaky crust and tender fruit are hard to resist.
That apple cinnamon filling is a classic for good reason. Now you can bake right from my great-grandmother’s recipe to make the best possible pie.
What Makes This Old Fashioned Apple Pie So Special?
For my mom, nothing beats her grandma’s apple pie. It has been the holy grail of family recipes over the years.
She has tried to replicate her grandma’s flaky lard pie crust and tasty apple filling several times over the year, but it never quite lived up to her memories. And her search for the recipe never quite panned out.
Until recently, that is. We finally got our hands on the recipe!
Armed with that and a freshly rendered batch of leaf lard and we were really in business. It was time to make a pie!
I am not particularly known for my pie baking skills. I am not good at making petty crusts, so the pressure I was feeling to deliver a good pie was immense.
I took advantage of a cold bad weather weekend and got to work. I’m so glad I did, the pie was worth the wait!
What Sets This Pie Recipe Apart?
Most apple pies start with similar ingredients. So what makes this recipe special?
One major difference is the crust. But if you aren’t up for making a lard crust, don’t worry.
You can still have a great apple pie using a store bought crust or whatever your favorite recipe is.
My great-grandma tossed her apple slices in orange juice to keep them from oxidizing. Brown apples are no fun!
I imagine she peeled and cut her apples by hand. Little Dude and I used an apple corer, peeler, slicer to make quick work of it.
We used a LOT of fresh apples to make the filling. You might as well have a nice full pie.
Of course there are cinnamon and sugar in the filling. There is flour as well, that helps to thicken the juices the apples release while baking.
In the end you have the perfect balance of sweet-tart apples and the sweet-spicy goodness that surrounds them. It is perfect!
Tips for Getting the Perfect Apple Pie
When making apple recipes, cutting your apples thin and uniformly is a key to making sure they cook evenly. You don’t want large chunks of undercooked apples in the pie.
Chill the crust while you prepare the filling. Cold pastry = flaky pastry.
You should be able to see the juices bubbling inside the pie before you pull it. If they aren’t really bubbling, the juices won’t be thickened enough.
This is the hardest part, but wait for the pie to completely cool before you slice it. It will take several hours to get completely to room temperature, but if you cut it before that the juices won’t be set.
The pie will absolutely taste amazing but you’ll wonder why the filling is soupy. It’s better to let it cool and then reheat your slice a bit before you top it with ice cream.
And of course, enjoy the process. The love you are putting into it is the super secret ingredient.
The Best Apple Varieties for Baking into a Pie
Not all apples are created the same. Some stand up to the heat of baking better than others.
Check out this list to find your favorite apple. Or use a few different varieties for the maximum apple goodness!
Great-grandma’s recipe specifically calls for McIntosh apples because they are juicy and slightly tart. Their shelf life isn’t as long as some other apples though, so you may not always be able to find them. Don’t despair, there are more great options.
Jonagold apples are great for baking. They are one of my favorite apples to get at our local orchard. They work perfect for recipes like this because they are fabulous on their own and bake well. They don’t store as well though, so enjoy them during the peak of the season.
Jonagolds are a mix between Jonathan and golden delicious. Jonathan’s themselves are a great baking apple and tend to be just a tad bit more tart than the Jonagold. Both are crisp, delicious and great for cooking with.
Braeburn apples are another flavorful apple in their own right, so they are perfect for a recipe like this where the apples are the star of the show.
Pink Ladies are a fabulous option. They have that mix of sweet and tart and hold their shape wonderfully.
Honeycrisp apples are basically the be all end all of apples. They are wonderful in almost any situation, especially if that situation involves some oatmeal streusel and a scoop of ice cream.
Granny Smith apples are sort of the classic baking apple. They are naturally tart, so the finished product doesn’t end up too sweet.
The skins on granny Smith apples do tend to be a little tougher than the rest, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker. You may want to reserve them for something like a pie though, so you can remove the peel.
More apple varieties to try in baking: Fuji, crispin, golden delicious, and winesnap.
Now it’s time for pie! Bake one up and the smells of grandma’s kitchen will permeate your whole house.
If you are in the mood for pie, check out my collection of pie recipes for more tasty inspiration!
Deep Dish Apple Pie
Ingredients
- pastry for 2 pie crusts
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 cups peeled apple slices
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and fit a pie crust into a 9" deep dish pie plate. Chill crust until ready to fill.
- In small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt. Set aside.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour, 1 pinch salt
- Toss apple slices in orange juice.2 Tablespoons orange juice, 8 cups peeled apple slices
- Add dry ingredients and stir to coat.
- Spoon into bottom pie crust. Top with top crust, crimping the edges to seal. Cut vent holes.
- Cover crimped edges of pie crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil. Place on a sheet pan to catch any drips.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then remove pie shield. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. The crust should be golden and the filling should be bubbling.
- Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Tammy
Tuesday 21st of November 2023
A simple yet delightful pie...what a beautiful treat for the holiday season! I love a little orange zest sometimes for that bright citrusy flavor...perfect dessert!
Carlee
Tuesday 21st of November 2023
I couldn't agree more, thank you!
Sandy Rees
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
Orange juice- that’s genius. I’ve never seen that before in an apple pie recipe. My grandma passed over 20 years ago but she still continues to surprise me. I can’t wait to see more of her recipes!
Sandy
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
@Carlee, me too
Carlee
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
I am so glad we finally have the recipe!
Andrea Nine
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
Oh my goodness friend, this looks so delicious with that amazing flaky crust! Little known fact about me, I used to teach classes on how to make of all things, apple pie! Taught dozens of women in my area how to make the perfect apple pie but it’s been at least 10 years since I’ve made one! Little Dude peeling and coring those apples is so stinking precious, I bet that was so much fun for him!
Carlee
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
How did I not know this about you?! Now I am curious about your perfect apple pie recipe!