We’ve finally updated our homemade Apple Pie Recipe and we couldn’t be more excited! Our recipe includes our super flaky, cheddar crust; if you’ve never had a cheddar crust you’re in for a real treat!
The cheddar crust adds a wonderfully nutty and slightly salty flavor that pairs incredibly well with the sweet apple filling recipe that also has a hint of nuttiness from the brown butter! We promise it’s not as strange a combination as it may sound! Although we think the pie itself is perfection, we love serving it with big scoops of vanilla ice cream or big dollops of whipped cream!
How to Make Our Easy Apple Pie Recipe
Cheddar Crust Ingredients
Process
- Place flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Add butter and gently incorporate into the flour mixture until a fine mealy texture forms.
- Fold in cheese until just combined.
- Stir in water. Turn mixture onto a clean, lightly floured surface and gently knead.
- Form the mixture into a disc.
- Cover dough disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
Process
- Place all ingredients into a large bowl and fold together until well combined. Set aside and allow mixture to sit for about 1 hour.
Crust Wash Ingredients
Process
- Once crust has chilled, divide in 1/2. Cover 1/2 and set aside.
- Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and roll dough until about1/8 inch thick.
- Gently fold dough in half (or roll onto rolling pin) and carefully lift into a pie plate and unfold. Press dough into shell, cutting off any excess around the perimeter, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Crimp the edge using your fingers and knuckles.
- Pour apple pie filling into pie shell, forming an even layer.
- Roll other half of dough until about 1/8” thick and cut into 10 strips of 3/4″x 11”. Gently lay 5 strips of dough across one direction of the pie, spacing them each even from one another.
- Form a lattice by arranging the remaining strips through the first strips.
- Trim the edges and gently press the ends into the crust of the pie. Fold overhang of bottom crust over and create a scalloped edge with your fingers and knuckles.
- Whisk together egg and water and brush egg wash over pie. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Refrigerate pie for 30 minutes before placing onto a baking sheet and baking for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375˚F and continue to bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove apple pie from oven and cool for at least 1 hour. Slice and serve warm.
Why This is the BEST Apple Pie Recipe Ever!
- We use a combination of granny smith and pink lady apple slices which give the apple pie filling a truly delicious flavor.
- The brown butter adds a hint of nuttiness to the filling that compliments the apples very well.
- The cheddar crust is the best homemade pie crust for this pie, hands down! It’s nutty, flaky, savory, slightly salty, and balances the filling out perfectly!
Best Apples for Apple Pie
There’s no question that granny smith apples tend to reign supreme when it comes to baking, especially with pies. We’re not here to argue that. Their firm texture allow them to hold up well when being cooked/baked, and their tart flavor also balances well with any added sugars, sweeteners and spices (such as cinnamon).
There are a few other apples though that we truly love to use when if comes to apple desserts, especially apple pie. Pink lady apples are next on our list of amazing apples to use in an apple pie recipe. (We use a mixture of 50/50 granny smith apples and pink lady apples in our apple pie recipe.) Pink lady apples are also very crisp and have a sweet-tart flavor that is absolutely delicious!
Golden delicious apples are next on our list of great apples to use in apple desserts. We love their crisp and crunchy texture with their sweet-tart flavor. The combination make them perfect for baked desserts as well!
Why We Use a Cheddar Pie Crust Recipe For Our Easy Apple Pie
Like we mentioned earlier our cheddar crust is unbelievably flaky and delicious. It has a really nice buttery flavor to it and the cheese only adds a subtle, but really nice nutty flavor. It matches incredibly well with our brown butter apple filling! This is seriously my favorite crust to use when making our easy apple pie recipe, and pretty much the only crust I use when making apple pie!
Storing, Freezing and Reheating Instructions
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Any leftover pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. To reheat, either microwave slices of pie in 30 second intervals until heated through, or bake at 350˚F, covered with foil for 8 to 10 minutes.
Freezing and Reheating Baked Apple Pie
Once baked, our apple pie is best frozen whole or in individual slices. To freeze, cool pie completely (slice into individual pieces, unless keeping whole) then tightly wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap (wrap each slice individually), followed by a layer of foil for up to 1 month. When ready to thaw, transfer pie to refrigerator (still wrapped) and thaw overnight (about 8 hours). Preheat oven to 350˚F. Unwrap apple pie, loosely cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, if thawing single slices, thaw in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Unwrap apple pie, loosely cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Freezing and Reheating Unbaked Apple Pie
Place unbaked pie in the freezer until fully frozen, about 2 hours. Once frozen tightly double wrap in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, remove foil and plastic wrap, transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 400˚F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375˚F and continue to bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until pie is golden brown and fully heated through.
More Delicious Pie Recipes You Will Love
Apple Pie Recipe (with a Cheddar Crust)
INGREDIENTS
cheddar crust
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, frozen and grated
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 4 tablespoons ice water
apple filling
- 4 granny smith apples, peeled cored and thinly sliced
- 4 pink lady apples, peeled cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (or corn strach)
- 1/4 cup unsalted browned butter, melted and cooled
egg wash and topping
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon white sanding sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
crust
- Place flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Add butter and gently incorporate into the flour mixture until a fine mealy texture forms.
- Fold in cheese until just combined, then stir in water.
- Turn mixture onto a clean, lightly floured surface and gently knead the mixture into a disc. Cover dough disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
filling
- Place all ingredients, into a large mixing bowl and fold together until well combined. Set aside and allow mixture to sit for about 1 hour.
assembly
- Once crust has chilled, divide in 1/2. Cover 1/2 and set aside. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and roll dough until about 1/8 inch thick.
- Gently fold dough in half (or roll onto rolling pin) and carefully lift into a pie dish and unfold. Press dough into shell, cutting off any excess around the perimeter, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Crimp the edge using your fingers and knuckles.
- Pour filling into pie shell, forming an even layer.
- Roll other half of dough until about 1/8” thick and cut into 10 strips of 3/4"x 11”. Gently lay 5 strips of dough across one direction of the pie, spacing them each even from one another. Form a lattice by arranging the remaining strips through the first strips.
- Trim the edges and gently press the ends into the crust of the pie. Fold overhang of bottom crust over and create a scalloped edge with your fingers and knuckles.
- Whisk together egg and water and brush egg wash over pie. Refrigerate pie for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place chilled pie onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 375˚F and continue to bake for about 45minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
- Remove pie from oven and cool for at least 1 hour. Slice and serve warm.
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!
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Cinzia
what kind and size of pie plate?
Emma
My one hiccup with this recipe is that it says 1 cup of cheese then goes on to say that it’s equivalent measurement is 4oz. The problem here is that 1 cup is 8oz not 4. We learn in Primary school that 1 cup is 8oz.
Jenny Park
That’s when you measure by volume, but here I’m referring to weight. So one cup of shredded cheese is equivalent to about 4 ounces by weight.
Isabel
I have never made a full on pie before, but this was my first. And now my issue is that I feel like an extremely skilled fancy baker who can conquer anything. I am very much a novice, but thank you for making this recipe easy and delicious.
Jennifer
This pie is truly a labor of love. I got quite the workout grating frozen butter and cheese but it was so worth the effort! The crust takes the pie to the next level. This is hand down the best apple pie EVER!!!
Aida
Can the apples sit longer than an hour? Could you possible prep them the day before? Is it possible to make the pie a day before and then warm it the following day?
Adam Green
I tried your recipe and it is so delicious, i would definitely recommend you to open up you own food restaurant (if you haven’t open yet) and of course you require a packaging company so i would refer you PacknTrade.
Madison Williams
It really looks delicious and presentable. I’ll definitely try this one. maybe I will share some to my friends in Hawthorn Restaurants. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.