Description
There’s just something about apple pie that feels like home — warm cinnamon, tender apples, and a flaky golden crust. This budget-friendly apple pie tastes like it came straight out of a small-town American bakery, rich, cozy, and perfectly sweet without costing a fortune.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6–8 cups (2.5–3 lbs) apples, peeled, cored, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 3 cups Granny Smith apples
- 3 cups Honeycrisp apples
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 2 store-bought 9-inch pie crusts
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon cold water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into tiny dots (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Peel, core, and slice apples ¼-inch thick.
- In a large bowl, toss apples with dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, cornstarch, and fresh lime juice.
- Let mixture sit for 10 minutes to release natural juices.
- Place one pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish and gently press into corners.
- Pour apple mixture evenly into crust.
- Dot small pieces of cold butter over filling (optional but recommended).
- Place second crust on top, cut vents or create lattice.
- Crimp edges with fork or fingers to seal.
- Mix egg yolk with cold water and brush over top crust.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar over crust.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes until crust is deep golden and filling is bubbling.
- If edges brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Cool for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow filling to set.
Notes
Use a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for the perfect sweet-tart balance. Always measure cornstarch carefully to avoid a runny filling. Bake on the lower oven rack for a crisp bottom crust. Pie freezes well for up to 3 months when wrapped tightly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: budget-friendly apple pie, apple pie, homemade pie, cinnamon apple pie, easy apple pie recipe