Apple Pie Recipe with Video (caramel apple filling + easy pie crust)

Ingredients

• 240 g (1¾ cups + 1 tbsp)cake flour
• 25 g (2 tbsp)granulated sugar
• 170 g (1½ sticks), cold and cut into small cubesunsalted butter
• 30 g (about ⅗ of a large egg)beaten egg
• 2giant apples
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)cornflour
• 30 ml (2 tbsp)cold water
• 50 ggranulated sugar
• 30 gunsalted butter
• 1 g (½ tsp, or more to taste)ground cinnamon
• 1egg yolk
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)milk or water
• 7leaves, for decoration

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the flour

   In a mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour and 25 g sugar until evenly combined.

2. 2

   Rub in butter

   Add the cold cubed butter. Using your fingertips, rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter. Gloves can help keep the butter cool.

3. 3

   Add the egg

   Gradually stir in the beaten egg by hand, about 1 tablespoon at a time, using roughly 60% of a large egg or just enough for the dough to hold together when pinched. Avoid making the dough too wet.

4. 4

   Shape and chill

   Gently bring the dough together into a ball without kneading it much. Divide it into two portions, one about two-thirds and the other one-third, and flatten each into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day.

5. 5

   Heat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).

6. 6

   Roll the base

   Take the larger disc from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes. On a non-stick silicone mat or lightly floured surface, roll it into an 11-inch (about 28 cm) circle.

7. 7

   Line the tin

   Carefully lay the pastry in a 9-inch (about 23 cm) quiche tin and gently press it to fit. Trim the excess, add it to the remaining dough, and return that dough to the fridge. Prick the base with a fork, spacing the holes about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.

8. 8

   Weigh the pastry

   If desired, line the pastry with baking parchment and fill it with dried beans to hold its shape during baking.

9. 9

   Bake the shell

   Bake the pastry shell with the beans at 175°C (350°F) for 18 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and beans, then leave the shell to cool completely. If not using it within a day, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

10. 10

    Prepare the apples

    Peel, core and dice the apples. They can be held in iced water to slow browning. In a small bowl, stir the cornflour into the cold water until dissolved.

11. 11

    Make the caramel

    Put the 50 g sugar in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir gently for about 5 minutes, until melted and brown, then quickly add the 30 g butter and stir until it has melted.

12. 12

    Cook the filling

    Add the diced apples and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the apples take on a caramel colour. Pour in the cornflour mixture and stir quickly until the liquid thickens.

13. 13

    Heat the oven

    Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Take the smaller dough disc from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes.

14. 14

    Fill the shell

    Spoon the prepared apple filling into the cooled pastry shell and spread it evenly.

15. 15

    Cut the decorations

    On a non-stick silicone mat or lightly floured surface, roll the remaining dough to ⅛ inch (about 3 mm) thick. Use an apple-shaped cutter to cut out 7 pieces and arrange them over the filling.

16. 16

    Brush with egg

    Whisk the egg yolk with the milk or water. Gently brush the mixture over the apple-shaped pastry pieces and the top edge of the crust.

17. 17

    Bake the pie

    Bake the pie in the preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes.

18. 18

    Cool and decorate

    Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely. Just before serving, arrange the leaves on top to resemble apple leaves.

What is caramel apple pie?

Apple pie is a familiar fruit pie in British and American baking, with regional versions using different pastry styles and fillings. This version has a short, buttery cake-flour crust and a filling cooked in caramel before it goes into the pie shell.

Cooked apples and a little cinnamon give the filling its flavour, while the cornflour mixture thickens the caramel sauce. Apple-shaped pastry pieces make a decorative top without covering the filling completely.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 360 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The pastry and added sugar provide most of the carbohydrates, while the butter in the crust and filling contributes much of the fat. Apples add some carbohydrate and fibre, and the egg supplies a little protein. For a more balanced plate, serve a slice with plain yoghurt rather than adding another rich topping.

The pastry depends on cold butter

Cold butter: rub it into the flour only until the mixture has pea-sized pieces. Keeping some small pieces intact helps the pastry bake up tender rather than becoming a uniform paste.

Egg: add it gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together when pinched. Too much liquid can make the dough sticky and harder to roll.

Take care with the caramel

Melted sugar: stir it gently over medium heat and watch for it to turn brown, which the method estimates takes about 5 minutes. Add the butter promptly once the sugar has melted and coloured.

Cornflour mixture: stir the dissolved cornflour and water before adding it to the pan, then mix quickly as the filling thickens. This gives the sauce a coating consistency before it is spooned into the shell.

Look for clear texture cues

Pastry shell: after 18 minutes at 175°C, remove the beans and parchment and let the shell cool completely. Pricking the base and using the optional weights help limit large bubbles and hold the shape.

Apple filling: cook the diced apples for about 5 minutes, until they have a caramel hue, then stir in the cornflour liquid until thickened. The recipe gives these visual cues rather than a precise softness test.

Plan the chilling and baking

Chill: the pastry needs at least 1 hour in the fridge, or it can be kept there for up to 1 day before rolling. Let each disc sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.

Bake: the shell is baked first at 175°C for 18 minutes, then the assembled pie is baked at 190°C for 20 minutes. Allow extra time for the shell and finished pie to cool completely.

Serve it simply

Cool the pie fully before cutting so the thickened filling has time to settle. The fresh leaves are for decoration and should be arranged on top just before serving.

A slice works well on its own or alongside a spoonful of yoghurt, custard or cream. Keep additions separate so each person can choose how rich to make their serving.

Recipe notes & tips

• Chill the pastry for the full hour so it is easier to handle when rolling.
• Add the egg a little at a time and stop once the dough holds together when pinched.
• If using baking beans, place parchment between them and the pastry shell.
• Dissolve the cornflour completely in cold water before adding it to the hot filling.
• Let the shell and finished pie cool completely before filling or slicing, respectively.
• Use the leftover pastry trimmings with the smaller disc before cutting out the decorations.

Variations

• Adjust the cinnamon: add more than 1 g if you prefer a stronger spice flavour.
• Change the wash: use water instead of milk with the egg yolk.
• Skip the leaves: leave off the fresh-leaf decoration for a simpler finish.
• Change the decoration: cut the top pastry into another shape if you do not have an apple-shaped cutter.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Warming the butter: work quickly with your fingertips so it stays cold and the crumbs remain coarse.
• Making wet dough: add the beaten egg gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together when pinched.
• Overworking the pastry: bring it gently into a ball rather than kneading it.
• Skipping the base holes: prick the pastry evenly with a fork to let steam escape.
• Leaving the caramel unattended: watch the sugar as it melts and browns, then add the butter promptly.
• Cutting the pie while hot: let it cool completely before serving so the filling can settle.

How to store

The recipe says an unused baked shell can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days. For the finished pie, store it covered in the fridge and eat within 3 days; warm individual slices gently in a low oven.

Frequently asked questions