Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Vanilla: Extract Medium

The everyday American fruit pie: tart apples, sugar and warm spice under a flaky butter crust. This is the classic version most home bakers mean by fruit pie. Makes 8 slices in about 2 hr 40 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 60 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 2 hr 40 min

Yield 8 slices

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

Crust

2 ½ cups (320 g)all-purpose flour
1 tbspgranulated sugar
1 tspsalt
1 cup (230 g)unsalted butter, cold, cubed
6 tbsp (90 ml)ice water, as needed

Filling

2 ½ lb (1100 g)tart baking apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
⅔ cup (120 g)granulated sugar
2 tbspcornstarch
1 tspground cinnamon
1 tbsplemon juice
1 tspvanilla extract
1 pinchsalt

To finish

1 (50 g)egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk
1 tbspcoarse sugar

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Instructions

Whisk flour, sugar and salt, cut in the cold butter until pieces are pea-size, then sprinkle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just holds together when pressed.
Divide into two discs, wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
Toss the apples with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon, vanilla and salt and let stand 15 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C) with a baking sheet on the lower rack. Roll one disc to 12 inches (30 cm) and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate.
Pile in the apples and any juices, mounding them in the center.
Roll the second disc, lay it over the top, trim, crimp the edge, and cut 4 steam vents.
Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake on the sheet 20 minutes, then lower to 375 F (190 C) and bake 40 to 45 minutes more until the crust is deep gold and juices bubble thickly through the vents.
Cool at least 3 hours so the filling sets.

Tips

Mix apple varieties, such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, for flavor and texture.
Cover the edge with foil if it browns too fast.
Chilled dough rolls without shrinking.
Brush the crust with egg wash only before baking; bake until the crust is deep gold.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make classic double-crust apple pie?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking, plus 1 hour to chill. The recipe makes 8 slices.

How should I store classic double-crust apple pie?

Room temperature up to 2 days, then refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat slices at 325 F (165 C).

Can I make classic double-crust apple pie ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract. Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with vanilla ice cream.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

511 Calories / serving

24.6g Fat

69.6g Carbs

5.5g Protein

31.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~4088 cal · 197g fat · 557g carbs · 44g protein · 251g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.