Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2024)

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Paula Deen’s Apple Pie

Paula Deen’s Apple Pie is a deliciously classic recipe with a buttery homemade lattice top crust and brown sugar apples.

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Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (1)

Who doesn’t love a juicy apple pie with that carmel-y sweet crunch of flaky crust. So perfect yet so difficult to achieve just the right balance of apples, sweetness and crunch.

Choosing your apples

First, select apples for apple pie. It is important to choose firm apples that are less likely to turn to mush when baked. The best apples for pies are crisp and crunchy with a low water content. These would inclue Honeycrisp, Cortland, Granny Smith and Pink Ladies.

As you’re shopping for apples, look for ones that feel firm and smell fragrant. And try to avoid apples that have ugly bruises or soft spots. Go for the freshest apples you can find. Even the highest quality apples can get mealy after being stored too long.

Ingredients for Paula Deen’s Apple Pie

  • brown sugar
  • flour
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • green apples, peeled and sliced
  • lemon juice
  • butter, cubed
  • unbaked pie crusts
  • egg wash for brushing on crust
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Must-Read Tips

  1. First sweat your apple slices before using them in the pie filling. This will prevent a runny filling and a soggy crust bottom!Read this post to learn how.
  2. You know, using store-bought pie crust dough is fine. But if you want to make your own, here are my favorite recipes by comfort level with making pie crusts:
  • Total Novice: No Rolling Press-in-the-Pan Pie Crust*
  • Beginner: Easiest All-Butter Pie Crust
  • Intermediate: Buttermilk Pastry Pie Crust
  • Experienced: Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe

*You’ll need to turn this recipe into a Dutch Apple Pie if you opt to use the Press-in-the-Pan pie crust, since this recipe does not make dough that rolls out easily.

Have no fear– it’s easy! Simply replace the second crust that goes on top with a yummy crumble (use the crumble from this recipe) and adjust the baking time and temperature to: 60 minutes at 350°F. Place foil over the crumble topping if it gets too brown during baking.

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What does it mean to “Sweat” Apples?

The process of sweating apples simply means to reduce the amount of juice in the apple slices intended for pie. You can easily draw the juice out of the apple slices by coating them in sugar and lemon juice and allowing them to sit for at least an hour at room temperature. Then you’ll see the juice has gathered at the bottom of the bowl (you can use this juice later to make cider or syrup!), and you can proceed to use the slightly dehydrated apples for a pie filling using any recipe.

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Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (6)

Paula Deen's Apple Pie

Paula Deen's classic Apple Pie with a buttery homemade lattice top crust and brown sugar apples.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 7 medium green apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp butter, cubed
  • 2 unbaked pie crusts
  • egg wash for brushing on crust

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Place the apple slices in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the dry ingredients mixture to coat.

Press a pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the apple mixture.

Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples. Sprinkle the cubed butter over top as well.

Place the second pie crust over the filling (you can make a lattice top or simply cut slits to vent the steam). Press edges to seal.

Bake for 55-60 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Helpful Related Posts

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (11)

Why and How to Sweat Apples for Pie

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (12)

Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe

After years of struggle, I finally perfected the Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe. I picked up a few tricks along the way, and I'm sharing them with you in this post!

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (13)

Buttermilk Pastry Pie Crust

If you're like me, and the art of pie crust-making has eluded you... give this one a try! I like that it's a little softer to work with; I've found that it cracks less when I'm rolling it out. And I also like that I can skip the rolling part if I want and just use my hands to press it into the pie dish.

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (14)

Easiest All Butter Pie Crust

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  • Caramel Substitute: Easy Recipe for Milk-Based Substitute

  • Jamaican Black Cake Recipe: Making Rum-Infused Cake

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best combination of apples for apple pie? ›

My best apple pie would include a combination of these three: Cortland, for flavor; Russet, for texture; and Granny Smith, for its combination of the two.

Are Paula Red apples good for apple pie? ›

Its firm flesh makes Paula Red a good fresh eating and cooking apple, especially good for a delicious, naturally pink applesauce and for pie making. It is an early season apple ripening in late August, and like most early apples, Paula Red does not keep for too long.

What is the best thickener for apple pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch for apple pie? ›

Corn starch lends a glossy thickness and adds sheen to the filling while flour adds opacity and some mouthfeel so that it has a sort-of creaminess. With all corn starch the filling reminds me too much of store-bought pies with that gloopy clear gel-like texture and with all flour it can get too lumpy and stodgy.

What apples should not be used for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

How do I keep the bottom of my apple pie from getting soggy? ›

Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.

Should I cook apples before putting in pie? ›

Should you cook the apples before baking apple pie? You don't have to pre-cook the filling before spooning it into the pie crust, but it's a quick step I recommend. Just 5 minutes on the stove begins the softening process, and also helps the flavors start to mingle.

What is the difference between Paula Red and McIntosh apples? ›

Early McIntosh is round and only slightly ribbed, with an orange-red blush. It bears many small light lenticel dots and patches of whitish bloom. Paula Red is oblate, with slight ribbing only. Its blush is a bit more purple with large light lenticels and a light-colored bloom.

What is the sweetest apple to bake with? ›

Honeycrisp (Sweet)

They're extra juicy and very crisp with a honey-sweet flavor that translates wonderfully into baked goods. AND they are the star of the show in my Honeycrisp apple sangria.

How to make a fruit pie without a soggy bottom? ›

Bake on a pizza stone

If you don't have a baking stone, follow Dorie's advice: “I put my pie plate on a baking sheet — it catches the drips, but it also helps to concentrate the oven's heat on the base of the pan.” Frangipane adds flavor and provides insurance against soggy bottoms.

What thickens fruit pie filling? ›

Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste. For full effectiveness, make sure the pie filling is bubbling up through the crust before removing your pie from the oven.

How do you thicken applesauce for pie filling? ›

  1. Cornstarch: Mix with cold water, add to filling, and cook until thick.
  2. Flour: Stir a few tablespoons into the filling.
  3. Tapioca: Use instant tapioca as a thickener.
  4. Reduce Liquid: Cook the filling on the stovetop to evaporate excess liquid.
Sep 25, 2022

Why did my apples turn to applesauce in my pie? ›

For example, sweeter apples tend to break down easier than their acidic partners. This means that apples like Red Delicious break down quickly, turning your pie into more of an applesauce than a delectable dessert.

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