the best dang apple pie you’ll ever have *dairy & egg free*

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as American as apple pie

When you think of July 4th, patriotism, or baseball, the quintessential apple pie isn’t far behind in our thoughts. What other dessert transcends time and space to remain America’s favorite pie?

So when Independence Day or a family reunion comes around, what better pie to take than THE apple pie?

Now I’m begging you, do not buy an apple pie from a grocery store. You and your family and friends deserve so much better. I promise that making an apple pie is easy as, well… pie.

And let’s not get into all the nasty and toxic ingredients included in a store bought pie besides the lack of freshness from sitting on a shelf. A store bought pie just cannot match the brilliance that is a homemade apple pie.

And a cute pie crust top isn’t difficult either! Trust me, I used to finish a pie with an undecorated top because I thought anything else was too difficult. Well I was wrong.

While this recipe seems to have many steps, the ingredients are simple and so are the instructions. You can even do some of the work in advance and freeze the pie crusts to finish at a later date. And that’s music to my always-planning-in-advance ears.

why use this apple pie recipe?

This recipe is all around the healthiest option when making a dessert. Homemade is always better than store bought.

things to consider when baking this apple pie

This apple pie recipe is easy to make, but there are a few things to consider before starting.

should the apples be peeled?

To preserve produce, the peel of many fruits and veggies are covered in wax and other substances to maintain freshness during transport and while they sit on grocery store shelves.

How well can soap and water remove those substances? I don’t know how effective any cleaning product is at removing this, purportedly edible, wax so I opt to remove the peel.

how long will the apple pie stay fresh?

The pie will remain fresh covered on a countertop for around 3 days. Five days in the fridge is your maximum freshness and taste upper limit.

which apples should be used?

Depends on your preference! I enjoy Pink Ladies so I use those but any apple will do. If you prefer a tart pie, go with Granny Smith apples or Honeycrisp or Pink Lady for a sweet apple pie.

Typically tarter apples hold their crispness better than sweet apples, but I’ve found Pink Ladies to work really well with this recipe.

what’s the best way to thinly slice the apples?

A mandolin can be used to thinly slice the apples, but I actually use a knife. There’s no scientific precision needed when cutting these slices thinly. I prefer to avoid the risk of cutting my knuckle off with a mandolin if at all possible.

how can I reheat leftovers?

Honestly the microwave works really well once you’ve put individual slices on plates or bowls. You could also reheat the slices in a air fryer to crisp up the crust after being in the fridge.

why is lemon juice required in a sweet apple pie recipe?

The lemon juice helps to keep the apples from browning. But if your apples do brown, it’s completely ok. The pie’ll still eat.

can I skip the step of boiling water for the apple slices?

You are the captain of your own ship. You do you.

But the apple slices will remain crisper with the precooking from the boiling water. Apples contain an enzyme that converts the pectin into a heat stable form that retains rigidity and crispness.

a note on the crust recipe

Don’t forget to triple the crust recipe – one for the bottom, one for the top, and one for the pretty cutouts using cookie cutters. You may end up with extra dough but it can be frozen and used for other recipes.

I make each crust recipe separately which reduces the need to guess at how much dough should be split for each need.

If you’re doing a lattice, slit, or cutout pattern you only need two crusts. If you’re doing the cute cutouts then you’ll want a third crust and the top crust doesn’t have to be perfect because it’ll be mostly covered.

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the tools – for the apple pie crust

the edible supplies – for the apple pie crust

To get started making this apple pie crust, you’ll first want to gather all your ingredients.

Don’t forget to make 3 pie crusts.

the steps for the apple pie crust

This recipe starts with the crust, moves to the filling, and then combines the two for the final bake.

Step 1: Put the water in the fridge or freezer to cool.

Step 2: Mix the salt, sugar, and flour.

Step 3: Add in the coconut oil and mix until crumbly. I incorporate the coconut oil using my hands.

Step 4: Once fully incorporated and crumbly, add in the ice cold water and mix.

Step 5: Form the dough into a smooth ball.

Step 6: On flat surface, flatten out the dough ball. Roll out to roughly 12 inches in diameter.

To avoid rough and broken edges, I will fold the edges back over on the dough and reroll.

And sometimes I break out the measuring tape to make sure I’m reaching the proper dimensions.

Step 7: Place the dough in the pie plate and gently tuck the dough into the sides and top with your fingers. Make sure there are no weak or thin spots. You can reroll or patch the dough if need be.

Step 8: Use a fork to generously prick the bottom of the crust.

Step 9: Repeat the process (excluding the fork prick and pie plate) for the top crust and cutout crust. I store both separately between two pieces of parchment paper on top of a solid surface so there’s no drooping.

For the 3rd crust for the cutouts, I don’t recommend cutting out shapes until right before the pie is ready to be cooked to make the amount and size of the cutouts work for the pie.

Step 10: Chill all 3 crusts in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Or you can freeze the dough. If freezing, make sure you thaw the top crust just enough to make it moldable.

Step 11: If you’re baking same day, preheat the oven to 400° F near the end of the 2 hour chill.

Step 12: Bake the bottom pie crust in the pie pan for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Now on to the apple pie filling and finishing up!

the tools – for the apple pie filling

the edible supplies – for the apple pie filling

To get started making this apple pie filling, you’ll first want to gather all your ingredients.

the steps for the apple pie filling

This recipe starts with prepping the bottom crust, making the pie filling, and then combines the pie crusts with the filling for the final bake.

Step 1: While the bottom crust is baking and cooling, bring water to a rolling boil on your stovetop.

Step 2: Peel and slice the apples and put in a mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over the apple slices and let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 3: After 10 minutes, drain the apples but leave them in the mixing bowl.

Step 4: Mix in the sugar, flour, salt, and lemon juice until the apples are coated.

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Step 6: Pour the apple filling into the pie crust (even the liquid!).

Step 7: Lay one of the top crusts over the pie and tuck it in. If it happens to crumble or break, that’s ok because it’s going to be covered with other shapes. No pie is perfect and what matters is that it’s delicious.

Step 8: Using cookie cutters or a knife, make cutouts in the 3rd pie crust. Lay them out on top of the 2nd pie crust to plan your design.

Step 9: Sprinkle the sugar on top of the crust and bake for 50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Best served hot out of the oven with vanilla bean coconut ice cream.

Enjoy your classic homemade apple pie!

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Here are some of the supplies that I used when making this apple pie recipe!

best dang apple pie you’ll ever have

The best dang apple pie you'll ever have is easy as, well…pie! Never buy an apple pie from the store again with this easy, delicious recipe!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 Rolling Pin
• 1 9 inch glass pie plate
• measuring spoons
• parchment paper
• measuring cups
• 1 silicone baking mat
• fork to prick the bottom of the dough
• cookie cutters
• 1 knife
• 1 peeler
• 1 cutting board
• 1 sauce pan for boiling water
• 1 food scale

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1 1/2 cups flour used thrice
• 1/2 tsp salt used thrice
• 1/2 cup coconut oil used thrice
• 1/4 cup ice cold water used thrice
• 1 tsp white sugar used thrice
• 1 tbsp white sugar to sprinkle on top right before baking used once

Pie Filling

• 2.5 lb thinly sliced apples
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• t tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3 homemade pie crusts

Notes

The pie will remain fresh covered on a countertop for around 3 days. Five days in the fridge is your maximum freshness and taste upper limit.

I enjoy Pink Ladies so I use those in this recipe but any apple will do. If you prefer a tart pie, go with Granny Smith apples or Honeycrisp or Pink Lady for a sweet apple pie.

The lemon juice helps to keep the apples from browning. But if your apples do brown, it’s completely ok. The pie’ll still eat.

Apple slices will remain crisper with the precooking from the boiling water. Apples contain an enzyme that converts the pectin into a heat stable form that retains rigidity and crispness. Don’t skip the boiling water step!

Don’t forget to triple the crust recipe – one for the bottom, one for the top, and one for the pretty cutouts using cookie cutters. You may end up with extra dough but it can be frozen and used for other recipes.