Best Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipes

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For Pastry: Process flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until butter is size of large peas, about ten 1-second pulses.
• Using fork, mix sour cream and 1/3 cup ice water in small bowl until combined. Add half of sour cream mixture to flour mixture; pulse for three 1-second pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is floury, dry, and does not hold together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water and process until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, three to five 1-second pulses.
• Turn dough out onto work surface. Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk; wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm but not hard, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.).
• For Pie: Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest, and cinnamon in large bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Transfer apples to Dutch oven (do not wash bowl) and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when poked with fork but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. (Apples and juices should gently simmer during cooking.) Transfer apples and juices to rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. While apples cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. (If dough becomes soft and/or sticky, return to refrigerator until firm.) Remove parchment from one side of dough and flip onto 9-inch pie plate; peel off second layer of parchment. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll second disk of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate, leaving dough between parchment sheets, until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Set large colander over now-empty bowl; transfer cooled apples to colander. Shake colander to drain off as much juice as possible (cooked apples should measure about 8 cups); discard juice. Transfer apples to dough-lined pie plate; sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Remove parchment from one side of remaining dough and flip dough onto apples; peel off second piece of parchment. Pinch edges of top and bottom dough rounds firmly together. Following illustrations 1 through 4, trim and seal edges of dough, then cut four 2-inch slits in top of dough. Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining teaspoon sugar.
• Set pie on preheated baking sheet; bake until crust is dark golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool at least 1 1/2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.
• Freezing Instructions:.
• We tried two different methods for freezing: (1) fully assembled and ready to go directly from freezer to oven and (2) divided into separate components of crust and cooked apple filling to be thawed, assembled, and baked. Both versions were good, although the reassembled pie was deemed marginally better for its slightly flakier, more evenly browned crust. You'll probably want to choose one method or the other based on how long you expect to keep a pie (or its components) in the freezer.
• Assembled pies kept well for up to two weeks in the freezer; after that, the texture of the crust and apples suffered. To freeze an assembled pie, follow the recipe all the way through sealing the pie crust, but do not brush with egg wash. Freeze the pie for two to three hours, then wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and return it to the freezer. To bake, remove the pie from the freezer, brush it with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, cut slits in the top crust, and place directly on the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer than normal.
• For a longer freezer storage time of several months, freeze the crust and apples separately. Freeze individual batches of the cooked, drained apple filling in quart-sized freezer bags (this doubles as a great alternative to canning). Then make the pie dough, shape it into two 4-inch disks, wrap the disks tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze. When you're ready to make the pie, simply thaw the apples and crust in the refrigerator the night before, assemble as per the recipe instructions, and bake as directed. Of course, you can always just freeze the apples and make the crust fresh the day you bake the pie.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Place flour in a large bowl; cut in shortening until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk egg, water and vinegar; gradually add to crumb mixture, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. For filling, in a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish; dot with butter., On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Trim and flute edges. In a small bowl, whisk egg with milk; brush over crust. Cut slits in top. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack.

DEEP DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
• In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as the oven preheats. This gives the filling a chance to rest.
• Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
• On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust and discard the leftover juices in the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Lattice the pie crust. Crimp or flute the edges to seal.
• Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
• Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
• Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, 4 tablespoons butter, the shortening, sugar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in the vodka and 3 tablespoons cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; use the plastic to help form each half into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.)
• Make the filling: Peel the apples and slice 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15 to 18 minutes. Add the flour, heavy cream, cinnamon and salt and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 13-inch round on a floured surface. Ease into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Add the filling, mounding it in the center; dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface. Lay the dough over the filling and press the edges together. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edge with your fingers. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Set a baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees F. Set the pie on the hot baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake until golden, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating the pie as needed for even browning. (Cover the edge with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool until set, about 3 hours.

BA'S BEST DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor to combine. Add butter and process until largest pieces of butter are pea-size. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Combine vinegar and 1/2 cup ice water in a small bowl and drizzle over flour mixture, mixing with a fork to combine. Mix until shaggy pieces form, then knead in bowl a couple of times with your hands to bring together into a shaggy dough (it will look quite dry). Transfer large clumps of dough to work surface, drizzle 1 Tbsp. ice water over remaining flour mixture in bowl and knead again to bring it together. Add to dough on work surface. Working with half of the dough, press into a single mass, incorporating dry bits, then pat down to make a 3/4"-thick square. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide dough into 4 pieces. Stack pieces on top of one another, placing any unincorporated dry bits in between layers, and press down to combine. Form dough into a 3/4"-thick disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill at least 2 hours.
• Toss apples with brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cardamom in a large bowl to coat. Let apples sit until they start to release their juices, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Let dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften. Working one at a time, roll out disks of dough on a lightly floured surface 1/8" thick. Place each on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill while you prepare the filling.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place apple cider in a medium saucepan and scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add pod. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking occasionally, until reduced by two-thirds. Pour off juices that have accumulated in bowl of apples and add to apple cider. Return to a boil and cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup; remove vanilla pod. Stir cornstarch into 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to dissolve, then whisk into apple cider. Cook, whisking constantly, until cider mixture is very thick and bubbling, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, then scrape over apples; toss to coat.
• Carefully transfer dough round to pie dish. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish (if too cold to be pliable, let it warm up slightly first). Trim, leaving about 1" overhang. Beat egg with 1 tsp. water in a small bowl and brush over edges of dough. Scrape in apple filling, creating a mound in the center; dot filling with butter. Place remaining dough round over filling. Trim edges of top round, leaving a 1/2" overhang. Fold edge of bottom round up and over; press together to seal. Crimp edge and brush top with remaining egg wash. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and cut a few vents in top. Place pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and chill in freezer 10 minutes.
• Bake pie until crust is deep golden brown and juices are thick and bubbling, 1 1/2-2 hours (yes: 2 hours!). Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool at least 4 hours before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Dough can be made 5 days ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month. Pie can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; store covered with foil at room temperature.

DEEP DISH GRANNY SMITH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Peel, core, and halve apples. Cut into 1/2-inch slices, then slice into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl; add apples and toss to coat evenly. Add flour and toss again to distribute.
• Pour apple mixture into 1 pie crust. Roll out 2nd pie crust, top pie, and pinch crust edges together.
• Place pie on baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor or stand mixer, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse (or mix at medium-low speed) until the pieces are coated with flour. Add 1/2 cup ice water and mix until incorporated. Keep dribbling in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together into a lump. It should be moist, but not sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If dough feels wet, use a little extra flour.) Press the dough together, turning over a few times, until smooth and solid.
• Shape into 2 disks, using about 1/3 of the dough for the top crust and the remaining 2/3 for the bottom crust. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• On a lightly floured surface or nonstick baking mat, roll out the larger disk to about 1/4-inch thickness. The size and shape will depend on your dish. Use the crust to line a large 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, like a 10-inch round or 9-inch square, at least 2 inches deep. Refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice or vinegar, 1 tablespoon Calvados and flour. Toss together until the apples are roughly coated with what looks like wet sand. If filling is dry, add the remaining tablespoon of Calvados. Pour into the pie crust, mounding above the rim, and dot with butter. (If necessary, add more apple pieces to the top. Don't worry about mixing them in.)
• Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness (or a bit less) and lay it gently over the fruit. Trim any excess and fold the edges into a thick rim. Crimp, if desired.
• Whisk the egg thoroughly with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush over the entire top crust, including the edges. Cut 5 or 6 vents on top. Refrigerate pie while the oven heats.
• Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Place pie on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake another 25 minutes.
• Open the oven and carefully sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the pie. Bake about 10 minutes longer. Look for steam and bubbling juices coming out of the vents, and a well-browned crust, before removing the pie from the oven.
• Let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

DEEPEST-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Stir together sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl; set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one-third each of the apples and the sugar mixture, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Cook, stirring often, until apples are tender and liquid has thickened and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Working carefully, as alcohol may ignite, stir in 2 tablespoons Calvados. Return to heat, and cook until alcohol burns off, 30 seconds. Add 3 tablespoons cream; cook, stirring constantly, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer apple mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining apples, sugar mixture, vanilla, and Calvados, and 6 tablespoons cream, in 2 more batches.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; roll into an 1/8-inch-thick round large enough to cover top of a 3-quart ovenproof bowl and extend 2 inches over edge. Using a 1/2-inch round pastry tip, punch out hole in center. Trim to create a scalloped edge.
• Transfer apple mixture to ovenproof bowl; drape pastry round over top, centering hole and letting edges of pastry hang over sides of bowl. Decorate top with cut-out shapes from leftover dough, if desired, using cold water to adhere.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together yolk and remaining tablespoon cream; brush over pie. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Bake pie until top is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. If top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil. Let cool completely on a wire rack, 45 to 60 minutes. Serve with cheese, if desired.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE WITH CRUMBLE TOPPING

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Rub egg yolks and cold butter into the flour mixture until it forms fine crumbs. Add water a little at a time just until dough starts to form and stick together. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
• Roll pie dough out on a well-floured surface and place in 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, mulling spices, and pinch of salt in a large bowl; mix well to combine. Place apple mixture in prepared pie shell.
• Cream 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer. Stir in 3/4 cup flour, oats, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the apples.
• Bake pie in the preheated oven until crust and topping are golden brown and filling begins to bubble, about 1 hour.

COOKIE CRUST DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugar and salt until blended; beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Beat in sour cream. Gradually beat in flour. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a rectangle; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 375°. On waxed paper, roll one half of dough into a 14x10-in. rectangle. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. pan; press onto bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of pan. (Dough may crack; pinch together to patch.) , For filling, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon; toss with apples. Place in crust; dot with butter. On waxed paper, roll remaining dough into a 14x10-in. rectangle; place over filling. Pinch edges to seal., Whisk egg white until frothy; brush over top. Sprinkle with pecans. Cut slits in top crust. Bake on a lower oven rack until golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

FLAKY DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Note: if you are making a 9-inch pie you will need approximately 1/4 less ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan, melt the butter.
• Add the apples and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the sugars, lemon juice and flour.
• Continue to saute for 2 minutes.
• Season the apples with nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
• Add pecans and Mix thoroughly and remove from the heat.
• Cool the mixture.
• Roll out each half of dough to 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick.
• Fold one circle of dough in fourths.
• Carefully lift the dough and place in a 10-inch deep dish pie pan.
• Unfold the pie dough and spoon the apples into the pie shell.
• Place the second round of dough over the apples.
• Using a sharp knife, cut away the excess dough.
• Using your fingers, crimp the edges of the pie firmly to seal the dough completely.
• With the same sharp knife, make three slits, about 4 inches long and 2 inches apart, across the pie dough.
• Egg wash the top of the pie and sprinkle with sugar. Place the pie in the oven and bake for about 55 minutes or until crust is done and juices are bubbling.
• Serve warm or cold.

DEEPEST-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small mixing bowl.
• In skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 apples, 1/3 sugar mixture, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Saute until apples are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, measure 2 tablespoons Calvados into cup, add to skillet; return to heat, and cook 3 minutes. Calvados may ignite; proceed with caution until alcohol burns off, about 30 seconds. Add 3 tablespoons cream; cook, stirring, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Repeat step in two batches with remaining apples.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee 1/8 inch thick. Measure diameter of ovenproof bowl (we used a bowl eight inches wide and six inches deep), and roll dough out to extend sides by three inches all the way around. In center of dough, punch hole with number 4 plain pastry tip or 1/4 inch tip.
• Place apple mixture in ovenproof bowl; drape rolled-out pastry on top, centering hole. Allow edge of pastry to overhang sides of bowl. Trim edges to create a scalloped edge. Decorate top with excess dough using cold water to adhere.
• Mix egg yolk and remaining tablespoon cream; brush onto pie. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. When top becomes golden brown, loosely drape piece of foil over top to prevent further browning; continue to bake until pie bubbles. Cool on wire rack, 45 to 60 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with cheddar if desired.