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Our favorite warm spiced apple pie filling is perfect for your apple desserts, especially a fresh baked pie!
A Fall Favorite
Who doesn’t love a classic Apple Pie Recipe?! It’s definitely popular at our house, especially in the fall and for every holiday.
With that in mind, we try to make apple pie filling ahead of time to use in all of our holiday baking.
We use this versatile mixture in pies like Dutch Apple Pie or Apple Cake, or in a variety of other apple desserts. Whether enjoyed warm or chilled, apple pie filling is timeless, delicious AND so much better homemade!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Not just for pie. Use in a variety of desserts beyond pie, such as cobblers, crumbles, and tarts.
- Fall’s favorite fruit. A great way to use up all those delicious Autumn apples.
- Homemade. Making from scratch allows you the freedom to make the filling exactly how you like it.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
- 6-8 high-quality baking apples (we prefer Gala and Granny Smith apples) – I think the best apples for pie are a mixture, you can also use fuji, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Empire, Winesap, Jazz, Pink Lady, Jonagold or Melrose apples.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup unfiltered apple cider – the jugs sold in the fall are the best, but apple juice works as well.
- 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice – or fresh lemon juice, you can also add in a bit of lemon zest.
How to Make Apple Pie Filling
- SAUCE. While the dough is chilling, make the apple filling. In a heavy saucepan, whisk ¾ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, and 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Stir in 1 cup apple cider and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly. When finished, scoop the sauce into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
- APPLES. Peel, core, and slice 6-8 apples into about ¼ inch slices and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. (We love to use this Apple Peeler + Corer and this Apple Slicer to do this).
- When they are all cut, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir the apples and microwave for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cooled sauce and place back in the refrigerator.
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Apple Pie Filling
Equipment
- apple peeler and corer
Ingredients
- 6-8 high-quality apples, we prefer Gala and Granny Smith
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup unfiltered apple cider, the jugs sold in the fall are the best, but apple juice works as well
- 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, whisk sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch.
- Stir in apple cider and lemon juice. Cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly. When finished, scoop the sauce into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
- Peel, core, and slice apples into about ¼ inch slices and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.
- When they are all cut, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir the apples and microwave for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cooled sauce and place back in the refrigerator.
Notes
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Mix and pour into the pie sauce. Continue to stir and heat until it thickens.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
For an apple pie recipe to be canned, Clear Jel® must be used as the thickening ingredient. This recipe uses cornstarch and cannot be bottled for shelf storage.
Pour the pie filling into an unbaked pie crust (use store-bought pie dough or a homemade Easy Pie Crust recipe) and place a second pie crust on top. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Make apple turnovers, hand pies, apple fritters, apple pie bars, apple dumplings, apple scones, and so much more. Replace the cherry pie filling in this Cherry Danish recipe and Cheesecake Cupcakes.
Slather it on Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, a slice of Jello Cheesecake, on top of Buttermilk Pancakes, Belgian Waffles, or Easy French Toast. You can even mix this easy apple pie filling with oatmeal or yogurt.
The sauce will thicken fully as it cools, but it should still thicken significantly while you stir it in the saucepan over medium heat. If after 6-8 minutes of simmering the sauce isn’t even starting to thicken, then add a cornstarch slurry.
Fridge. If using the apple pie filling within a few days, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep it fresh and flavorful.
Freezer. To freeze apple pie filling, let it cool completely. Transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving some headspace at the top. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the filling overnight in the refrigerator.
Nothing can beat a freshly baked pie! Flavorful and delightful 😍
I love to use this for our pies! It is the perfect apple pie filling.
I really enjoyed this recipe. It was so easy to make and my pie tasted so good!