Sour Cream Apple Pie

Sour Cream Apple Pie Ingredients and Substitutions

Crust

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
• ¼ teaspoon table salt – Omit if using salted butter.
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed then chilled – or use salted butter
• ¼ cup ice water – The ice-cold water helps keep the temperature of the dough from getting too warm.

Filling

• 2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced – or use Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, or combine with Granny Smith Apples
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Custard

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs – room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sour cream – or full-fat plain Greek Yogurt

Crumb Topping

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar – or brown sugar for a more caramelized crumb
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• optional – mix in chipped nuts like pecans or walnuts

How to Make Sour Cream Apple Pie

1. CRUST. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. 
   • Add water to the flour and butter mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, using a fork or your hands to mix until the dough comes together. You should still see small bits of butter, which helps with the flakiness. 
   • Using your hands, shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
   • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Gently fold in half and then unfold over a 9-inch pie dish. Press dough into the dish, trim excess, and flute the edges. 
   • Place chilled dough on a generously floured surface and roll out to an 11-inch circle, adding more flour to your rolling pin as needed.
   • Carefully roll the dough onto the rolling pin, then unroll over a 9-inch pie dish. Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim any excess dough and flute the edges. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. FILLING. Add the apples, butter, and sugar to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until half the apples have dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool.
3. CUSTARD. Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl and whisk. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream, whisking after each addition.
4. TOPPING. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix. Add the melted butter and mix until a crumbly mixture forms.
5. BAKE. Add the cooked apples to the custard filling and mix to combine. Pour this over the pie crust in the pie pan. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the crumbs are a golden brown.
   • Let the pie cool on a wire rack completely before cutting and serving.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

• The key to a flaky crust is to keep the dough cold, particularly the butter, and not to overwork it. For more pie crust tips, check out How to Keep a Pie Crust from Getting Soggy and What to do with Leftover Pie Crust.
• Skip making a homemade pie crust and use a store-bought unbaked pie shell.
• We prefer using Golden Delicious apples, but another baking apple like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Fuji can be used. You can also substitute half of the apples with tart Granny Smith apples.
• Whisk each custard ingredient until just combined; over-whisking can incorporate too much air, which might lead to cracking in the custard.
• We love to top our pie with a dollop of Whipped Cream or a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

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Sour Cream Apple Pie

By: Kristyn Merkley

Sour cream apple pie elevates the classic with a rich, tangy, and creamy custard and a buttery crumb topping!

Servings: 8

Prep: 45 minutes mins

Cook: 50 minutes mins

Referigerate: 4 hours hrs

Total: 5 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Video

Ingredients 

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Crust

• ▢ 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed then chilled
• ▢ ¼ cup ice cold water

Filling

• ▢ 2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar

Custard

• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup sour cream

Crumb Topping

• ▢ 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions 

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add water to the flour and butter mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, using a fork or your hands to mix until the dough comes together. You should still see small bits of butter, which helps with the flakiness.
• Using your hands, shape the dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Gently fold in half and then unfold over a 9-inch pie dish. Press dough into the dish, trim excess, and flute the edges.
• Place chilled dough on a generously floured surface and roll out to an 11-inch circle, adding more flour to your rolling pin as needed.
• Carefully roll the dough onto the rolling pin, then unroll over a 9-inch pie dish. Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim any excess dough and flute the edges.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Filling: Add the apples, butter, and sugar to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until half the apples have dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool.
• Custard: Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl and whisk together. Add the eggs, then vanilla, then sour cream, whisking after each addition.
• Topping: Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix. Add the melted butter and mix until a crumbly mixture forms.
• Add the cooked apples to the custard filling and mix to combine. Pour this over the pie crust in the pie pan. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the crumbs are a deep golden color.
• Let the pie cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

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Notes

Recipe tips.

• The key to a flaky crust is to keep the dough cold, particularly the butter, and not to overwork it. For more pie crust tips, check out How to Keep a Pie Crust from Getting Soggy and What to do with Leftover Pie Crust.
• Skip making a homemade pie crust and use a store-bought unbaked pie shell.
• We like using Golden Delicious apples, but another baking apple like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Fuji can be used. You can also substitute half of the apples with tart Granny Smith apples.
• Whisk each custard ingredient until just combined; over-whisking can incorporate too much air, which might lead to cracking in the custard.
• Go ahead and top each slice with a dollop of Whipped Cream or a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

Prep ahead. Make the pie dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to 2-3 days, or freeze it for longer. Cook the apple filling ahead and cool it completely, storing it in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Freeze before baking. Assemble the entire pie, including the crumb topping, in the pie dish. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready, place the frozen pie directly into a preheated 350°F oven (do not thaw) and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. If needed, tent a piece of foil over the crumb topping to keep it from burning.

Store leftover pie, covered loosely with plastic wrap or foil, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or freeze slices in individual containers for 4-6 weeks. 

Nutrition

Calories: 658kcal, Carbohydrates: 80g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 110mg, Potassium: 277mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 1194IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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