Warm and sweet homemade apple pie with chai spices. Chai spices include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg. Each spice gives this apple pie a BIG something extra!
Iโm about to show you the best homemade apple pie on the planet. And that says quite a lot considering salted caramel apple pie exists. Say it with meโฆ
Chai.
Spice.
Apple.
Pie.
It’s spiced, sweet, and satisfying. One bite, big or small, is almost always followed up with โthis is the best apple pie Iโve ever eaten!โ
I love baking with chai spices and warm gooey apple pie seemed like the spices’ finest destiny. Weโre talking cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and a little black pepper (it makes the best pumpkin pie, trust me). So much brilliant spicy flavor hiding under this golden brown crust.
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie with Chai Spices
- Start with homemade pie crust. Choose between my flaky buttery pie crust or my all butter pie crust. What’s the difference, you ask? See my recipe note in the all butter pie crust recipe. I used all butter pie crust in these photos.
- Make the apple pie filling with delicious chai spices, a little flour to thicken, vanilla extract for extra flavor, sugar to sweeten, a small squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavor, and, of course, apples!
- Prepare the lattice pie crust top. You can watch me do this in my video tutorial below. A lattice-topped pie is classic and how I like to decorate blueberry pie, peach pie, and cherry pie, too. You can crimp or flute the pie crust to seal the edges. See my How to Crimp and Flute Pie Crust tutorial for an in-depth explanation of both methods.
- Bake!
Homemade apple pie is one of my favorite desserts not only to enjoy, but to make as well. The finished pie always looks and tastes like there is so much grueling prep involved, when in reality… there really isn’t. The trickiest part, if I can even call it that, is peeling and slicing the apples. But grab a fellow apple pie lover and you’ll be done in no time. The crust will also take you a bit of time, but I urge you to keep homemade pie crust in the freezer. With the holidays rapidly approaching, make a couple batches of pie crust dough NOW to save you some time (and sanity!) later.
What Are the Best Apples to Use for Baking?
Itโs best to use a variety of apples in apple pie. Just like when we make apple cake or apple cranberry crumble pie, I recommend using half tart and half sweet. I love tart Granny Smith apples paired with a sweet variety such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jazz, or Fuji. Here is a complete list of the best apples for baking.
If youโre looking for more pie inspiration, here are all of our favorite Thanksgiving pies. If you want an apple pie-like dessert with a fraction of the work, try apple cobbler, apple crisp, or an apple galette instead.
You’re going to love the unique addition of beloved chai flavors to this apple pie filling. It’s unlike any other apple pie I’ve ever had before, which puts it at the top of my list.
If you prefer not to use chai spices, my classic apple pie recipe is for you. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial: Latticing Pie Crust
More Chai Spice Desserts:
- Chai Latte Cupcakes
- White Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles
- Chai Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
- Easy Chai Spice Donuts
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
Print
Homemade Apple Pie with Chai Spices
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: one 9-inch pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Warm and sweet homemade apple pie with a little something extra: flavored with your favorite chai spices!
Ingredients
- Buttery Flaky Pie Crustย or All Butter Pie Crust
- 6โ8 medium apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-inch slices* (approx. 8โ10 cups, or 1โ1.25kg slices)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
- 2ย teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1ย Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the filling after the dough has chilled: In a large bowl using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir the apples, lemon juice, flour, all of the spices, sugar, and vanilla extract together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as the oven preheats; this time allows the apples to begin letting off their juice.
- Preheat oven toย 400ยฐF (204ยฐC).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: 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-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust and discard some of the leftover juices in the bottom of the bowl. Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
- Finish assembling: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Carefully lay the dough over the filling. Use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim off excess dough from the sides. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Crimp or flute the pie crust edges to seal.
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC) and bake for an additional 30โ35 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 3ย full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover pie leftovers tightly and storeย in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This is a great dessert to make ahead of time! To make 1 day in advance: After it cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Apple Peelerย |ย Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pinย |ย 9-inch Pie Dish |ย Kitchen Shearsย |ย Pastry Brushย |ย Coarse Sugarย |ย Large Baking Sheetย |ย Pie Crust Shieldย |ย Cooling Rack
- Apples: Slice your apples a uniform thickness, so you don’t end up with some solid apples and some thin, mushy apples. Itโs best to use a variety of apples in apple pie. Just like when we makeย apple cake, I recommend using half tart and half sweet. I love tart Granny Smith apples paired with a sweet variety such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jazz, Piรฑata, or Fuji.
- Adapted from Apple Crumble Pie.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could I bake this sans crust, as a crumble?
Hi Katy, Absolutely. The bake time may be a little shorter without the top crust. Or you may enjoy the crumble topping from this apple crumble pie.