This deep dish apple pie recipe features layers upon layers of sweet spiced apples nestled in a buttery flaky pie crust. Top with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate homestyle dessert.
Apple pie is my favorite pie on the planet. It’s my favorite of all the Thanksgiving pies, and I certainly don’t limit it to the fall season. I’ve been making this deep dish apple pie recipe for years and easily consider it to be the best apple pie. That is, of course, if we’re not counting salted caramel apple pie. The recipes are pretty similar, but the other includes salted caramel. I’m ALL about that!
Deep Dish Apple Pie
Today we’re diving deep… and I mean super deep… into homemade apple pie. Deep dish style should be the only pie style. The higher the layers of apples, the better. If apple pie doesn’t tower over the pie dish edge, it’s just not worth it. But did you know that there’s a craft to deep dish apple pie? You can’t simply add more apples to any apple pie recipe.
And let’s take some time to discuss that.
Start With Quality Pie Crust
You need a sturdy crust to sandwich all those apples. Whether you’re a pie crust beginner or pro, I encourage you to read through my pie crust recipe. There is nothing quite like homemade pie crust and my grandmother’s recipe has consistently proven its authority over the past several decades. It’s our family’s favorite and I’ve been using it ever since I could lift a rolling pin.
This recipe uses a mixture of butter and shortening to provide a quality combination of sturdy, flaky, and buttery. I also have an all butter pie crust if you’re interested. But for best taste and texture, swear by using both shortening and butter. You can taste the difference.
Deep Dish Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
This deep dish apple pie has a deliciously gooey, sweet, spiced, and layered apple filling. These next few ingredients are my go-to ingredients for most apple pie recipes. (Even my apple cheddar pie, too!)
- Apples – It’s best to use a variety of apples in apple pie. Just like when we make 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, or Fuji. Here is a complete list of the best apples for baking.
- Spices – Apple pie isn’t apple pie without warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. It also isn’t apple pie without a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but we’ll get to that in a second. Add allspice to the filling for a little something extra.
- Lemon – A touch of lemon is crucial in apple pies. Not enough to taste the lemon, but just enough to prevent the apples from browning and to keep the flavor bright.
- Sugar – Sugar sweetens the pie filling.
- Flour – Flour thickens the pie filling.
How to Make Deep Dish Apple Pie
- Roll out the bottom pie dough. Tuck the dough into a deep dish pie pan. Refrigerate as you prepare the filling. Remember, cold pie dough is key to pie making.
- Make the filling. Stir all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl. An optional step, and something I’ve been doing more recently, is to pre-cook the filling on the stove for just a few minutes. This begins to soften the apple slices, and helps to meld the flavors together. I find it makes for a juicier, and more flavorful filling!
- Pile the filling into the pie dish. Don’t just pour the apples in. Instead, make sure the apple slices are compact inside. Tuck them in tightly so there’s hardly any air pockets.
- Add the top pie crust. I have a whole tutorial on how to lattice pie crust, which is how I topped this pictured pie. Alternatively, you can make a double crust pie by laying the 2nd rolled out pie crust on top. Slit some vents on top with a sharp knife.
- Flute the edges. If you’re unsure how, I show you how I flute edges in the video on my all butter pie crust page. You could also simply crimp the edges with a fork. I used to trim the edges of pie crust before fluting or crimping, but I don’t anymore. I like a thick-style pie crust edge!
- Brush with egg wash. Egg wash is a combination of egg and milk and gives the pie crust its golden sheen. Pie crust looks very dull without it. For a little crunch and sparkle, I always add a touch of coarse sugar on top too.
- Bake: Bake the deep dish apple pie until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents, about 1 hour. Baking the pie at an initial high temperature helps set the crust. After about 25 minutes, lower the oven temperature.
- Cool: The longer you let apple pie cool, the more the filling will set. I recommend cooling for at least 3 full hours before slicing and serving.
3 Tips for Deep Dishing
- Uniform Size Apples: Make sure your apple slices are uniform in size. Why? You don’t want some thick solid apples and some thin mushy apples. You want them all to be a deliciously crunchy-soft texture. Aim for about 1/4-inch thick slices. If the apple slices are too thin, they’ll just pack themselves down and you’ll lose all deep dishiness. –> the accurate term here.
- Use a Ton of Apples: This sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many apple slices can fit into a pie crust. Pile them so high that it looks ridiculous.
- Use the Correct Pan: My all-time favorite pie dish is deep-dish style, but perfect for regular (non-deep-dish style) pies as well. You want a pie dish at least 2 inches tall.
Each bite of this pie is stacked with sweet spiced apples. There’s clearly no shortage of apple slices, so if you’re crazy for apple pie, this is a must in your baking future. Top it with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel because you and I don’t mess around when it comes to dessert. A dollop of whipped cream would be excellent here, too! 🙂
More Classic Pie Recipes
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
Deep Dish Apple Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Deep dish apple pie features layers and layers of delicious apple slices and a buttery flaky pie crust!
Ingredients
- Homemade Pie Crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; 1 for bottom 1 for top)
- 8–9 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (11–12 cups, or 1375–1500g total)*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon each: ground allspice & ground nutmeg
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined.
- Optional pre-cook: Pour the apple filling into a very large skillet, or dutch oven, and place over medium heat. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and set aside. This step is optional, but I’ve found it makes for a juicier, more flavorful filling because it helps begin to soften the apples. If you can, take the few extra minutes to do this, because the flavor is worth it!
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- 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 9×2-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust. It’s ok if it is still warm from the precooking step.
- Finish assembling: 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. After the first 25 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. Keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 35–40 minutes until the crust is golden-brown.
- Remove the pie from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before slicing and serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead / Freezing Instructions: A couple ways to make ahead of time! 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 also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared fillings can also be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Large Skillet or Dutch Oven (for optional pre-cook) | Rolling Pin | Pie Dish | Pastry Brush | Pie Crust Shield
Keywords: apples, Thanksgiving, pie
Hi, Sally. I am a stickler for weighing ingredients, thanks for doing that now. My question – the apple weights, is that weight before or after peeling and coring?
Hi Janet, the weight is after peeling and coring. Hope you enjoy the pie!
Question? After reading the reviews do you recommend glass pie pans over metal and ceramic? The ceramic ones are so pretty but if you feel I will have better luck should I stick to the glass?
Thank you!
Hi Lou Lou! We prefer glass dishes for baking pies. Glass heats slowly, and this gradual heat is perfect to evenly cook pie, including the bottom of the crust, the filling, and the edges. You can also SEE the bottom of the crust browning, which is helpful for dishes with long bake times. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally! Super excited to try this tomorrow! Is there a reason for not par-baking the crust before filling? Would you cut down the bake time if par-baking before? Thank you!!
Hi Elizabeth, There is no need to par-bake the bottom crust for this recipe. The filled pie is in the oven long enough to properly cook it. However, if you would like to par bake the crust, you certainly can. It’s tricky to attach the top crust after par baking. We’re unsure of how much to reduce the bake time afterwards. Here’s our guide to Par-Baking Pie Crust. Enjoy!
This is the best apple pie I have ever eaten! I could eat the filling for a regular snack. The pie crust was a huge success. I didn’t have shortening, so I just swapped the shortening for an extra 2/3 cup of butter and I really liked it!
★★★★★
Can I use lard instead of shortening ?
Hi Michelle, lard should work in place of the shortening without any other changes. Keep the butter. Enjoy!
Can this be made in a non-deep dish pie plate? Does anything need to be adjusted? My pie plate is 9×1.2″ I believe.
Hi Kelly, you won’t have enough room in that pie dish for all of the filling. You could slightly reduce the filling or pile as much as you can into your pie dish and bake any extra in a separate dish, without crust.
The lattice recipe says to refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes before baking but this one does not say to. Should I?
Hi Steph, it never hurts!
I just went apple picking and have a ton of apples for pies and applesauce. When making ahead, do you recommend freezing prepared filling separate from the pie dough, a baked pie, or an unbaked pie? Which holds up best? Is there a particular apple pie filling that freezes better than others?
Hi Lisa! It really depends — all of those are fine options and we have details on how to do so in the recipe Notes section. Choose the method that fits best with your schedule, storage space, how much work you want to do when ready to eat/serve, etc. This filling freezes really well, and we include freezing instructions in all of our pie recipes if you are considering others. Hope you enjoy this one!
I have been baking for decades and have never attempted an apple pie (my mother has dominated that territory for all the holidays I can remember. I could never imagine coming close to her perfected dish), so I have been searching for a suitable starting point in which I could rely on my quality ingredients to bring a rustic farm worthy pie, rather than a fussy complicated showpiece. This was no disappointment. I was so worried about trying not to compete and it ended up a delightfully easy transition for all as well as a much needed break for Mom. Thank you for this delicious recipe and I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
★★★★★
This pie is always a good one but I’d say don’t LIGHTLY add the egg wash. Apply it liberally otherwise you won’t get the classic brown on top.
★★★★★
I’ve made this pie a few times. The inside is always delicious but my crust is a train wreck!! It never rolls out well and it cracks a lot. I feel like I add so much water but it isn’t enough?? Thanks! I love this site and have many baking successes. Pie crust is my weak spot!
Hi Dana, We have a full pie crust tutorial that you may find helpful!
So this was my second time making the pie and it turned out beautifully. The only issue I had again was the bottom of the crust didn’t cook all the way. I’m thinking the baking sheet is interfering with the bottom of the pie plate. Any suggestions?
★★★★★
Hi Sharon, It sounds as if the pie simply wasn’t baked long enough. What type of pie pan are you using? If you use a glass pan you will be able to see if the bottom is baked. If you try it again, you can cover the top with foil if the top is browning before the bottom is fully baked.
How much sugar and flour? I did not see a specified amount. Thanks.
Hi Stefanie! See the light gray recipe box with the detailed recipe above this comments section – enjoy!
Hello Sally,
I love your recipes and read a lot of questions folk have from which I am learning a lot, thank you
Thank you so much for your positive feedback, Tula – happy baking!
THE best apple pie recipe EVER!!!! I made this for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit. I love the use of different apple types and went with four granny smith, two Fuji and two honeycrisp. Each apple type has a different flavor and a different texture when cooked, which my family absolutely loved. I added extra lemon juice since I was using some sweet apples. I’ve been on a years long quest to find a pie crust recipe that gives me consistent, flaky results each time. This was my third time making Sally’s shortening/butter crust. It rolls out beautifully and was flaky perfection each time. I used butter flavored shortening this time and loved the results. I baked the pie for almost 30 minutes longer than it states in the recipe as I was waiting to see the juices bubble. I did throw in an extra apple, so maybe that’s why? I covered the pie loosely with foil to not over brown. Bottom and top crust were perfectly done. After cooling, the liquid thickened perfectly. This is such a HUGE deal. Imagine displaying a beautiful home-made pie, and after much anticipation, you cut into it only to have juices running everywhere. The horror! I am beyond happy to have found my go to recipe. Thank you!!!!!
★★★★★
Hi! Do you think that making the apple pie filling the night before baking it would be okay? I love all your recipes and I’m making both your pumpkin pie and apple pie for Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Hi Annabel, We are just getting to your question but wanted to answer for next time – It would be fine to make the filling one day in advance. You may have some extra juices in the bottom of your bowl so just spoon the filling into the crust and discard the leftover juices in the bottom of the bowl!
Hi, I assembled and froze this pie. My silicone crust protector says to place it right from the start. Would you recommend that or as you say in the recipe? Also, would the longer cook time be at the lower temperature? Thanks!
Hi Sue! We prefer to bake for a while to get a golden brown crust before adding the protector but you can do it either way! We recommend following the temperature instructions in the recipe regardless of when you place the crust protector on.
Hi! I’m about to make this with your buttery flakey pie crust. how thick to you roll the dough? and is it the same thickness for the top and bottom pieces? Thanks!
Hi Mandee, If you roll each half out to be 12 inches in diameter it ends up being around 1/4 of an inch thick. Yes, it’s the same for top and bottom. Enjoy!
Just made the pie and filling is delicious! I will say my apples are a little crunchier than I would like it. I used Granny Smith apples and the slices Any way to reduce the crunchiness? Should I slice the apples into thinner pieces or cook the mixture in the stove top? Any suggestions would be great!
Hi Brittany, Either one of those options should work! Enjoy.
Will be making this tonight! I would like to know if you should peel the skin off the apples or do you leave it on. Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi! Have you tried making this sugar free? If so, what do you suggest? Will it change the taste/texture? Thank you!
Hi Krystal, you can try reducing the sugar if you’d like, but we don’t recommend leaving it out completely. You’re correct — reducing and/or removing will change the taste and texture of the final baked good, so keep this in mind if you decide to try it out!
I use monkfruit in baking and it works well. Husband diabetic.
Have another recipe for this made in a deep rectangular pan. It didn’t say how long & temp to bake. Will your baking time work for me?
Hi Agnes, without trying the recipe ourselves, it’s hard to say. You can use our bake time as a guide, but best to keep a close eye on it to make sure it is not over/under baked.
I would like an extra crispy crust on my apple pie. How do you suggest I go about pre-baking the pie shell in your recipe??
Hi Steph! There is no need to par-bake the bottom crust for this recipe. The filled pie is in the oven long enough to properly cook it. However, if you would like to par bake the crust, you certainly can. It’s tricky to attach the top crust after par baking. Here’s our guide to Par-Baking Pie Crust.
I made your chai spice apple pie last year and it came out perfect. I’m currently baking the deep dish apple pie but it’s not bubbling at all. Should I continue baking until it does?
Hi Tyra, If your crust is golden brown and it’s been about about 1 hour, you could take it out. If the crust isn’t golden brown yet, it may need some more time.
Made my first successful apple pie today – thanks Sally! Reading through previous comments, it makes me laugh how upset people get about the taste of cloves and other spices. I see a recipe as a guide, and you can adapt according to taste. Taste as you go along, ladies and gents! I like clove but didn’t want that flavour dimension in my first ever pie; however, I did add the cinnamon plus sultanas and candied lemon and orange peel pieces. Really pleased with the results and what I think is probably a more subtle flavour than if I used all the spices that the recipe called for.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
I am a huge fan of Sally’s Baking Addiction. I just made your deep dish apple pie recipe and I followed everything down to the wire. The one problem I had was the bottom crust and the sides would not brown. I kept the pie in the oven over the suggested time and even raised the heat, but it just wouldn’t get brown. My apples were frozen and I took them out the night before and then put them into the cold pie shell. Any answers for me. I need to make another pie soon. Thank you.
Hi Judith, thank you so much for trying this recipe! Did you roll the pie dough to be thicker? Are you baking in a ceramic pan by chance? If you try the recipe again, see if rolling the dough thinner and baking in a glass pan (if you have one) helps. I also wonder if the frozen/thawed apples added too much moisture. I really do recommend fresh apples in this pie recipe if you have them.
Is it better to freeze baked or unbaked?
Hi Loretta, Either way works! If you freeze the assembled pie before baking, there is no need to thaw before baking, especially if you’re using a quality pan like a glass pyrex or disposable pan. The bake time will be a little longer. See the recipe notes for freezing a fully baked pie.
This will be my new go-to apple pie recipe. I made it with the all butter recipe crust because that is what I had on hand. It turned out great! Flaky crust, delicious filling which was not too runny. Thanks!
So excited to try this! Can you freeze or make ahead the filling?
Hi Angela! Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Made this pie for a Fall Festival I attended yesterday. Let’s just say it was a MAJOR HIT! Everyone raved about how pretty and delicious it was! Thank you!!!!
★★★★★
Can this pie be frozen unbaked
Hi Lise, you can freeze the assembled pie before baking. No need to thaw before baking, especially if you’re using a quality pan like a glass pyrex or disposable pan. The bake time will be a little longer.
This pie is AWESOME! It’s the very first time I have ever made my own crust! My husband said it’s the absolute best apple pie he’s ever had!
I was nervous about making the dough, but it rolled out so easy!
I used the crisp delicious apples.
Awesome crust, soft apples! Yummy
Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
Love apple pies . Wondering. Which is best apple to use for pie Thanks ♥️
Hi Rosie, It’s best to use a variety of apples in apple pie. See the paragraph in the post above called “Deep Dish Apple Pie Filling Ingredients” with the bullet point “apples” for details.
Hi Sally,
Love your recipes and will be trying this apple pie for my daughter and son-in-law visiting this week. Can I substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg?
Thank you!
Sharon
★★★★★
Hi Sharon! You certainly could, though without knowing the exact proportions of spices in your apple pie spice, you may find some flavor to be lacking. Let us know if you try it!
I made the pie just using the spices in the recipe. I used the all butter crust and followed the lattice video. It’s so beautiful! My only issue was I used a deep dish glass pyrex pie plate but wondering if the dough was too cold or the baking sheet interfered with the bottom of the crust baking. It was almost raw so I took it off the baking sheet and put it back in the oven. Any thoughts on what could have happened?
★★★★
I’m really excited to try this recipe. I got a mix of granny Smith, honey crisp and pink lady apples.
I’m new to homemade crust. Both recipes I’ve tried are yours, Sally.
I’ve actually made hand pies a couple of times to practice the dough!! Lol
I like the all butter crust a lot but the crust used for this pie was even better. Fingers crossed that I’ve practiced enough to nail this apple pie!!!
Cheers
Good luck!! Let me know how the pie turns out.
I want to try this, but every time I make apple pie, there is so much juice from the apples that comes off that everything gets soggy. Do you have any recommendations for me?
Hi Bailey, it could be that the filling is sitting too long before you add it to the pie crust, giving it time to release moisture. For best results, roll out the bottom pie crust, shape into the pie dish and refrigerate. Then make the filling, and add it to the cold crust. Spoon the filling in with a slotted spoon instead of pouring it in. Then continue with your top crust. Hope this helps!