BA's Best Apple Pie

As cookbook author Claire Saffitz notes, this apple pie recipe is “something you can’t rush.” It needs time to chill, bake, and rest—so plan ahead, especially if you’re making it for Thanksgiving. The good news is, the trouble is worth it; first published in 2016, it’s been a reader (and staff) favorite for a decade. The glossy, warmly spiced filling gets its concentrated flavor from simmering fresh apple cider with a fragrant vanilla bean and the juices released by the sugared and spiced apples. (No vanilla bean? Stir in 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract after removing the reduced cider mixture from the heat.) You’ll toss the intensely apple-y syrup with the sliced fruit just before assembling your pie and sliding it into the oven. Pink Lady apples are our first choice here. Their firm texture and bright flavor make them exceptional for balancing the sweetness. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, and Granny Smith are excellent alternatives. Using a mix of apple varieties will give your apple pie even more complexity. For more options, see our guide to the best apples for baking. Apple pie FAQs Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider? No. The filling calls for fresh, unfiltered apple cider—the kind you drink—not apple cider vinegar. Cider vinegar is used only in the pie dough. Substituting it for the fresh cider in the filling will make your pie extremely sour. Do I have to peel the apples? Not necessarily. Peeling the apples creates a more uniform filling, but leaving them unpeeled won’t make or break your pie. If you don’t mind the texture of cooked apple skins, feel free to skip that step. Why is there a gap between my apple filling and the top crust? As the pie bakes, the crust will puff and set. Meanwhile, the apples soften and shrink, which can leave some space between the crust and filling. To minimize the gap, cut the apples into thin slices rather than wedges and pack them evenly and snugly into the bottom crust before adding the top crust. How do I know when apple pie is done? The top should be deeply golden brown, but don’t judge by the crust alone. The pie’s juices should be thick and bubbling. This pie takes 1½–2 hours at 375°F. If the crust is getting too dark before the filling is ready, tent the pie loosely with foil and continue baking. Can I use store-bought pie crust? Most store-bought pie dough is sized for a standard pie dish and may not fit a deep-dish one. It may also brown more quickly than homemade dough, which could cause the crust to get too dark during this pie’s long bake. If using store-bought dough, watch the pie closely and tent it loosely with foil as needed. Watch Claire make apple pie here: What you’ll need Anchor Hocking 9.5" Deep Pie Plate $21 $12 At Amazon India Tree Demerara Sugar, 1.75 lb. $13 At Amazon Organic Pink Lady Apples, 3-lb. bag $7 At Amazon Recipe information Total Time 3 hours plus cooling Yield 8 Servings Ingredients Dough 3½ 2 1½ 1½ 2 Filling and Assembly 4 ⅓ ¼ 2 2 ½ ¼ ¼ 1½ 1 2 1 2 Special Equipment Need to make a substitution? Preparation Dough Step 1 Pulse 3½ (438 g) cups all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in food processor to combine. Add 1½ cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and process until largest pieces of butter are pea-size. Transfer to a large bowl. Step 2 Combine 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and ½ cup ice-cold 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 (dough will look very clumpy, dry, with loose bits). Transfer large clumps of dough to work surface, drizzle 1 Tbsp. cold water over remaining flour mixture in bowl and knead again to bring it together. Place on top of dough on work surface. Working with half of the dough, press into a single mass, incorporating dry bits, then pat down to make a ¾"-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 ¾"-thick disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill at least 2 hours. Do Ahead: Pie dough can be made 5 days ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month. Filling and Assembly Step 3 Toss 4 lb. Pink Lady or other firm, sweet-tart apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced, ⅓ cup (packed; 68 g) dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. + ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ¼ tsp. ground allspice, and ¼ tsp. ground 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. Step 4 Let pie dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften. Working one at a time, roll out disks of dough on a lightly floured surface ⅛" thick. Stack on a parchment-lined baking sheet, separating layers with a sheet of parchment, and chill while you prepare the filling. Step 5 Place 1½ cups unfiltered apple cider in a medium saucepan and scrape in seeds from 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 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 ½ cup; remove vanilla pod. Stir 2 Tbsp. cornstarch into 3 Tbsp. cold 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. Step 6 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). Press dough firmly against sides and bottom of plate. Trim, leaving about 1" overhang. Beat 1 large egg with 1 tsp. cold water in a small bowl and brush over edges of dough. Scrape apple mixture into bottom crust, arranging apples in an even, compact layer; dot filling with 2 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces. Place remaining dough round over filling. Trim edges of top round, leaving a ½" 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 use a sharp knife to cut a few vents in top. Place pie pan on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and chill in freezer 10 minutes. Place oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 375°. Step 7 Bake pie until top crust is deep golden brown and juices are thick and bubbling, 1½–2 hours (yes: 2 hours!). Transfer pie to a wire rack; let pie cool at least 4 hours before serving. Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (if using). Do Ahead: Pie can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; store covered with foil at room temperature. Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in our October 2016 issue as “BA’s Best Apple Pie” and has been updated for style with additional guidance. Head this way for more of our favorite Thanksgiving desserts →