Deep-Dish Apple Pie

If your favorite part of a classic apple pie is the filling, where all those soft apples are covered in a cinnamon-sugar sauce, then you need to make our very best deep-dish apple pie recipe. A deep-dish apple pie is baked in, well, a deep dish, like a 13×9-inch pan. This means there’s a lot more room to pile in a mountain of apples, so there’s even more filling. Of course, the quintessential flaky pie crust is baked right on top until it’s golden brown and the filling becomes bubbly and thick.

Honestly, the hardest part about this recipe is letting the pie cool after baking (no burnt tongues, please!). Serve slices a la mode, and you’ll see why this recipe for deep-dish apple pie is a true keeper.

Deep-Dish Apple Pie Ingredients

• Pie dough: This deep-dish apple pie uses a from-scratch pie dough made with shortening. Out of butter, shortening and lard pie crusts, shortening produces the flakiest. We also added vinegar to make the pie crust a bit more tender.
• Apples: For this pie, you’ll need about eight medium-sized apples. Peel and core the apples first, then slice them 1/4 inch thick.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice has two purposes here. The first is to prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning brown. The second is to add a touch of tart flavor to the filling to counterbalance the sugars.
• Sugars: We use both granulated and brown sugars in our deep-dish apple pie recipe. Brown sugar adds caramel-molasses notes, while granulated sugar prevents those flavors from becoming too strong.
• All-purpose flour: Apples expel a lot of juice as they bake, and all-purpose flour thickens the juice so that, with the sugars, it turns into a gorgeous sauce.
• Spices: The best apple pie recipes have all sorts of fall spices. Here, we use cinnamon and nutmeg to add that cozy flavor.
• Butter: Remember to add a few pats of butter to the filling before draping the pie dough on top.

Directions

Step 1: Make the pie dough

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Place the all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, fork tines or your fingers, cut in the shortening until the mixture becomes crumbly.

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In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cold water and white vinegar. Gradually add the egg mixture to the crumbly mixture, stirring gently just until the dough comes together.

Step 2: Shape and chill

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Shape the pie dough into a rectangle. Wrap it well in storage wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or, ideally, overnight.

Editor’s Tip: The longer the pie dough has to chill, the more flavorful it will become. Plus, it’ll chill thoroughly so it stays nice and flaky.

Step 3: Mix the filling

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, toss together the apples with the lemon juice.

In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the sugar and spice mixture to the apple mixture and toss everything together until all the apple slices are coated evenly.

Step 4: Add the filling to the dish

Pour the filling into a 13×9-inch baking dish and spread out the apples evenly. Dot the top of the filling with pats of butter.

Step 5: Top with the pie crust

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough big enough to fit over the top of the pie.

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Place the pie crust over the filling. Trim the pie crust down a bit and flute the edges. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with the milk to make the egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the crust.

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Using a paring knife, cut a few slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

Step 6: Bake the pie

Slide the pie into the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Carefully remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature on a wire rack.

Editor’s Tip: Any time I bake fruit pies, I always put a baking sheet on the rack that’s underneath the pie, just in case the filling bubbles over a little bit. That way, I only have to clean the baking sheet, not the bottom of my oven! If the crust is taking on too much color before the filling is done, make a pie crust shield to protect the edges.

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Recipe Variations

• Add more spices: There’s room to build more cozy flavors with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Open up your cabinet and reach for spices like ginger, cardamom, clove, allspice or apple pie spice.
• Play with the pie crust: Have fun with your pie and try other decorative pie crusts! A lattice pie crust or a pastry cutout (using leaf or apple shapes) would be great here.
• Make it a little sweeter: A classic apple pie recipe has a sweet-tart flavor, but if you prefer yours firmly in the “sweet” category, add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar.

How to Store Deep-Dish Apple Pie

To store deep-dish apple pie, allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then cover it tightly with storage wrap. This pie can sit at room temperature for one day or last in the fridge for up to five days.

Can you make a deep-dish apple pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this recipe for deep-dish apple pie ahead of time. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature, then cover it with storage wrap and store it at room temperature for one day. You can also freeze the pie for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Deep-Dish Apple Pie Tips

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Can you make this deep-dish apple pie recipe in a different kind of dish?

This deep-dish apple pie recipe works best in a 13×9 dish, but you can scale it down to make a more traditional apple pie shape in a classic 9-inch pie pan. If you have a 4-quart baking dish, that’s probably the best swap!

What kind of apples should you use to make deep-dish apple pie?

If you’re looking for the best apples for apple pie and you don’t want to dig too deep, go ahead and pick up a bag of Granny Smith. They’re everyone’s go-to apples for baking because they’re tart and firm, keeping their shape while providing a perfect balance to the sweet ingredients. Otherwise, any tart, firm apples will do. Avoid mealy, soft apples like McIntosh.

How do you serve deep-dish apple pie?

Serve deep-dish apple pie warm (not hot!) from the oven, although many people like to eat their apple pie at room temperature or even chilled. Scoop the best vanilla ice cream on each slice, or dollop a cloud of sweetened whipped cream on top.