Discover ways to make apple pie filling from scratch! Candy, tart, juicy, and warmly spiced, it is scrumptious in pies and on ice cream, pancakes, and extra.
As soon as I began making this apple pie filling recipe, I knew I’d by no means fill an apple pie some other means. The apples come out with the proper texture–tender, however not mushy–and so they’re dripping with syrupy, cinnamon-spiced juices. If you happen to’re making an apple pie this fall, I can’t advocate this filling extremely sufficient.
However even should you’re not making a pie, I nonetheless hope you’ll do this recipe. This selfmade apple pie filling doesn’t want to cover inside a flaky, buttery crust to be a scrumptious deal with. The gentle, sweet-tart apples are implausible on ice cream or yogurt, stirred into oatmeal, or loved for dessert on their very own. Let’s be actual, this filling is simply contemporary apples cooked with brown sugar, heat spices, and vanilla. What’s to not love about that?
Apple Pie Filling Recipe Components
Right here’s what you’ll must make this selfmade apple pie filling:
- Apples, in fact! In my view, Granny Smith apples are the very best apples for apple pie filling. They maintain their form effectively when cooked, and their tartness makes the candy, spiced flavors on this recipe pop. If you wish to use a form of apples with a much less tart taste, Honeycrisp and Golden Scrumptious are two good alternate options.
- Brown sugar and cane sugar – For sweetness. I really like the brown sugar’s molasses taste alongside the nice and cozy spices on this recipe.
- Apple pie spice – I prefer to make my very own with floor cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom, however be happy to make use of a store-bought mix should you desire.
- Contemporary lemon juice and zest – They add scrumptious brightness to this apple pie filling.
- Vanilla extract – It enhances the spices’ heat, cozy taste.
- Cornstarch and water – They create a slurry that thickens the apple juices right into a shiny sauce.
- And sea salt – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements under.
Make Apple Pie Filling
This apple pie filling recipe is actually easy to make! Right here’s the way it goes:
First, prep the apples. Peel, core, and thinly slice them.
Then, whisk collectively the sugars, spices, and salt within the backside of a giant pot. Add the apples and lemon juice and toss till the apples are effectively coated within the sugar and spices.
Let the apples sit for half-hour at room temperature to attract out a few of their juices. I like to provide them an excellent stir after quarter-hour to ensure they keep evenly coated within the sugars, spices, and juices. Whereas the apples sit, combine collectively the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
Subsequent, place the pot over medium-low warmth on the range. Prepare dinner, stirring, till the apples soften barely, about 5 minutes. Tip: you solely want the apples to melt somewhat should you’re going to make use of this apple pie filling in a pie; they need to nonetheless have a little bit of a chunk. If you happen to’re going to eat the filling by itself or as an ice cream topping, and so on., you’ll be able to cook dinner the apples to your required tenderness.
Increase the warmth to medium and pour within the cornstarch slurry. Prepare dinner, stirring, till the apple juices bubble and thicken. This gained’t take lengthy, simply 30 seconds or so!
Take away from the warmth and add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. That’s it!
Use Apple Pie Filling
You’ll be able to get pleasure from this simple apple pie filling immediately
If you happen to’re making a pie, permit the filling to chill fully earlier than you add it to the crust. Totally cooling the filling helps hold any butter within the pie crust chilly till you bake the pie, which ends up in a lighter, flakier crust. To assist the filling cool extra shortly, unfold it out on a few baking sheets or in a big baking dish.
To streamline the pie-making course of, be happy to organize the filling as much as 2 days prematurely. It retains effectively in an hermetic container within the fridge.
Extra Favourite Apple Recipes
If you happen to love this recipe, strive one in every of these scrumptious apple recipes subsequent:
Apple Pie Filling
Serves 8
On this simple apple pie filling recipe, I cook dinner sweet-tart apples with heat spices till they’re tender and juicy. It makes sufficient for one 9.5- or 9-inch pie. If you happen to’re utilizing a 9-inch pie pan, you may need somewhat filling left over. Use it as a topping for ice cream or pancakes, or strive one other of the serving options within the publish above.
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon Apple Pie Spice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 kilos good baking apples, akin to Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon contemporary lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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In a big pot, whisk collectively the brown sugar, cane sugar, apple pie spice, and salt. Add the apple slices and lemon juice and toss till the apples are evenly coated within the sugar and spices. Put aside for half-hour to attract a number of the juices out of the apples.
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In a small bowl, stir collectively the cornstarch and water till easy.
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Set the pot with the apples over medium-low warmth. Prepare dinner, stirring, till the apples soften barely, about 5 minutes*. Increase the warmth to medium and pour the cornstarch combination over the apples. Prepare dinner, stirring, till the apple juices bubble and thicken, about 30 seconds. Take away from the warmth and stir within the lemon zest and vanilla.
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Permit the filling to chill fully earlier than utilizing in a pie, or serve heat with vanilla ice cream.
*If you don’t plan to make use of the apple pie filling in a pie, proceed cooking till the apples attain your required tenderness. Use as a topping for vanilla ice cream or yogurt, or strive one other of the serving options within the publish above.
