Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2024)

posted by

Jump to Recipe

SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

Paula Deen’s Apple Pie

Paula Deen’s Apple Pie is a deliciously classic recipe with a buttery homemade lattice top crust and brown sugar apples.

Related Recipes:

  • Caramel Oreo Pie
  • Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie
  • Coconut Cream Pie
Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (1)

Who doesn’t love a juicy apple pie with that carmel-y sweet crunch of flaky crust. So perfect yet so difficult to achieve just the right balance of apples, sweetness and crunch.

Choosing your apples

Step one: select apples for apple pie. It is important to choose firm apples that are less likely to turn to mush when baked. The best apples for pies are crisp and crunchy with a low water content. These would inclue Honeycrisp, Cortland, Granny Smith and Pink Ladies.

As you’re shopping for apples, look for ones that feel firm and smell fragrant. And try to avoid apples that have ugly bruises or soft spots. Go for the freshest apples you can find. Even the highest quality apples can get mealy after being stored too long.

Ingredients for Paula Deen’s Apple Pie

  • brown sugar
  • flour
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • green apples, peeled and sliced
  • lemon juice
  • butter, cubed
  • unbaked pie crusts
  • egg wash for brushing on crust
Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2)
Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (3)

Must-Read Tips

  1. First sweat your apple slices before using them in the pie filling. This will prevent a runny filling and a soggy crust bottom!Read this post to learn how.
  2. Using store-bought pie crust dough is fine. But if you want to make your own, here are my favorite recipes by comfort level with making pie crusts:

✓ Total Novice: No Rolling Press-in-the-Pan Pie Crust*
✓ Beginner: Easiest All-Butter Pie Crust
✓ Intermediate: Buttermilk Pastry Pie Crust
✓ Experienced: Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe

*You’ll need to turn this recipe into a Dutch Apple Pie if you opt to use the Press-in-the-Pan pie crust, since this recipe does not make dough that rolls out easily.

Have no fear– it’s easy! Simply replace the second crust that goes on top with a yummy crumble (use the crumble from this recipe) and adjust the baking time and temperature to: 60 minutes at 350°F. Place foil over the crumble topping if it gets too brown during baking.

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (4)

What does it mean to “Sweat” Apples?

The process of sweating apples simply means to reduce the amount of juice in the apple slices intended for pie. You can easily draw the juice out of the apple slices by coating them in sugar and lemon juice and allowing them to sit for at least an hour at room temperature. Then you’ll see the juice has gathered at the bottom of the bowl (you can use this juice later to make cider or syrup!) and you can proceed to use the slightly dehydrated apples for a pie filling using any recipe.

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (5)
Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (6)

Paula Deen's Apple Pie

Yield: 8-12 slices

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Paula Deen's classic Apple Pie with a buttery homemade lattice top crust and brown sugar apples.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 7 medium green apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp butter, cubed
  • 2 unbaked pie crusts
  • egg wash for brushing on crust

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Place the apple slices in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the dry ingredients mixture to coat.

Press a pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the apple mixture.

Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples. Sprinkle the cubed butter over top as well.

Place the second pie crust over the filling (you can make a lattice top or simply cut slits to vent the steam). Press edges to seal.

Bake for 55-60 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Helpful Related Posts

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (10)

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (11)

Why and How to Sweat Apples for Pie

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (12)

Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe

After years of struggle, I finally perfected the Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe. I picked up a few tricks along the way, and I'm sharing them with you in this post!

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (13)

Buttermilk Pastry Pie Crust

If you're like me, and the art of pie crust-making has eluded you... give this one a try! I like that it's a little softer to work with; I've found that it cracks less when I'm rolling it out. And I also like that I can skip the rolling part if I want and just use my hands to press it into the pie dish.

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (14)

Easiest All Butter Pie Crust

  • Costco Cranberry Walnut Bread Recipe: No-Knead Nut Delight

  • Chocolate Coffee Creamer Recipe: Homemade Mocha Delight

  • Can You Use Frozen Bananas for Banana Bread?

  • Dessert Casserole Recipe: Delicious Smores Casserole Ideas

Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are McDonald's apple pies so good? ›

Many pie fillings are made with a processed thickening agent that keeps the filling jelly-like and in place. But McDonald's uses a dehydrated apple powder. The powder not only thickens the filling, but it also adds that extra apple taste that you love.

Which apples make the best apple pie? ›

The best apples for making apple pie
  • Crispin (Mutsu). ...
  • Golden Delicious. ...
  • Granny Smith. ...
  • Honeycrisp. ...
  • Jonagold or Jonathan. ...
  • Northern Spy. ...
  • Pink Lady. This super crisp apple certainly is sturdy enough to hold its shape when baked. ...
  • Winesap. This heirloom cultivar is said to have been around for centuries.
Oct 8, 2021

Why did people put cheese on apple pie? ›

The cheese-apple pie connection traces back to England, where both cheddar and apple pie are said to have originated. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a dairy-based sauce often topped English pies, such as custard. Somehow, some folks decided to try out cheddar along the way, and the rest was history.

What is the difference between the old and new McDonald's apple pies? ›

Public opinion started to lean away from fried food and more toward baked, so McDonald's switched to a baked version in 1992. The new version was undoubtedly healthier, though many longtime fans insist that the old flaky, crispy crust was tastier.

Does McDonald's bake or fry their apple pies? ›

McDonald's Baked Apple Pie recipe features 100% American-grown apples, and a lattice crust baked to perfection and topped with sprinkled sugar. There are 230 calories in McDonald's apple pie. Pair it with a Hot Caramel Sundae for your own twist on Apple Pie A-La-Mode!

What is the apple pie rule? ›

Here's a look at one of the most unusual laws on the books in the Badger State. In Wisconsin, it is illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without a slice of cheese on top. Yes, you read that right: cheese is required on top of any apple pie that is served in a public restaurant in Wisconsin.

What apples should not be used for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

What is the best thickener for apple pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.

How many apples are needed for a 9 inch pie? ›

The short answer? For any standard 9-inch crust, you'll probably need no more or less than 6 to 8 average-sized apples. The long answer is that it really depends on what kinds of apples you're using for your apple pie filling.

What is the sweetest apple for apple pie? ›

Honeycrisp apples are known for their intense sweetness and crisp snap. They're a delicious apple to incorporate into either pie or crisp filling because they pack a bold punch in the flavor department and are neither too wet nor too firm when cooked.

Are honeycrisp apples good for you? ›

The flesh and peel are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals that may protect against breast and lung cancer. These disease-fighting nutrients work best when the peel and flesh are eaten together. Enjoy eating a delicious Honeycrisp apple plain or in this fall apple salad.

Is it illegal to sell apple pie without cheese in Wisconsin? ›

Let's begin with one of the most frequently cited state laws, which reportedly requires that “all apple pie in Wisconsin must be served with a slice of cheese on it.” Sadly, despite the law's prevalence among weird-law lists, the law itself is just a myth.

What is it called when you put ice cream on apple pie? ›

Pie à la Mode (literally "pie in the current fashion"/ "fashionable pie") is pie served with ice cream. The French culinary phrase à la mode used in the name of this American dessert is also encountered in other dishes such as boeuf à la mode (beef à la mode).

What is cheese on apple pie called? ›

Cheddar is the most common variety, but there are regional preferences. In parts of Yorkshire, they prefer their regional cheese of Wensleydale. There's a saying that comes from the area: "An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze."

Are McDonalds apple pies actually apple? ›

Absolutely—McDonald's apple pie has real diced apples. The exact variety can vary from season to season, but we look for apples that are sweet and slightly tart. Read a full ingredient list for our Apple Pies.

What is the apple pie at McDonalds made of? ›

View Ingredients & Allergens

OR: Water, Apples (23%), WHEAT Flour, Vegetable Oils (Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil), Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Dextrose, Salt, Spices, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Caramelised Sugar Syrup, Cassia Extract. Prepared in the restaurants using non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Is McDonalds apple pie unhealthy? ›

Apart from these strange ingredients, the apple pie has 230 calories per 1 serving and is high in both sodium and sugar, so there really aren't any reasons to eat this for your health. Plus, making apple pie from scratch always allows you to know exactly what is in it!

Where does McDonalds get their apple pies from? ›

For more than 50 years, all the pies sold in US McDonald's have been made exclusively at Bama Companies in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Bama also makes biscuits and hotcakes for the fast-food chain.)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 6299

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.