This French Apple Pie is loaded with cinnamon & nutmeg & topped with buttery, brown sugar crumbles. The perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving holiday feast.
Who loves apple pie? It is an American favorite & my family can’t ever get enough.
But instead of making a traditional apple pie, they love this recipe for French Apple Pie which is similar to a Dutch Apple Pie but with a slightly different topping. So good, check it out!
You see, the hubs grew up near an orchard. Having an abundance of apple pie around was just sort of normal for him. So when we first got together, that was one of the things I had to learn how to make. But not only make, but I also had to do it WELL.
Fortunately, apple pie isn’t all that difficult. Maybe a bit time-consuming, but it really isn’t hard to make. Just follow the steps & you have one delicious pie when you are done.
apple pie recipe
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I have literally been making this recipe for 20+ years. When I was young & we were just starting out, it really gave me a sense of accomplishment to be able to make a homemade apple pie from scratch.
You see, my mom was a cake girl. That was her specialty & that was what I learned more than anything else. Interestingly enough, she never really baked anything else but cakes.
However, my grandmothers on my dad’s side, they baked pies in bulk. My great-grandmother especially. Growing up I remember her making so many pies in that tiny little kitchen in her cottage. Her apron, & flour & pies, pies, pies everywhere. Good memories.
But I was way too young to learn how to do it at that time. Since I don’t talk to that side of the family anymore, getting her recipe wasn’t an option.
I had to create my own. I have worked this one out & changed things over the years. But not too much, because once the hubs said it was perfect, I didn’t want to do anything different.
I mean, when you finally create “the perfect pie” you don’t change a thing when making it from there on out…and I haven’t for 20 years. This is THE recipe.
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can I make this recipe with frozen pie crust?
Yes- of course you can make this with a frozen pie crust. Just make sure to thaw the crust while you are preparing your apples so that it isn’t still partially frozen when it comes time to bake.
What is the best way to store leftover apple pie?
The easiest way is to add some plastic wrap or foil over the top of the pie plate & store in the refrigerator. Please enjoy this pie within 2-3 days.
What is the difference between the types of apple pie?
It is really interesting how different a pie can be from region to region. You will find that a Dutch apple pie has a streusel-like topping, which is really delicious & I may be making one of those here soon. This French apple pie topping is more like sugary sweet bread crumbs since it is made with flour & brown sugar combined with butter.
However, a German apple pie doesn’t have any topping nor a pastry top & the filling includes heavy cream with is absolutely heavenly. An English apple pie has the apples layered into a dome shape to allow for downward shrinkage as they bake & it is also topped with shortcrust pastry or additional crust layer.
But the scandinavian roots that run though the hubs side of the family have them all favoring a Swedish style apple pie. Those are more like an apple crumble, rather than a traditional pie. Often, breadcrumbs or rolled oats are used (wholly or partially) instead of flour & it is usually flavored with cinnamon & served with vanilla custard or ice cream.
There is also a very popular version called äppelkaka (apple cake), which differs from pie altogether. It is a sponge cake baked with fresh apple pieces in it.
apple pie filling
Can this recipe be doubled?
Theoretically yes. I do make multiple pies from time to time, especially for holidays. So I just double the recipe for the crust & cut it in half before rolling it out for 2 pie plates. Then comes a whole lot of apple peeling & slicing. It is 100% worth it though. You can bake both pies together in a standard size oven.
Can I use canned pie filling?
I suppose you could. The whole point is to make a homemade pie, so if you are going to use canned pie filling, then you may as well pick up the frozen pie crust & use them together. It would eliminate the need for this recipe altogether, but would work if you just needed a quick dessert option.
HOW DO YOU MAKE French Apple Pie?
- In a large bowl, cut the shortening into flour & salt using a pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives until particles are the size of coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle with cold water, tossing & blending until moistened & pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.
- Gather into a ball & roll out on floured surface until it’s 2 inches larger than the pie pan you plan on using.
- Spray pie pan with non-stick spray.
- Fold pate brisee twice (so it forms a triangle and place into pie pan. Unfold & shape into the pie plate.
- Trim or pinch your edges to the desired design.
- Set aside.
- Heat oven to 435 degrees.
- Mix apples with flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt until completely coated.
- Transfer to prepared pie crust.
- Combine ingredients & work together with your hands or pastry cutter until crumbly.
- Sprinkle over the prepared apples in the pie crust.
- Bake 40-50 minutes. Cover the pie for the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Pie is done when the crust is brown, apples are fork-tender & juice is bubbling.
- Cool in the pie plate on a wire rack.
- Serve warm with either a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream & caramel syrup.
Can I use a gluten-free flour for the pie crust?
I’m not sure just yet. I have been meaning to give this a try but haven’t had a chance. If you do try this, I would recommend using a 1:1 flour like this one as I don’t believe it would require additional ingredients that are typically called for when trying to make recipes that call for flour into a gluten-free version. If you do this, please come back & tell me how it turned out.
What type of apples should I use?
So, you want a tart apple. This is because they tend to be a bit more firm & will hold up through the baking process. I like to use granny smith because they don’t break down when baked & the tart flavor is offset by the added sugar in the recipe.
You can also use golden delicious, crisps pink, Honeycrisp, gala, fiji, or McIntosh Red. The sweeter apple varieties tend to be too soft, which is better for recipes like homemade applesauce instead.
Can you freeze apple pie?
Yes, you can freeze this pie. Just bake the pie according to the recipe instructions & then portion out whatever you aren’t going to enjoy within 2-3 days. Then just place the remaining pieces in an airtight container & make sure to label with the date before putting in the freezer. Use within 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before reheating in the microwave prior to serving.
Apple Pie Filling Recipes
To make this recipe you will need…
Crust:
-
- shortening
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- cold water
Filling
-
- peeled & thinly sliced tart apples
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- salt
Topping
- all-purpose flour
- packed brown sugar
- butter – firm
Products I love when making French Apple Pie…
This French Apple Pie recipe is so EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me during the fall season, you probably already have many of these items on hand!
OR maybe you have never made homemade apple pie before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how easy this fall dessert is to make. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this yummy treat.
- 1:1 gluten-free flour
- all-purpose flour
- shortening
- table salt
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon/sugar mix
- light brown sugar
- nutmeg
- mixing bowl
- disposable pie plates
- aluminum pie plate
- ceramic pie plate
- airtight pie container
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Mom’s apple pie
If you love this Apple Pie recipe, you’re going to love these other quick & easy fall recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie Bars
Air Fryer Angel Food Cake Churro Bites
best apple pie recipe
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French Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
Filling
- 7 cups peeled & thinly sliced tart apples
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter - firm
Instructions
Crust
- In a large bowl, cut the shortening into flour & salt using a pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives until particles are the size of coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle with cold water, tossing & blending until moistened & pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.
- Gather into a ball & roll out on floured surface until it's 2 inches larger than the pie pan you plan on using.
- Spray pie pan with non-stick spray.
- Fold pate brisee twice (so it forms a triangle and place into pie pan. Unfold & shape into the pie plate.
- Trim or pinch your edges to the desired design.
- Set aside.
Filling
- Heat oven to 435 degrees.
- Mix apples with flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt until completely coated.
- Transfer to prepared pie crust.
Topping
- Combine ingredients & work together with your hands or pastry cutter until crumbly.
- Sprinkle over the prepared apples in the pie crust.
Baking
- Bake 40-50 minutes. Cover the pie for the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Pie is done when the crust is brown, apples are fork-tender & juice is bubbling.
- Cool in the pie plate on a wire rack.
- Serve warm with either a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream & caramel syrup.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Kara says
I love the breakdown of the pie differences by region! Such a cool addition to your post!
Angie says
Never made a homemade pie before, but this recipe looks beautiful! How thinly sliced should the apples be? I’m having trouble gauging strictly from your photos. Thanks in advance!
Gina Kleinworth says
I usually do 1/16″ – 1/8″ inch thick for this pie. Sometimes they stick together in the mixing process, so if you can only get them to 1/4″ on some, that is okay too.