Looking for a simple apple pie filling recipe? You've found it! Make my kitchen-tested recipe, and use my helpful step-by-step tips for a delicious apple filling every time.
Holiday baking isn't the same without a homemade pie. Sure, you can use canned pie filling, but for the best tasting pies, nothing beats homemade!
I suggest making a big batch of my simple apple pie filling recipe. It freezes well, so it's great to have on hand for making fall desserts like apple crumble bars. And, of course, a Thanksgiving pie.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Better flavor than canned filling.
- No preservatives or other funky ingredients. When it's homemade, you have full control over what goes into it!
- Super versatile! Apple filling is great for making a pie, but it can be used to make other apple desserts, too. I use the fruit filling to make Caramel Apple Cheesecake. Oh, and the cinnamon apple filling is delicious warm, served over ice cream or peanut butter blondies.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make apple filling from scratch, you'll need:
- Baking apples - I like to use Gala for baked fruit desserts. Gala have a slightly sweet flavor and crisp, firm flesh. When you're going to bake with apples, it's important to use fruit that holds its shape well.
Best Apples for Pie Filling
In addition to Gala, here are a few other good apples for baking:
- Granny Smith: The tart flavor of this variety works really well in sweet apple desserts like crumble bars.
- Honeycrisp - This variety typically costs a little more, but it has a delicious sweet and tart flavor.
- Rome - A super red apple, and it isn't too tart. A great all-around apple. Good for pies, crisps, and applesauce.
- Golden Delicious: This flavor of this variety is less sweet than some of the others, but it pairs really well with the seasonings in an apple pie filling.
Remaining Pie Filling Ingredients
- white sugar
- water
- cornstarch - This ingredient is for thickening the filling.
- butter - Either salted or unsalted butter will work. If you use salted butter and sodium intake is a concern for you, omit the salt from this recipe.
- lemon juice - Using lemon juice doesn't just brighten up the flavors of the filling, it also creates a barrier to help prevent apple slices from turning brown.
- vanilla extract
- spices: You'll need ground cinnamon, and sea or Kosher salt.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- butter: For dairy free pie filling, you can use a plant-based butter substitute.
- white sugar: To cut down on the overall calories of the filling, feel free to use a cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit is a good option. For a stronger molasses flavor, use brown sugar instead of white.
- vanilla extract: If you don't have any on hand, it's okay to omit it. Or, you can use vanilla bean paste, but use half of the amount of paste for the amount of extract the recipe calls for. If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence.
- lemon juice: If you don't have any lemon juice on hand, any citrus juice will work. Lime, orange, and even grapefruit juice are good options.
- spices: For a more flavorful filling, you can add ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, or substitute the cinnamon with apple pie spice.
How to Make Apple Pie Filling from Scratch
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
Before you start cooking the filling, you'll need to core, peel, and slice the fruit, then toss the apple slices in a bit of fresh lemon juice. This slows down the oxidation, so they don't turn brown as quickly.
- Add the fruit, sugar, and spices to a saucepan.
- Stir to combine, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Cook until apples are soft and the sauce is thick.
- Use immediately as desired, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Liz's Tips for the Best Filling From Scratch
- Use a knife or mandolin for consistent apple slices. A mandolin creates the thinnest slices, but the blade is incredibly sharp, so be careful! When using a mandolin, always use the hand guard.
- If your filling seems runny, let it simmer a bit longer. It will also thicken a bit as it cools.
- Wait to peel the apples until just before you make this recipe. The longer they sit, the more they will oxidate.
- This recipe is not written for canning. However, here's a tutorial on how to can apple pie filling.
How to Keep Apples From Turning Brown
If you search the Internet, you'll find several methods that claim to prevent your apples from turning brown. I will say, some work better than others! After conducting a test, I think soaking apple slices in salt water is the best method.
To keep apples from turning brown, do the following:
- Prepare a mixing bowl or shallow dish with 4 cups of room temperature tap water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Use a spoon to stir the solution.
- Submerge the slices under the salt water. Allow let them to sit in the solution for 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer the apples and water to a colander. Rinse with cool running tap water.
Uses for Apple Pie Filling
- Filled Doughnuts: Feeling ambitious and creative? Fill doughnuts with the delicious cinnamon apple filling.
- Apple Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake: If apple pie and cinnamon rolls had a baby, this would be it. Delish!
- Puff Pastry Dessert: Place apple pie filling in the center of a puff pastry square and fold it over into a triangle shape. Bake according to the instructions on the pastry package.
- Serve warm over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with or without slices of vanilla cake and/or caramel sauce.
- Hand Pies: Add a couple of tablespoons of filling onto circles of ready-to-bake pie crust. Fold them over and pinch to close. Use a fork to make vent holes, then bake until the crust is golden brown.
- Breakfast: Serve the warm filling over yogurt, oatmeal, waffles, or pancakes for an incredibly tasty weekend brunch!
- Apple crisp: Make my Easy Apple Crisp Recipe Without Oats
Storage
Storing: Refrigerate cooled filling in an airtight container, Ziploc bag, or mason jar for up to a week.
Freezing: If you'd like to freeze the apple pie filling, whether you've made enough for one pie or two, be sure to portion them out first.
Before freezing, allow the pie filling mixture to cool completely. Store in a plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to Use Filling to Make Apple Pie
If your goal is to make the perfect apple pie recipe, all you need to do is pour your apple pie filling into a store-bought or homemade pie crust.
Because the filling is already cooked, there's nothing else to do but bake the pie until it's golden brown. For baking instructions, follow my recipe for Fresh Peach Pie, but substitute the peach filling with apple!
Apple Pie Filling Recipe FAQ
If your filling is runny, one simple solution is to allow it to simmer longer. This allows the cornstarch more time to thicken the mixture. If you plan to use the apple filling in pies or other apple desserts, another option is to stir 1-2 Tablespoons of flour into the filling mixture before baking it.
The thickening agent you use is totally your choice. Honestly, both cornstarch and flour are good thickening agents. The primary difference is that flour takes a bit longer to thicken. For this reason, many people prefer using cornstarch for fruit pie filling.
Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pounds apples cored, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed from1 small lemon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss the apple slices in lemon juice. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on the stove, over medium heat.
- Add all ingredients except for the apples to the saucepan. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. As soon as the mixture comes to a full boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the apples to the saucepan and simmer the pie filling until the fruit is soft and the sauce is thick, about 20 minutes.
- Use as desired. To make an apple pie, use my pie crust recipe.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Storage - Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. This apple pie filling may be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating - Reheat in a microwave or over medium heat on the stove. You can also let frozen filling thaw at room temperature and then add it straight to your dessert or recipe before cooking for the baking process to finish warming it up.
- This is not a canning specific recipe. Here's a tutorial on how to can apple pie filling.
- Slice apples with a knife or mandolin. A mandolin will create the thinnest slices. Be careful, and when using a mandolin, always use the hand guard.
Lynne Falcigno
The coziest fall dessert topping or filling!
Alexis
Awesome