Go Back

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

This amazing apple pie recipe belonged to my grandmother. I have never seen another one quite like it! It will always be my favorite and has won several first place prizes in local competitions. It makes the perfect dessert for family dinners or during the holidays.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 3374.1 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch pie pan
  • 1 Saucepan Medium-sized for caramel sauce
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Paring Knife or Vegetable Peeler For peeling and coring apples
  • 1 Whisk or Wooden Spoon For stirring sauce

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 8 small Granny Smith apples or as needed
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 9 inch double-crust pie pastry, thawed

Instructions
 

  • Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Peel and core apples, then thinly slice. Set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir to form a paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add both sugars and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Press one pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining pastry so it will overhang the pie by about 1/2 inch. Cut pastry into eight 1-inch strips. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Place sliced apples into the bottom crust, forming a slight mound. Lay four pastry strips vertically and evenly spaced over apples, using longer strips in the center and shorter strips at the edges. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Make a lattice crust: Fold the first and third strips all the way back so they're almost falling off the pie. Lay one of the unused strips perpendicularly over the second and fourth strips, then unfold the first and third strips back into their original position. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Fold the second and fourth vertical strips back. Lay one of the three unused strips perpendicularly over top. Unfold the second and fourth strips back into their original position. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 to weave in the last two strips of pastry. Fold and trim excess dough at the edges as necessary, and pinch to secure. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Slowly and gently pour sugar-butter mixture over lattice crust, making sure it seeps over sliced apples. Brush some onto lattice, but make sure it doesn't run off the sides. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until apples are soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve and enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

1. Apple Selection & Prep: Granny Smith apples are ideal for their tartness, which balances the rich, sweet caramel sauce. Ensure apples are thinly and uniformly sliced to cook evenly and prevent gaps in the pie.2. Caramel Sauce: Cooking the flour with butter first creates a roux, thickening the sauce and preventing a raw flour taste. Simmering the sauce allows the sugars to fully dissolve and deepen in flavor. Pour the sauce slowly and evenly to ensure it saturates the apples without overflowing the crust.3. Lattice Crust: For a professional look, ensure strips are of uniform width. Gently fold back alternating strips when weaving to maintain an even pattern. Pinch the edges securely to prevent the filling from bubbling out excessively.4. Baking: The initial high temperature helps set the crust and caramelize the top quickly. Reducing the heat allows the apples to soften thoroughly without the crust over-browning. Tent with foil if the crust browns too quickly.5. Cooling: Allow the pie to cool sufficiently after baking. This allows the caramel sauce to set properly, preventing a runny slice.