This easy homemade apple pie starts with six fresh apples, a little cinnamon and nutmeg, and a flaky double crust. The filling mixes up in one bowl, so you can have it in the oven in about 20 minutes.

It is the classic American apple pie my family asks for at Thanksgiving, at Christmas, and at plenty of birthdays in between.

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You will also want to make your pie crust homemade and you can get more information here for a simple basic pie crust!

When Jim and I were first married, I only baked apple pie in the fall. Now that our family has grown, every season is apple pie season in our house.

Even my picky eaters never turned down a slice. When our son-in-law joined the family, we found out he loves apple pie too. I know I can never go wrong when this pie is sitting on the counter.

So many of our apple pie memories started in an orchard.

When our first daughter was born, we started going to Patterson Fruit Farm every fall. We picked our own apples in the U-pick rows, watched them press cider, and wandered through the gift shop. The best part was a bag of apple cider donuts to eat in the car on the way home.

Apple Picking Family Traditions

We started going to a local apple farm called Patterson Fruit Farm when our first daughter was born, and we kept going with all three children. Patterson’s had beautiful acres of U-Pick apple trees. We loved the gift shop, watching them make apple cider, and heading into the fields to pick our own apples for apple pie.

Patterson’s also had a small bakery, and we always got apple cider donuts there to eat in the car on the way home.

When Christene started kindergarten, her class took a field trip to Beckwith Orchards. After that, we started visiting that farm every year.

When the girls were little, you could go right into the field and pick your own. Eventually, the apples were only sold already picked in the gift shop.

On that first kindergarten trip, and for several trips after, the original farmer, Mr. Beckwith, gave the tours himself. He showed us the fields and the playhouse his parents made for him when he was a young boy. That playhouse was old and run down, but it gave us the idea to build our own playhouse in the backyard years later.

Christene, Katie, and Joey all loved going to Patterson’s and Beckwith’s for fresh, crisp fall apples.

Still, when the weather starts to cool down in the first weeks of September and the kids are back to school, my first thoughts go to apple pie. Simple and basic, you can see why the popular phrase “as American as apple pie” began.

I also believe it came about because of the stories of Johnny Appleseed. When our children were little, his was a favorite story at the beginning of every school year. There was always a lesson on Johnny Appleseed, with a story, a coloring page, and even a letter worksheet.

I remember having those same Johnny Appleseed lessons when I was in elementary school.

Every fall, I recommend enjoying some reading and crafts about this famous American with your children. Then bake your own homemade American apple pie together.

I got my pie crust recipe from a neighbor when Jim and I were first married, and I still use it today. You can find it in my easy homemade pie crust post, or grab a store bought crust if you are short on time.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Homemade Apple Pie

• It uses fresh apples and simple spices you already have in the pantry.
• The filling mixes up in one bowl, with no cooking on the stove.
• You decide how sweet it is and exactly what goes into it.
• It works with a homemade crust or a store bought one.
• It is a classic for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and family birthdays.

Ingredients for Homemade Apple Pie

• 1 double pie crust, homemade or store bought
• 6 apples, peeled and sliced (I like half McIntosh and half Granny Smith)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour, to thicken the juices
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, to keep the apples from browning

The full measurements and printable instructions are in the recipe card below.

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How to Make Easy Homemade Apple Pie

1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Set a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.
2. Add the bottom crust. Press one crust into your pie dish. Let the edges hang over a little so you have something to seal later.
3. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick so they bake evenly. Half McIntosh and half Granny Smith gives you that soft, old fashioned filling.
4. Fill the pie. Pour the filling into the bottom crust and mound it a little higher in the center. Apples shrink as they bake, so do not worry if it looks tall.
5. Add the top crust. Lay the second crust over the apples. Trim the extra and pinch the two edges together.
6. Vent and crimp. Cut a few slits in the top so the steam can escape. Crimp the edge with your thumb and forefinger, or press it with the tines of a fork the way my mother always did.
7. Bake. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. After the first 15 minutes, cover the edges with strips of foil so they do not get too dark. Look for juices bubbling through the slits, which tells you the apples are tender.
8. Cool. Set the pie on a cooling rack and give it time to set. A warm slice tastes wonderful, but a cooled pie slices much cleaner.

Easy Apple Pie Variations

• Crumb topping: Skip the top crust and use a buttery crumble instead, like my Dutch apple crumble pie.
• Lattice top: Cut the top crust into strips and weave them over the apples.
• Brown sugar: Swap half of the white sugar for brown sugar for a deeper, caramel flavor.
• Apple pie spice: Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Caramel drizzle: Drizzle warm caramel sauce over each slice right before serving.

How to Serve Apple Pie

A scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm slice is hard to beat. Whipped cream is lovely too.

If you love apple pie flavor all year long, try my Ninja Creami caramel apple pie protein ice cream.

Storing and Making Apple Pie Ahead

Cover the baked pie and keep it on the counter for up to 2 days. After that, move it to the fridge for up to 4 days.

For Thanksgiving, bake your pie the day before and keep it covered on the counter. That frees up your oven for the turkey.

To freeze, wrap the cooled pie well and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then warm it in a 350°F oven.

Planning what to do with all those holiday leftovers? My Thanksgiving Leftovers Storage Guide Printable] walks you through it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Apple Pie

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