In my experiments with pie, I wanted so badly to be as experienced as a grandma. I wanted to know the ins and outs of pie. How the crust should feel and how thickly my fruit should be sliced; how thinly the crust should be rolled and how thick the juices should coagulate. But alas, I started knowing absolutely nothing. So I tried, and I tried, and I tried again until I felt comfortable. I came up with this old fashioned apple pie recipe on my first try (after making many other different pies), and I think it is mighty delicious. It is lightly sweetened and delightfully tart. I used Granny Smith apples and I really think it makes this pie stand out from others that I have had before. The juices are light and not too sticky, and overall I LOVE THIS PIE!

The best part about this pie is the addition of almond flour to the crust. I think that almond flour adds such a nice flavor to the pie and plays extremely well with the apple flavor. Another very nice thing about the addition of almond flour to the crust is that almond flour is gluten free. Being gluten free means that it will not contribute to the buildup of gluten in the crust which is great! The goal of pie crust is to not overwork the dough so it does not build up gluten and become tough. By having a little almond flour in the dough, we help to prevent a tough dough while also adding nice flavor!

Granny Smith vs Sweet Red

As I mentioned above, I was not sure what type of apples to use. There are a billion types at the grocery store and it gets a little daunting trying to choose just one. But, knowing myself and my love of tart desserts, I went straight for my comfort-zone apple, the Granny Smith. The Granny Smith apple might not necessarily be in every old fashioned apple pie, but they should be! Their flavor works so well with every part of this pie, and I know they’re the right choice for this pie.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

A classic, delightful, old fashioned apple pie. This pie will take you back to your childhood with its light sweetness and perfect crust.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple pie, apples, fruit dessert, pie

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• ⅓ cup Almond Flour
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 Stick + 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 6-8 tablespoons Ice Water

For the Filling:

• 5 Large Granny Smith Apples
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ½ cup Brown Sugar (light or dark)
• ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (divided)

Instructions

For the Crust:

• Add the flour, almond flour, and kosher salt to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
• Cut the butter into cubes and add the cubes into the flour mixture. With your hands, work the butter into the flour until pieces no bigger than the size of peas remain. The mixture should look like wet sand. This is called "cutting" in the butter.
• Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands or a wooden spatula. You do not want the dough to be dry, but you do not want the dough to be sticky, which is why you can add anywhere between 6-8 tbsp of water. Add the amount that feels right to you. What you want is a dough that you are able to compact with your hands but that is not sticky and is still a bit crumbly without being overly dry.
• When you can compact the dough without any dry flour remaining, pack the crust dough into a disc, divide it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, lightly flour a work surface and roll out each half to fit your 9 inch pie pan. A good thickness is less than or equal to ¼ of an inch. Place one pie crust in the bottom of the pan and cut off any excess. Save the other half of the pie crust to place on top once your filling is added.

For the Filling:

• Core the apples and thinly slice them, or cut them into small chunks. No chunk should be bigger than 1 inch. Place the sliced apples into a bowl and add the cinnamon, and sugars. Toss to coat each apple slice and allow to macerate for 10-20 mintutes until juice begins to pool in the bottom.
• When you have a good amount of juice pooled in the bottom, add 2 tablespoons of flour to the slices and toss to coat.
• Chop 2 tablespoons of butter into very small cubes, about ¼ of an inch per side, and scatter these cubes on top of the bottom crust in the pie pan. Pour the apples and juice on top of this.
• Chop the other 2 tablespoons of butter into the same small cubes and add on top of the sliced apples, scattering in all of the nooks and crannies. Add the top crust and pinch to seal the top crust to the bottom crust. Lightly brush a beaten egg over the top crust to help browning and sprinkle sugar on top.
• Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for one hour. Place a clean baking sheet lined with aluminum foil under the pie pan to catch any drippings. Let the pie rest for 2 hours until cool before enjoying.

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