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A side view of a filled jar of apple pie filling already cooked.

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5 from 146 reviews

Apple Pie Filling

Recipe by Kelli Avila

This apple pie filling cooks sliced baking apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until they're just tender, then thickens the juices with cornstarch at the very end so the sauce stays glossy and then a little butter and vanilla stirred in off the heat to round it out. It makes enough for a 9-inch pie and freezes well, so it's worth making a batch while apples are at their best.

  • Total Time35 minutes
  • Yield6 cups

Ingredients

3 pounds baking apples (about 7-9 apples, weighed before peeling), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of coarse kosher salt

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh apple cider (not apple cider vinegar), divided, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

Instructions

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, stir together the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let the apples macerate at room temperature for about 10 minutes, until they start to release their juices. Add ¾ cup of the fresh apple cider and stir again.

Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally so the apples cook evenly, until they have softened, about 10 minutes. Don't let all of the liquid cook off. If it reduces quickly, add ⅓ cup more apple cider to the pot.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh apple cider until smooth.

Pour the slurry into the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and glossy, 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.

Let the filling cool completely, then transfer it to a glass storage container.

Notes

Fresh apple cider adds another layer of apple flavor. If you can't find it, use 100% apple juice with no added sugar, or water.

If you're baking this into a pie, you can cook the apples for as little as 5 minutes so they don’t overcook when they bake in the crust in the oven.

The filling needs to be completely chilled before it goes into a pie crust. For additional information about turning this into a pie, see How to Bake a Double Crust Pie.

Cooked apple pie filling keeps for up to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Looking for a full from scratch apple pie? Try The Apple Pie Recipe.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/apple-pie-filling/