It’s almost pie season and you’ve gotta be prepared with this Best Ever Homemade Apple Pie Filling! Thick, flavorful, and bursting with tender, juicy apples for all your pie baking needs and more!
I cannot believe we are one day away from September! This year has both felt like it has sped by but also dragged by, if that makes any sense! Certain times I felt like time was zooming by, but other times everything felt as if time was crawling. Let’s just say, I’m excited for this crazy year to be over!
However, despite the craziness that has affected the world and me personally, I am still excited for fall weather and the end-of-the-year holidays. I’m hoping nothing too insane will happen, like a rabid baboon invasion or fire-breathing lizards. I’m just glad the murder hornets were like, “yeah, we’ll come back later. Looks like ya’ll are a lil busy on Earth for us.” Thank you, murder hornets!
Anyway, back to fall! Fall food and baking is probably one of my faves, a very close second only to Christmas baking. When the weather starts to change here in Sacramento, I really get that cozy fall feeling – the cooler temps, the crisp breeze in the air – it’s such a nice reprieve from the sweltering, punishing summer heat! And of course, the second the temps change, I have fully transitioned into fall mode: sweaters, boots, scarves, apple cider, pumpkin! And obviously: PIES! Pies may be my fave part of fall!
My all-time fave pie is apple, so I knew I wanted to make my own Homemade Apple Pie Filling to have on stand-by for all my pie-baking cravings. This homemade version is SO simple to make, uses pantry staples you already have on hand and tastes a million times better than the canned stuff (and truthfully, I do like the canned stuff!). But once you have homemade, you’ll be able to taste the difference.
For the best homemade apple pie filling, I like using a mixture of apples: Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. Granny Smith are quintessential baking apples and most commonly used in pie recipes, but I love the bright and slight tartness of the Honeycrisp, and it is sturdy enough to bake with. Other great options are Braeburn and Golden Delicious.
You’ll simply prepare the “sauce” in a saucepan, then toss in the apples and lightly simmer for 10 minutes which tenderizes the apples and thickens the sauce. Let cool slightly, then jar up and store in the fridge or immediately bake into a pie! I recommend making my Apple Crisp Pie topping!
And don’t let Homemade Apple Pie Filling be limited to only pies! Spoon it warm over vanilla ice cream, fold it into thawed whipped topping and serve with graham crackers, or blend it into a milkshake!
Best Ever Homemade Apple Pie Filling
This truly is the best Homemade Apple Pie Filling! Easy, comes together quickly, uses pantry ingredients you have on hand and tastes amazing!
Servings: 4 cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups (about 3 medium) Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- 1 cup (about 1 medium) Honeycrisp apple peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- 3 cups water
- 2/3 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp salted butter
Instructions
In a large saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg until blended. Add in the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Carefully add the apples to the boiling sauce mixture and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer the apples in the sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until apples are tender and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
Remove the apple pie filling from the heat and stir in the salted butter. Let the mixture cool for about 10-15 minutes before transferring to a Mason jar or resealable container to store, or use it immediately to bake a pie. Apple pie filling can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Apple pie filling can be stored airtight in a jar in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Buttery, thick, gooey and so delicious, this apple pie filling immediately evokes feelings of coziness in fall weather!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
