German Apple Pie is one of the easiest, most delicious kinds of pie I've ever baked. The filling is nothing more than cinnamon and sugar coated apples covered in cream and sprinkled with sugar.
The pie is gorgeously creamy and flavorful, and so easy to make that it's become one of my new favorite new go-to recipes.
What is a German Apple Pie?
I just recently discovered German Apple Pie and now I'm completely obsessed. It's one of the easiest pies to make and so creamy and delicious that it's quickly become one of my favorite desserts.
The pie is made by simply tossing sliced apples with a mixture of sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cloves, piling them into a pie crust, and pouring cream over the whole thing.
As the pie bakes, the cream combines with the sugar and apples to create a rich, smooth, creamy filling that's unlike any other kind of apple pie I've ever tasted.
How to Make German Apple Pie: 5 super easy steps
#1. Roll out a pie crust (more about my favorite pie crust recipe below) and fit it into a pie plate, crimping the edge so it sits about 1-inch higher than the pie plate.
Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to fill and bake the pie. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
#2. Core, peel, and slice about 3 pounds of apples, tossing them in some lemon juice as you slice to prevent browning. Toss the apples with a mixture of sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
#3. Pile the apples into the pie crust, gently pressing them into the crust to pack them in there. Mix some vanilla extract into a cup of heavy cream and pour it over the apples, so that they are all coated in cream.
#4. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of sugar over the top of the pie and set the pie on a baking sheet that you covered with a piece of foil or parchment paper. Baking this pie on a covered baking sheet will save the bottom of your oven from any syrupy drips. 🙌
#5. Bake the pie at 450 degrees F (232 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for another hour.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then, put it in the refrigerator to let it cool completely, about 3 hours.
The Most Difficult Part About Making this Pie is Letting It Cool
I know it seems impossibly cruel, but this pie really is best eaten cold or at room temperature. If you try to slice it warm, the filling will be super runny.
As the pie cools, the apple filling turns deliciously rich and creamy. So, please be patient and give it plenty of time to cool before slicing and eating.
Unlike, Caramel Apple Pie, or my favorite Apple Cobbler, this pie is most delicious when eaten cold.
What Kind of Pie Crust Should You Use to Make this Pie?
Use any kind of pie crust you like, made from scratch or store bought.
My favorite pie crust recipe is aptly named Foolproof Pie Crust and it is, truly, foolproof. The dough is super easy to work with and always bakes up flaky, tender, and delicious.
You can use either vegetable shortening or butter to make the dough for foolproof pie crust. For this pie, I used half vegetable shortening and half butter because I wanted the crust to be both flaky (shortening) and buttery (butter).
The recipe makes enough for 4 crusts, which means you have a couple of options for the leftover dough:
- Make the full recipe and freeze the leftover dough. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Reserve one piece for this apple pie. Flatten the remaining 3 pieces into disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag or other airtight container, or wrap in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Make half the recipe. Divide the dough into two portions and use one for this pie and reserve the other for another use (it will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days) or freeze it.
- My FAVORITE option: Make the full recipe, reserving the leftover dough to make this Classic Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie.
What Kind Of Apples are Best in German Apple Pie?
I tried baking this pie with three different kinds of apples and they were all delicious, but my favorite was Granny Smith.
Unlike messy bowl-and-spoon desserts like this saucy Apple Cobbler, I like to use tart apples in pie because they hold their shape even after a long bake time. This is a plus when cutting and serving slices of pie.
I also really liked the little bit of contrast in flavors between the tart apples and cinnamon sugar coating.
So, if you have the option, choose tart Granny Smith apples for this pie. But, if you want to use another variety of apple in this pie for whatever reason, go for it. This is one of those pies that will be delicious regardless of what kind of apples you use.
What to Serve with German Apple Pie:
In all honesty, this pie needs no adornment at all whatsoever. It is perfectly flavorful, creamy, and delicious all on it's own.
But, I'm a sucker for a scoop of vanilla ice cream on any kind of apple pie, so that's usually how I choose to eat it. Lightly sweetened whipped cream would also be delicious.
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If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Happy baking!
German Apple Pie
German Apple Pie is one of the easiest, most delicious kinds of pie I've ever baked. The filling is nothing more than cinnamon and sugar coated apples covered in cream and sprinkled with sugar.
The pie is gorgeously creamy and flavorful, and so easy to make that it's become one of my new favorite new go-to recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 prepared pie crust - my favorite recipe is Foolproof pie crust
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 lbs (about 7 cups) tart, green apples, such as Granny Smith
- 1 cup (198g) sugar + 2 tablespoon (25g), divided
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (8oz/ 236ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Roll out pie crust and fit it inside a pie plate, preferrably glass. (*See note) Shape the edge of the crust so that it extends about 1-inch higher than the pie plate. (See the step-by-step instructions in this post for how to roll out and shape a bottome pie crust.)
- Cover the crust and refrigerate until ready to fill and bake. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).
- Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin (no thicker than ½-inch) slices. As you slice them, add them to the bowl and toss with the lemon juice. This will keep them from browning.
- Add 1 cup of the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to blend. Pour the mixture over the apples and toss to coat the apples.
- Dump the apples into the pie crust, pressing them down into the crust gently to pack them in.
- Mix the vanilla into the heavy cream. Pour the cream over the top of the apples, pouring it around so that all the apples are covered in cream.
- Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the cream covered apples.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet that has been covered in a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper. This will catch any drips, saving the inside of your oven from a syrupy mess.
- Set the pie in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and bake for another 55-65 minutes, until the bottom crust is completely baked through (*see note below). Check the pie a couple of times while it's baking. If the apples on the top of the pie are getting too brown, cover the pie loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cool, at leat 3 hours. This pie is best served cold or at room temperature. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Notes
Why use a glass pie plate?
Baking this pie in a glass pie plate can help you know when the crust is baked through. Simply remove the pie from the oven and hold it up so you can see the bottom. If the crust is golden and does not appear stuck to the bottom of the pie plate, the crust is done. If parts of the crust appear doughy, pop the pie back in the oven to bake for a bit longer.
If your pie is taking longer than the recipe bake time to bake through, don't worry. A lot of factors can extend the bake time for any fruit pie, such as the amount of juice in the apples or how thick your slices are. The best way to know if your pie is done is to hold it up and look through the glass bottom of your pie plate. If the bottom crust looks done, the rest of the pie is likely baked through as well.
If the top is getting too brown but the pie still needs time to bake, just cover the pie loosly with a sheet of aluminum foil.
How long will this pie keep after it's baked?
German apple Pie will keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 405Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 319mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 5gSugar: 45gProtein: 3g
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