This homemade apple pie filling is made with sliced Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, spices and butter, all simmered together until thickened. The best pie filling that also works great for a variety of other desserts and pastries.
Apple pie filling from scratch tastes SO much better than the canned version and can be used in dishes such as fried apple pies, cream cheese danishes and plenty of other dessert recipes.
Fall is here and there is an abundance of apples at the stores, which means it’s time to make apple pie! Or in this case, homemade apple pie filling. I’m not so good with homemade pie crusts, so typically I purchase the crust and load it full of my own apple pie filling for an amazing fall treat. This recipe is also great for tarts, cake or pour it over pumpkin pancakes, baked oatmeal, buttermilk waffles or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Apple pie is one of my favorite fall desserts. When I want fall treats, I make this filling or other fantastic fall pies like pear custard pie, pumpkin meringue pie or pecan pie cheesecake. There are so many great fall desserts to enjoy! If you love homemade apple pie filling, you’ll also love my from scratch cherry pie filling recipe.
Table of Contents
Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
This recipe contains apples, lemon juice, water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and butter.
How Do You Make Apple Pie Filling?
Start by coating your apple slices in a little lemon juice to keep them from browning. Make the sauce by placing the sugars, water, cornstarch and spices in a pan, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the apples and cook until the apples are tender. Add a little butter, then you’ll be ready to bake your pie or other apple treats.
Tips For Perfect Results
- You can cut your apples into any size or shape that you like, just be sure to cut them uniformly so that they all cook at the same rate. If you cut your apples into small pieces they may cook quicker. Be sure to peel your apples for the best texture.
- Need ideas on how to use this filling? Check out my amazing Dutch apple pie recipe.
- Freshly grated nutmeg has so much more flavor than the pre-ground variety. Whole nutmegs keep for years when stored in a cool dry location. Buy a bottle and shave off a little nutmeg as needed for your dishes.
- I use butter in this pie filling because it makes the finished product taste a little richer. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Homemade pie filling can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also put it in the freezer for up to 2 months
Quick Tip
If you prefer a very thick pie filling, add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.
Recipe FAQs
For apple pie, you want apples that will hold their shape and have a nice well rounded flavor. I use Granny Smith apples for this apple pie filling because they stay firm after being cooked. They also have a tart flavor that works well with the sweetness of the brown sugar. You can use other apple varieties for this recipe, such as Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady and Braeburn apples.
I recommend making apple pie filling rather than just placing raw apples into a pie shell. When you make your own filling ahead of time, you can better control the consistency of the filling, as well as how soft the apples are. If you simply place apples and sugar in a pan, you won’t exactly know how much liquid the apples will release when cooked, or if they’ll come out tough.
This homemade apple pie filling is made with sliced Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, spices and butter, all simmered together until thickened.
Flavor Variations
While this filling is fabulous as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Fall Fruit Filling: Use half apples and half pears in the recipe. You can also substitute half of the water for apple cider.
- Cranberry Apple Filling: Add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries or fresh cranberries to the pan when you add the sliced apples. If you choose fresh cranberries, you may need to add more sugar.
- Caramel Apple Filling: Omit 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Stir 1/3 cup of caramel sauce into the filling during the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.
- Berries: Substitute one of the cups of apples with berries such as raspberries, strawberries or blackberries.
Now that I’ve had homemade pie filling, I’ll never be able to go back to the store bought kind. The flavor of this version is SO much better, so even if you have to cheat and use a pre-made pie crust like I do, you’ll still end up with an amazing pie.
More Great Apple Recipes
Apple Fries
30 mins
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
2 hrs 5 mins
Caramel Apple Dip
6 mins
Apple Pork Chops
30 mins
Apple Nachos
6 mins
Apple Pie Filling Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 4 cups apples peeled and thinly sliced, I used Granny Smith
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground if possible
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the apple slices.
- Place the water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large pan.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute or until just thickened.
- Add the apples to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the apples have softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the butter to the pan and stir until it has melted.
- Cool the apple filling for 10 minutes, then transfer it to containers and refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to use it.
Notes
- You can cut your apples into any size or shape that you like, just be sure to cut them uniformly so that they all cook at the same rate.
- Need ideas on how to use this filling? Check out my amazing Dutch apple pie recipe.
- Homemade pie filling can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months
First time making my own Apple filling. Followed your recipe to a T and it was sooo awesome and extremely easy😊Thanks for sharing!!!!
I just made the filling for a pie this weekend. It smelled amazing but it’s not very sweet. I’m not sure if it’ll sweeten more in the oven or if I should add more sugar now. Thoughts?
Thank you!
It will not sweeten more in the oven, if you feel the filling is not sweet enough you’d need to add more sugar.
So I made this filling and froze it. I have let it thaw and it’s like apple jello…did I do something wrong? Is it still safe to use?
It’s just the cornstarch congealed, if you warm up the filling it should thin back out again!
I would like to make some in jar, just not seal. How long do I have to use it if I refrigerate it in the jars?
It will stay fresh in the fridge for 5 days!
In a pinch I substituted pumpkin pie spice and it is divine!
I was going to try this out this weekend for my apple turnovers that I usually just use ‘amped’ up canned filling for. I was going to cut the apples a bit smaller to get more chunks in each turn over though- cook the same time you think? What do you think about adding a pinch of ginger to the recipe too?
That should be fine, and ginger would be a great addition!
Recepi for crumbles?? please!!
It’s here! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
Mine came out a little watery, any way to thicken it more?
Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water. Bring the filling to a simmer and add the cornstarch mixture. Boil for 1 minute or until thickened!
What do you use for the crumbles on top of the pie
Here is the recipe: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
Just made this with homemade crust and cameo apples and it was amazing!!!! I have some leftover filling, can I use that filling for an apple crisp?
Yes that will work!
What are the ingredients for the crumble topping?
Here is the recipe! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
What else can I use to thicken if I dont have cornstartch?
Here are some alternatives https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/guides/pie-thickener
Can I substitute water for apple juice and if I need less sugar?
I’ve never tried it that way but I think it would work.
What if your just using homemade pie crust on top and bottom? How do you recommend to bake and temp?
Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
What size pie crust do I use for this?
This filling is for a 9 inch pie.
Thanks so much for responding in time. Take care and happy thanksgiving
How much does this make?? 1 pint?? 1 Quart???
1 quart
This was the BEST pie filling I’ve ever made. I made mini pies using frozen pie crust (don’t ever have the patience to make that from scratch) and used my muffin pan. My family gobbled up half a dozen for dessert tonight. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will continue making this filling whenever I make pies!
if you place apple filling into an unbaked pie shell and top with crumb topping , how long should it bake for and at what temperature?
Thanks in advance!
You can follow this recipe! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
It is not recommended to can apple pie filling with corn starch or flour. Clear gel is the approved method.
We just made this apple pie filling … i cut the sugar down to two cups. And it tastes very good!!!
After thought…The above recipe is safe for freezer!!
Can this pie filling be canned in mason jars?
Yes just omit the butter!