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
I am anxious to make this pie with a double crust; however, I am unsure what position the oven rack should be in. Upon researching I have found every position from the centre to the lowest.
I always bake on the center rack!
I would start with the center position in your oven. Since all of our ovens are different, baking times and even rack positions might yield different results. You can rotate your pie if you notice one side browning faster. Best of luck with your pie!
Tastes delicious! However mine seems a little thin, even after cooking. Should i just add some arrowroot or more corn starch to tighten it up? Thanks!
You can add a little more corn starch if needed!
Can I process and can this filling?
Thank you
I believe that should work fine although I haven’t tried it myself!
No you shouldn’t can this. Recipes with cornstarch in them are not safe for water bath canning. Better to follow the recipe and refrigerate or freeze!
Exceptional recipe
Hi there! This recipe came out great and it tastes amazing! I wanted to ask about the calorie value. It’s 166 kcal for how much? Thanks again!
The serving is 1/2 cup!
I had never made a pie from scratch and this was so easy to follow. It came out amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Can i use honey instead of granulated sugar? I have brown sugar but not granulated white.
I’d use brown sugar, I don’t think honey would work!
How many pies would this fill? And how long do you cook a regular pie for?
This is for one pie, here is my favorite pie recipe: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
This came out great! Perfect consistency. To take it to another level, use half apple cider and half water and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Nice! I did also add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Delish!!
I really enjoyed the flavor of the filling and I am ready to make some Thanksgiving pies. However, since I’m baking mini pies (muffin tin) how long should I bake the crust and filling for?
I would try baking at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown!
Hi miss Sarah! Thank you very much for this delicious recipe. I was wondering, is this gluten free? If it is I plan to use it again for a gift for my friend’s mother!
Yes it is gluten free!
What topping do you use?
I use this recipe: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
This is the BEST applie pie filling! I’m going to make it again, but this time do mini apple pies? Do you know how long I should bake them?
425 degrees F for about 20 minutes should be okay 🙂
What flavor does this filling give? Is it apple- or caramel-like?
Love this recipe for apple pie filling. I doubled it, how long will it keep it in the fridge?
Up to 5 days!
How did your make the crust?
I typically use a store bought frozen crust!
My favourite simple pie receipt is 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 Tbs sugar, 1 cup melted unsalted butter, and 1/2 cup cold water. Makes a large pie and rolls out great!
I added a couple plums to mine and a little caramel. Never once had a complaint but in a line up it stands out from the rest.
Hi! This looks delicious – I want to make it this weekend 🙂 Quick question from a beginner baker, when using this filling for a shortcrust pastry pie, do you think I need to blind bake the pastry first? (i.e. would the filling make the pie base soggy if I baked the filling at the same time as the pastry?)
I don’t blind bake for fruit pies, you can follow my apple pie recipe here: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/dutch-apple-pie/
I always blind bake my crust. Especially for fruit pies. It ensures a crispy bottom crust
Seriously delicious! Easily the best apple pie filling I’ve ever made!
Those layers & layers of apples. I don’t think it gets any better than this!
This apple pie filling is calling my name! I could eat it by the spoonful!
Delicious filling, one of the best pies I’ve ever made!