Easy Apple Pie Recipe

Warm cinnamon apples, a flaky golden lattice, and that first slice that comes out clean — this is the apple pie recipe people save, share, and bake on repeat. And here is the honest secret: it starts with store-bought crusts. No flour-covered counters, no dough anxiety, and nobody at the table will ever guess.

The real magic is in the details most easy recipes skip. The apples are sliced evenly so they cook at the same speed. The filling rests before baking so it turns glossy, not runny. And the wide lattice strips — just like in the photo — are nothing more than the second crust cut into ribbons. If you can lay strips in a row, you can make this pie look bakery-made.

One more promise before you start: the bottom crust stays crisp. Keep reading for the two small tricks that make sure of it.

Why This Is the Apple Pie You Will Actually Make

• Store-bought crust, zero shame — two rolled crusts from one box do all the hard work, and the result still tastes fully homemade.
• A lattice that looks hard but is not — wide strips are the easiest weave there is, and they let the glossy cinnamon filling peek through, exactly like the photo.
• Glossy filling, clean slices — the flour-and-rest method means the juice thickens into a shiny sauce instead of flooding the plate.
• No soggy bottom — a hot start and a preheated baking sheet crisp the base while the top turns deep golden.
• Make-ahead friendly — bake it a day early or freeze it; the flavor honestly gets better overnight.

The Ingredients (Simple, Honest, Nothing Fancy)

• 1 package (14.1 oz / 400 g) refrigerated rolled pie crusts (2 crusts) — let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes so they unroll without cracking
• 7 medium apples (about 2 1/2 lbs / 1.1 kg) — a mix is best: 4 tart Granny Smith + 3 sweet, firm Honeycrisp or Fuji, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice — keeps the slices from browning and brightens the flavor
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed — adds a gentle caramel note
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour — the thickener that makes the filling glossy instead of soupy
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt — small, but it makes the apples taste more like apples
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk — the egg wash behind that shiny golden top
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (turbinado or sanding sugar) — for the sparkly crunch you see in the photo

How to Make It: A Lattice Pie in 8 Easy Steps

1. Set up for a crisp bottom. Take the crusts out of the fridge. Put a rimmed baking sheet on the lower-third rack of your oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). The hot sheet is soggy-bottom insurance.
2. Slice the apples evenly. Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/4-inch slices — even slices cook evenly, so no crunchy pieces hiding in a soft pie. Toss them right away with the lemon juice.
3. Mix the filling and let it rest. In a big bowl, stir together both sugars, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the apples and vanilla and toss until every slice is coated. Let it sit for 10 minutes; the flour starts soaking up juice now, which is how the filling turns glossy later.
4. Line the pie plate. Unroll one crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Press it gently into the corners with no stretching (stretched dough shrinks back in the oven). Leave the extra dough hanging over the edge for now.
5. Fill it snugly. Spoon the apples in tightly, packing them down and mounding them a little in the center — they shrink as they bake. Leave most of the extra juice behind in the bowl. Dot the top with the butter cubes.
6. Weave the wide lattice. Unroll the second crust and cut it into 8 wide strips, about 1 inch each. Lay 4 strips across the pie, then weave the other 4 over and under them crosswise. Rustic is perfect here — the strips in the photo are not ruler-straight either. Trim the ends, fold the edge under, and crimp with your fingers or a fork.
7. Egg wash, sugar, chill, bake. Brush the lattice with egg wash and sprinkle on the coarse sugar. Chill the whole pie for 15 minutes — cold pastry flakes better. Then set the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake 35 to 45 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the juices are bubbling thickly in the center, not just at the edges. Cover the rim with foil if it browns too fast.
8. Cool — really cool — before slicing. Cool the pie on a rack for at least 3 hours. This is not a suggestion; the filling is still setting, and cutting early is the one true cause of runny slices. Serve it just as it is, glossy and golden like the photo.

Sofia’s Expert Tips (for a Crisp Bottom and a Filling That Behaves)

• Hot sheet, low rack. Baking on a preheated sheet on the lower rack blasts the bottom crust with heat before the apple juice can soak in. This one move fixes 90% of soggy bottoms.
• Leave the extra juice in the bowl. After the 10-minute rest, the bowl will hold a puddle of juice. Spoon the apples in and leave most of it behind — that juice is tomorrow’s runny filling.
• Watch the bubbles, not the clock. The pie is done when the filling bubbles slowly and thickly in the center. Edge bubbles alone mean the middle is still undercooked and will slice wet.
• Mix your apples. All Granny Smith can taste one-note sharp; all sweet apples can go flat and mushy. Half tart, half sweet-firm gives you flavor and slices that hold their shape.
• Cold pie, hot oven. That 15-minute chill before baking keeps the lattice edges sharp and the crust flaky instead of slumped. Never skip it on a warm day.
• From-scratch crust works too. If you love making your own double crust, use it in the exact same way — just keep everything cold and handle the dough as little as possible.

Easy Variations Worth Trying

• Salted caramel finish: drizzle warm salted caramel over each slice when serving. Simple, and it tastes like a completely new pie.
• Crumb top instead of lattice: skip the strips, and cover the filling with a buttery mix of 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 6 tablespoons cold cubed butter, rubbed into crumbs.
• Spiced-up filling: add a pinch of ground cloves and an extra 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, plus a handful of raisins or chopped walnuts for a cozy, old-fashioned feel.
• Mini hand pies: cut the crusts into rounds, fill, fold, crimp with a fork, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 22 minutes — same filling, lunchbox size.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat

• Room temperature: cover the cooled pie loosely and keep it on the counter for up to 2 days.
• Fridge: cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The crust softens a little, but the flavor deepens.
• Freezer (baked): cool fully, wrap the whole pie (or slices) tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Freezer (unbaked): assemble the pie, freeze it solid in the plate, wrap well, and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 425°F (220°C), adding about 20 extra minutes.
• Reheat: warm slices in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes (a whole pie needs 20 to 25 minutes). The oven brings the crispness back — the microwave makes the crust soft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Save this apple pie recipe now, because the first time that sugary lattice comes out of your oven, this will become your forever pie — holiday table, Sunday dinner, or just because the apples were on sale.

More recipes you’ll love: Easy Pie Crust Recipe, Easy Pecan Pie Recipe and Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe.