It was a quiet day on the homestead today and I finally got to cut all the apples up that we picked a few weekends ago. They don’t last as long as store-bought apples so you really have to cut them up and use them, or freeze them for later. I hope my family doesn’t get tired of apple pie, because this is one of my favorite recipes to make! Learn how to make this homemade apple pie recipe naturally sweetened with honey.
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What kind of apples are best?
When we went to the apple orchard about an hour away from us, I asked the owner if they had honey crisp apples. He was describing all the different apples they had but never said honey crisp so I was curious if they maybe didn’t grow here.
Then he looked at me and sharply said, “lots of people ask for those because they get them in the store, but really they are just loaded with sugar and the natural taste of apple is diminished”.
I had no idea about that! Before we lived near farms or anything, I would buy honey crisp apples all the time.
Also he said that some apples are better for baking than others, because their flavor gets better under heat. Had no idea about that one either!
So my best advice: if you are using store-bought apples, get a variety! Some green, some red, some in between, big and small, just get all the apples.
And if you’re foraging the apples, try to get a variety as well! Talk to the farmer and ask for sweet versus sour, and get a mix of both. This will give you the best tasting pie.
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Tips for Making the Best Apple Pie
When cooking the apples on the stove, you don’t need to cook them thoroughly. They still have an hour in the oven to soften. You just want to get the apple paste nice and thick and for the juices to absorb all the spices in the dutch oven before going to the oven.
Always add a whisked egg on top of your pie crust. It makes the top of the crust perfectly glazed and adds a nice buttery flavor!
Make this with a sourdough pie crust. Learn all about why we use sourdough at the homestead how to make your own sourdough starter here!
Watch: Homemade Apple Pie
When baking the pie, always bake it “low and slow”. Bake the pie at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. And this is important: Half way through baking (so at 30 minutes), cover the pie with aluminum foil so that the top of the pie crust doesn’t burn.
Get a variety of apples if you can! Try to get apples that are big and small, green and red, and sweet and sour. This will give you the best flavor of pie!
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Lastly serve it up with a hearty fall dinner. My friend Emily from Country Cooks is making this beautiful butternut squash lasagna that would complete this warm cozy fall meal!
Grab her butternut squash recipe HERE to complete your warm cozy fall meal!
Can you Freeze Apple Pie?
I lot of people wonder, can you freeze apple pie?
And the answer is yes! Freezing pies or other festive desserts is the best way to plan ahead for a holiday meal.
Recipe for Apple Pie Filling
Four to six apples, depending on size, peeled and sliced
5 TB butter
A quarter cup wild honey
Juice from half a lemon. optional: zest from half lemon
One teaspoon cinnamon
Half teaspoon nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TB water
Two tablespoons flour
1 egg (whisked for on top of the pie crust)
How to Make Apple Pie
In a dutch oven or stainless steel pot, combine the apples, butter, honey, lemon, and spices. Stir and saute on medium heat for a few minutes, until fully combined.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the water and flour and stir to combine. Let sit on the heat for another 5 to 10 minutes, until you can see the juices from the apples start to come out and a thick apple filling is formed. The goal here is not to cook the apples yet, but to just get a nice juicy flavorful filling.
Remove the apples from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Prepare your pie crust. We like sourdough pie crust best here at our house, but you can use store bought too.
Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust and prepare your crust how you like it. I always brush a whisked egg over the top of the pie crust because it gives it that nice glazed and buttery finish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Now this part is very important: about halfway through baking (so at 30 minutes), put an aluminum foil cover over the top of the pie. This allows the pie to continue baking evenly and not burn the pie crust edges.
Things to Make with Pie Crust
Pie crust is soft, buttery, and sour if you’re using sourdough. So to me, the more things I can make with it the better.
Try this fresh blackberry pie with foraged blackberries.
Or grab a pumpkin and make this breakfast pumpkin pie.
Really you could add any fruit to make a pie. All you have to do is add your flour depending on how watery the fruit is. The basic process is the same – cook the fruit on the stove, add seasonings, add thickening agent, and let cool before putting it in the pie!
Complete the meal and bake this pie for dessert after a butternut squash lasagna by my friend Emily from Country Cook!
Recipes you May like to Serve this With…
Try some of these cozy recipes for your fall dinner!
Homemade Rustic Sourdough Bread
Instant Pot Sausage Soup with Bone Broth
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Homemade Apple Pie
This naturally sweetened sweet and sour pie is the perfect fall treat. It is a apple-cinnamon-honey flavored dish that can be eaten for breakfast or topped with homemade whipped cream for dessert!
Ingredients
- Four to six apples, depending on size, peeled and sliced
- 5 TB butter
- Three tablespoons honey
- Juice from half a lemon
- One teaspoon cinnamon
- Half teaspoon nutmeg
- Dash vanilla extract
- 2 TB water
- Two tablespoons flour
- 1 egg (if making homemade pie crust)
Instructions
- In a dutchoven or stainless steel pot, combine the apples, butter, honey, lemon, and spices. Stir and saute on medium heat for a few minutes, until fully combined.
- Add the water and flour and stir to combine. Let sit on the heat for another 5 to 10 minutes, until you can see the juices from the apples start to come out and a thick apple filling is formed. The goal here is not to cook the apples yet, but to just get a nice juicy flavorful filling.
- Remove the apples from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Prepare your pie crust. We like sourdough pie crust best here at our house!
- Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust and prepare your crust how you like it. I always brush a whisked egg over the top of the pie crust because it gives it that nice glazed and buttery finish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Now this part is very important: about halfway through baking (so at 30 minutes), put an aluminum foil cover over the top of the pie. This allows the pie to continue baking evenly and not burn the pie crust edges.
- Let cool slightly. Slice and top with homemade whipped cream for a sweet fall dessert!
Notes
You can use anywhere from 4 to 10 apples, depending on size and how big you want your pie. We use a variety of apples to get a sweet, sour, flavorful fall pie.
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Thank you so much for stopping by the Duvall Homestead!
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Your pies are always so stunning! And I love the use of honey instead of sugar.