The best apple pie recipe ever. Really. My Mom’s Apple Pie is no ordinary apple pie recipe. The apples are bathed and baked in a delicious, sweet, cinnamon & spice syrup for a filling that is extra flavorful and extra ooey-gooey. Try my Mom’s Apple Pie recipe once, and you’ll never look back!
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I have never seen this exact Apple Pie recipe anywhere else. I just spent some time puttering around the internet looking for it, and I couldn’t even find a similar one. It’s one-of-a-kind.
I started my blog in 2013 and have never shared my Mom’s Apple Pie, and I’ve debated whether I ever would. Something makes me want to guard this recipe and keep it a secret.
But that wouldn’t be right. A recipe this special should be shared, and available for all to enjoy.
It is better than every other classic, traditional apple pie recipe out there, I guarantee it. If you want the BEST classic apple pie — I’m not talking about recipes with caramel, streusel, and other untraditional elements — but a classic apple pie recipe, this one is the BEST.
My mom found this Apple Pie recipe in a Seventeen magazine when she was a teenager (where she also found Chocolate Scotcheroos), so it’s probably from the late 60s, give or take. She’s made it for decades now, and it is the official Apple Pie of my family.
My Mom’s Apple Pie was my Grandpa’s #1 dessert request. Well, his #1 pie request. The only dessert he may have requested with greater frequency were Cracked Top Ginger Cookies. Forget Pumpkin Pie, forget Peanut Butter Pie, he asked for my Mom’s Apple Pie.
With the holidays approaching (with record speed, it feels like), this is a recipe you want to have in your arsenal.
Why is my Mom’s Apple Pie recipe extraordinary? With most apple pies, you just toss sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar, and bake them in pie crusts. That’s so ho-hum!
This recipe involves cooking a sweet, cinnamon & spice syrup over the stovetop, and then dousing the apples in it.
The syrup softens the apples as they bake, infusing them with cinnamon syrup goodness, and making the filling super gooey. The apples absorb the syrup, but also swim in it.
It only takes 5-10 minutes to prep the syrup. Although it’s an extra step compared to classic Apple Pie, it is so worth it. It’s not hard at all — you don’t need to bring it to a certain temperature, or use a candy thermometer, nothing like that. You just heat & stir the ingredients til thick.
The cinnamon syrup is so irresistible, you will want to eat it by the spoonful.
The other distinguishing feature about Mom’s Apple Pie, besides the aforementioned syrup, is a special ingredient contained in that syrup: apple cider vinegar.
I’m telling you… there is no substitute. It’s a must. It’s the perfect counterbalance to an intensely sweet and spicy syrup: tang. I can’t emphasize how important that bit of zip is to the overall taste of the pie. Sure, it’s only 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, but it is everything.
It is perhaps my favorite part of the pie! Even over the syrup itself. The tang and zip cut through the sugar and spice. In my opinion, it can’t be left out, and there is no substitute. Must get apple cider vinegar for this Apple Pie recipe.
Granny Smith apples are the way to go here. They are my personal pick for baking. They’re firm, so they hold up well and don’t turn to mush. Their inherent tartness is also a benefit. Just as the apple cider vinegar adds a bit of tang and keeps the pie balanced, so does the tartness from Granny Smith apples.
I guess I have seen taller apple pies, but don’t be fooled by its diminutive height because it is packed with apples, and it is packed with syrupy goodness and goo.
I know that everyone has a particular Apple Pie recipe that they love more than others, but if you try my Mom’s Apple Pie recipe just once, you’ll never go back!
Interested in other apple desserts? I have apple pie, apple crisp, and even apple cheesecake! –>
- Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake
- Fireball Apple Crisp
- Fireball Apple Pie
- Apple Pie Ice Cream
- Apple Pie Monkey Bread
- Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie
- Apple & Tart Cherry Crisp
- Crock-Pot Cinnamon Apples
Other favorite pies if you’re looking to expand your pie offerings this holiday season! –>
- Eggnog Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Streusel
- Pecan Pumpkin Pie
- No Bake Coconut Cream Pie
- Simple & Classic Chess Pie
- Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie
Making a pie and have leftover pie crust scraps? –> Pie Crust Cookies are a must.
Mom's Apple Pie
The best apple pie recipe ever. Really. My Mom's Apple Pie is no ordinary apple pie recipe. The apples are bathed and baked in a delicious, sweet, cinnamon & spice syrup for a filling that is extra flavorful and extra ooey-gooey. Try my Mom's Apple Pie recipe once, and you’ll never look back!
Ingredients
- 1 box prepared pie crusts for a 2-crust pie the kind that you unroll (my favorite are Pillsbury, by far), or your favorite pie crust recipe
- 5 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice
- ice cream or whipped cream optional garnish
Instructions
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Arrange one of the pie crusts into the bottom of a deep dish pie pan.
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Fill the pie shell with the apples.
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In a medium pot, whisk together sugar, flour, salt, water, and apple cider vinegar.
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Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly -- don't neglect to stir!, until thick and syrupy, about 4-5 minutes. Mixture should coat the back of a spoon without easily running off.
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Remove from heat, and add butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and apple pie spice, stirring to combine.
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Pour mixture evenly over the apples.
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Arrange the top crust, pinch edges to seal, and prick a few times with a fork.
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Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until top and edges are golden brown. Rotate pie 180 degrees halfway through baking.
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Remove to a wire rack to cool.
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Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
A note on baking time: Sometimes it can be hard to tell when this pie is done and when the apples will be tender. It’s usually ready between 40-50 minutes, and you should not need to bake more than 50 minutes! Trust that it’s done provided that the top and edges are golden. If you use a clear baking dish, you can also peek at the bottom to make sure the crust doesn’t look doughy in the middle.
I’ve made the mistake of baking this past 50 minutes because I was unsure it's done, and the apples turn to applesauce/mush! It’ll take somewhere between 40-50 minutes, and no more than 50 as long as your oven isn’t whack!
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