Easy Apple Pie
Updated Sep 18, 2026
Easy apple pie made with store-bought crust and a fresh apple filling with cinnamon and nutmeg. A simple two-crust pie for the holidays or any time of year.
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I’m not making pie dough from scratch every time I want apple pie, so for this easy apple pie, I use store-bought crust and make the filling myself. It’s still got all the good stuff inside with sliced apples, sugar, lemon, cinnamon, and a few warm spices, just without adding homemade pie dough to the list.
This is the apple pie I usually make around the holidays when I already have enough going on in the kitchen. I can get it put together pretty quickly, get it in the oven, and still end up with the kind of apple pie I actually want on the table.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
I always drain the apples before they go into the crust. Once they sit with the sugar and lemon, they give off a lot more liquid than you’d think, and if all of that goes into the pie, the bottom can get soggy fast. I drain them well, then add the flour and spices right before filling the crust.
I also bake this pie at two temperatures. It starts hot, then I lower the oven temperature so the apples have time to cook without the crust getting too dark. I rotate it once while it bakes, too, mostly because my oven has opinions.
And yes, you really do need to let it cool before slicing. I’ve cut into it too early before and the filling basically ran right out. Give it the full hour and it holds together so much better.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Easy Apple Pie Ingredients
- Apples: I recommend using “baking apples” like Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji. I like using a mix of sweet and tart apples for variety. Just avoid Red Delicious apples, because they get mushy in the oven. Peel and core them, then cut the slices to a similar thickness so they soften evenly. Read my tips on how to cut an apple.
- Pie dough: I use premade pie crust for this recipe to save time. Follow the package directions for softening it before unrolling so it doesn’t crack. But you can also use homemade pie crust!
- Dry ingredients: You’ll also need flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Wet ingredients: Just a large egg and lemon juice. Orange juice is a good substitute.
How to Make an Easy Apple Pie
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make this Easy Apple Pie. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Easy Apple Pie recipe below
1. Toss the apples with sugar and lemon
Combine the peeled apple slices with the sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Let them sit, then drain off the liquid in a colander.
2. Add the flour and spices to the apples
Return the drained apples to the bowl. Sprinkle the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg mixture over them and toss until evenly coated.
3. Line the pie plate
Gently fit one round of dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate, leaving a little dough hanging over the rim. Avoid stretching it into place.
4. Layer the apple filling
Arrange the slices in the crust a layer at a time, keeping gaps between them small so they cook evenly. Build a slight mound in the center with fewer apples around the edges.
5. Add the top crust
Lay the second round of dough over the filling and gently press it against the apples. Trim and crimp the edges, cut four slits for steam to escape, and brush the top and edges with beaten egg.
6. Bake the apple pie
Place the pie on the preheated baking tray and bake. Halfway through, rotate the pie and reduce the oven temperature. Bake until golden brown, then let it cool on a rack before slicing.
Full easy apple pie recipe with store-bought crust
Easy Apple Pie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pastry dough pre-made (9-inches)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 apples peeled and sliced (sweet and tart varieties)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 large eggs whisked
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with a baking tray.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and apple slices. Let stand for 15 minutes. In a second bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Line a 9-inch pie plate with one piece of pie dough, allowing it to droop over the edges slightly. Drain the sliced apples in a colander, then put them back in the bowl. Add the flour and spice mixture, and toss to combine. Place the apples on top of the dough evenly, one layer at a time.
- Place the second pie dough over the apple mixture and gently press down so it sits well on top of the apples. Use a knife to make four slits or cut a hole the size of a quarter in the center of the dough so the steam can escape. Trim and crimp the edges, then brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg, making sure to get all the sides.
- Bake the pie on the baking tray for 35 minutes. Rotate, reduce the heat to 325°F, and bake an additional 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for one hour before slicing.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add ginger. Add ¼ teaspoon ground ginger to the flour and spice mixture.
- Sprinkle sugar on the crust. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse sugar over the egg wash before baking for a little crunch.
- Brush the crust with melted butter instead of egg wash. It’ll give the pie a golden sheen and a richer crust.
Recipe Tips
- Seal the edges of the pie. You don’t want any juice to escape!
- Check the filling as well as the crust. Look for bubbling juices through the vents, and check that a thin knife slides easily into the apples. If they’re still firm, give the pie more time and loosely cover the top if needed.
- Protect the edges if they brown early. Cover just the rim with strips of foil or a pie shield so the filling can keep cooking.
- Let the pie cool for an hour before serving. The apple filling will thicken as it cools. If you cut into it too quickly, it might be runny and not hold its shape.
Troubleshooting
The apples may not have drained enough, the filling may need more time in the oven, or the pie may still be too warm to slice. Make sure the juices are bubbling before taking it out, then give it time to cool. Cooling helps the filling set, but it won’t finish cooking an underbaked filling.
You may have cut the apples too small. You want them to be sliced, not finely chopped. If they’re too small, they could cook too quickly and get soggy.
Apples shrink as they bake, so some space is normal. Layering the slices closely together and gently fitting the top crust against the filling helps reduce that gap.
Nope! This easy apple pie recipe with store-bought crust uses an unbaked bottom crust. Fill it, add the top crust, and bake the assembled pie on the preheated baking tray.
Comments
This was so easy and so delicious! My family loved it! Don’t be surprised if you think the recipe calls for too many apples. The apples cooked down while baking. Yum!
Thanks so much!! Glad you and your family loved it!
Awesome, easy and sooo delicious!!
Yay! So glad you liked it!!
Wow amazing!!
Yay, so glad you liked it!!
Just made this pie and it was deeeeeeelicous! Thank you – because I’m not a baker, but this pie made me look like a pro! Everyone loved it. And this was my first time ever even making an apple pie!
5 stars for this recipe. So easy and so yum. It’ll def become my new go-to.
So glad to hear that it turned out well for you!!
What a great recipe!
Thanks so much!
This was the most bland pie I’ve ever made. My husband would not even eat it. RIP Thanksgiving Apple Pie.
So sorry to hear this didn’t come out to your liking. What did you feel was lacking?
The only thing I was confused about is your directions said to cut a quarter size circle in the middle to vent, but your photos don’t reflect that so I wasn’t really sure what to do and the circle looks kinda weird. But otherwise it turned out great!
Glad to hear it turned out well! Sorry about the discrepancy, in the photos I used slits to vent the pie, but I do think the quarter-sized whole is best!
Will try.
Hope you love this one!
FANTASTIC! So straightforward and delicious
Yay, glad you loved this one. The perfect time of year to make apple pie!
Thank you for the recipe, FYI if using store bought pie crust , read the labels. Alot of them are made with LARD-PORK. So please read the labels if you do not eat meat/pork, this is always challenging for me. I need to make my own pie crust. That aside the recipe is delicious
You’re so welcome! Yes – that is such a good point!
Hi Yumna,
Would love to see a video of you doing this! Any particular brands of store-bought pie crust that you can recommend – I’m a newbie to pie baking but would love to try your apple pie!
Thanks,
Dhanya
Thank you for the suggestion! Any pie crust should work! Let me know how it goes once you give this Apple Pie recipe a try.
Can’t wait to try this pie!
Hope you love it!
Sooooo tasty !!! I did my own crust
Turned out great, no leftovers 🙂
LOVE this easy and delicious pie! Huge hit in our house. Steps were so easy and it was assembled and in the oven in under 10 minutes. This will be a go to dessert from now on!! Thank you for always delivering simple, tasty and easy recipes.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you!!
Fast and easy recipe. Love that it uses very little sugar and flour, so the apples remain the star. If you’re using larger apples, you only need 5….more than enough!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
With minimal effort and ingredients, followed your recipe and got a delicious apple pie.