This honey-sweetened apple pie is the perfect dessert. Fresh lightly sweetened apples encased in a gorgeous flaky crust topped with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
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Hello, my friends!
It’s fall y’all. And I’m loving it.
Last year was the first time our golden delicious apple tree produced enough apples to get excited about.
And then we moved.
You’d better believe before we moved we picked every one of those delightful green orbs on our trees. And in the middle of packing and unpacking and all the chaos that ensues (which I’m still recovering from a year later), I made at least a half dozen of these apple pies.
That’s no exaggeration.
This honey-sweetened apple pie has become a huge favorite around here and has been made several more times (with store-bought apples too). I’m calling it perfect and excited to share it with you today.
Let’s talk about the crust
Let me just get one thing straight for the record.
I love homemade pie crust. But I absolutely did not make all those pie crusts from scratch while we were trying to move.
I was too busy for that and refrigerated pie crusts saved me big time. Refrigerator pie crusts are awesome that way.
But if you are looking to create a show-stopping pie, never use a store bought refrigerator crust. Homemade is so much better. I use this no fail pie crust recipe; my old standby.
I went into a lot of detail in that post about how to make a great pie crust that not only tastes great but looks great too. If you’re looking for a crust that’s flakey and not hard to make, that is the pie crust to check out, my friends.
The perfect honey-sweetened apple filling
For best results, make sure to use apples that are firm and ripe. If you start out with good fruit, you will end up with a good pie. If you start out with under or over-ripe, bruised or mushy fruit, you will have a big disappointment.
I prefer golden delicious or honey crisp apples in this pie. Feel free to try others, but if they are more or less sweet than those varieties, you may need to make some adjustments to the honey in the recipe.
I use a vegetable peeler to peel the apples. This is my all-time favorite peeler. I’ve been using it for years now and it really is the best.
To prepare the pie filling, add the apples to a large bowl. Then add the other ingredients (except the honey) and stir gently until the apples are well coated coated. Last, add the honey and mix until everything is evenly distributed.
Baking and serving this pie
I’ve talked before about how fruit pies have a bad reputation for being a bit soggy on the bottom crust. To help prevent that, bake the pie on an overturned baking sheet or pizza stone. Baking it this way helps the bottom crust bake evenly and avoids the soggy issue.
After baking, allow the pie to set up completely before slicing it. I know it will tax every ounce of self control you have to let it sit while you smell the aromas and drool for 3 to 4 hours. But believe me, if you’re looking for a beautiful pie it will be worth the wait.
If you’re like me and don’t have the patience and don’t care 99% of the time, then you can always dig in while it’s still warm. You probably won’t even notice that the pie is a little runny when your mouth is delighting in the deliciousness.
My favorite way to serve this pie is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top (this honey-sweetened vanilla ice cream is a great idea).
Second best is topped with real whipping cream, lightly sweetened with agave and a dash of vanilla.
Either way, it’s absolutely delicious.
Honey-Sweetened Apple Pie
This honey-sweetened apple pie is the perfect dessert. Fresh lightly sweetened apples encased in a gorgeous flaky crust topped with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Ingredients
- Double crust pie dough (see note)
- 5 medium apples (2 pounds or about 8 cups sliced apples) I prefer golden delicious or honey crisp
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (6 ounces) raw honey
- evaporated milk, for brushing (optional)
Instructions
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Place a large, rimmed baking sheet upside down on an oven rack in the center of the oven (or alternately you can use a pizza stone). Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and set aside.
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Prepare the double pie crust (see my pie dough recipe for step-by-step instructions or you can use a refrigerator crust). Place bottom crust in 9-inch pie pan, trim the crust so it overhangs the edge about 1-inch. Don’t worry about making it look pretty at this step – this will happen later.
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Prepare the apples by peeling and slicing into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices. Place in large bowl. Add lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Toss well to combine. Then add raw honey and mix until evenly distributed. Spread the apple filling evenly over the refrigerated bottom crust.
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Roll out top crust on a well-floured counter and place over top crust. Trim edges to match the overhang of the lower crust. Roll top crust under bottom crust and crimp as desired to make it look pretty. Cut about six half-inch slits in top crust to let the steam escape. Brush the top of the crust with evaporated milk, if desired (it just helps the browning process).
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Bake pie at 425 degrees F on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil on top of the overturned baking sheet or pizza stone for 25 minutes. Turn down heat to 375 degrees F while pie is still in oven and bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Watch closely the last 10 or 15 minutes to make sure the crust isn't browning too quickly. If it is, tent it the pie with a piece of foil to slow the browning process.
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Remove the pie from the oven and let cool completely 3 to 4 hours (or you can speed the time up by placing it in the refrigerator). The filling will set and thicken as it cools. This pie is delicious served at room temperature or warm, but the filling will be runnier if it is still warm.
Recipe Notes
1. Homemade pie crust: https://thecookstreat.com/pie-crust. You will need to double it for this recipe. I’ve also made this many times with a refrigerated pie crust.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
I would like to make the honey sweetened apple pie recipe, but I have 2 questions. I want to substitute the corn starch with potato starch, would I still use the 5 Tablespoon measurement? And why is 6 oz. listed for 1/2 a cup of honey, since 1/2 a cup is 4 oz. Thanks.
Hi Cate, I have never used potato starch so I don’t know how it converts in recipes. As for the honey question, this is probably the most common question I get on this blog—4 oz is actually the liquid measurement for 1/2 cup but I’m listing the weight of the honey itself here. Honey weighs in at 12 ounces per cup (it’s heavier than water or milk, which hopefully is intuitive). So yes 1/2 cup of honey weighs right around 6 ounces. Does that make sense?
Thanks you for the honey information. I now wonder if I am using the right amount of honey in recipes I have that do not list a honey measurement as you do. I only use honey as a sweetener due to a disease my son has, so finding your honey based recipes was a real find. Thanks again.