Paula Deen Apple Pie Recipe With a Top Crunch

Paula Deen’s Apple Pie

Paula Deen’s Apple Pie is a deliciously classic apple pie recipe with a buttery homemade lattice top crust and brown sugar apples.

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You guys, I am absolutely obsessed with this paula deen apple pie — and honestly, who isn’t?! There is just something so dreamy about that caramel-y sweet crunch top apple pie crust wrapped around a gooey, spiced apple filling. It is the kind of dessert that makes you go back for a second helping before you have even finished your first slice. Whether you are serving it at Thanksgiving, a casual Sunday dinner, or just because you deserve something ah-mazing this week — this original recipe delivers every single time. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and be still my heart, it is absolutely perfect.

Choosing Your Apples

First things first — let’s talk apples! It is so important to choose firm apples with a low water content that won’t turn to mush. Think Honeycrisp, Cortland, Granny Smith, and Pink Ladies. Granny Smith is my personal favorite because that tart bite plays SO well against the sweet brown sugar filling. When you grow your own apples or pick your own apples at an orchard, you literally cannot beat the freshness! Look for ones that feel firm and smell fragrant, and always go for the best quality you can find. Even top-quality apples get mealy after being stored too long, so shop fresh and bake soon! If you love apple desserts, my Honey Apple Pie Recipe With Caramelized Apples is another must-try next time you have a bag of gorgeous apples on hand.

Ingredients for Paula Deen’s Apple Pie

• brown sugar
• flour
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• green apples, peeled and sliced
• lemon juice
• butter, cubed
• unbaked pie crusts
• egg wash for brushing on crust

Must-Read Tips

1. First sweat your apple slices before using them in the pie filling. This will prevent a runny filling and a soggy bottom crust! Read this post to learn how.
2. Using store-bought pie crust dough — like Pillsbury refrigerator pie crust — is totally fine and makes this the easiest crunch top apple pie recipe around. But if you want to make your own, here are my favorite recipes by comfort level:

• Total Novice: No Rolling Press-in-the-Pan Pie Crust*
• Beginner: Easiest All-Butter Pie Crust
• Intermediate: Buttermilk Pastry Pie Crust
• Experienced: Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe

*You’ll need to turn this recipe into a dutch apple pie if you opt to use the Press-in-the-Pan pie crust, since this recipe does not make dough that rolls out easily.

Have no fear — it’s easy! Simply replace the remaining pie crust that goes on top with a yummy crumble (use the crumble from this recipe) and adjust the baking time and oven temperature to: 60 minutes at 350 f degrees. Place foil over the crumble topping if it gets too brown during baking.

How to Make the Pie Filling and Crust

Okay, let’s get into the fun part! In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar — about one cup sugar total — brown sugar, a tablespoon flour, fine salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness. Toss your sweated apple slices in until every piece is coated — this is your apple mixture and it smells incredible already. Stir in pure vanilla extract because it takes the flavor to a whole new level. Spoon mixture into your bottom pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan, then arrange the top layer of apple slices in a single layer for an even bake. Dot cold butter in small pieces over the apple filling before fitting your top crust. A food processor or the chilled bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment makes from-scratch pie crust a total breeze!

Building That Gorgeous Lattice Top

Can we talk about the lattice top for a second?! Be still my heart — so pretty and honestly not as hard as it looks! On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough out — or on any floured surface roll to an 11-inch circle. Cut strips with a pastry cutter and weave them in a classic lattice design over the top of pie. Use half of dough strips going one direction, then weave the remaining half of dough strips the other way. Trim and crimp edges to seal. Brush top of crust generously with egg wash for that gorgeous golden brown finish, then sprinkle a teaspoon sugar on top of the pie for extra crunch. Place pie on a baking sheet to catch drips — because when that pie filling boils and bubbles over the top of pie, you will be SO glad you did! Cool on a wire rack. I literally can’t even with how good this looks.

What Does It Mean to “Sweat” Apples?

Sweating apples simply means reducing the juice in your apple slices before they go into the pie. Coat them in a tablespoon sugar and lemon juice, then let them sit at least an hour at room temperature. You will see the juice gather at the outside circle of the bowl — save it to make cider or syrup, which is such a fun bonus! Then proceed using the slightly dehydrated apples in your apple filling for a perfectly thick, not-runny result. If you want to go deep on this technique, check out Why and How to Sweat Apples for Pie — it is a total game changer for next time you bake. And for even more apple inspo, my Amish Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe is a previous recipe I absolutely adore for stocking your pantry!

Gluten-Free and Alternative Crust Options

Good news for my gluten-free friends — you can absolutely make this pie work for you! When you combine flour alternatives like almond flour or coconut flour in place of all-purpose, add a small amount of xanthan gum to help bind the pie crust together. Whole wheat flour or pastry flour are great swaps if you just want a slightly heartier, nuttier crust. Even if you combine flour and cold butter using a handheld mixer instead of a pastry cutter, you will still end up with a super flaky result! Work it until very coarse cornmeal texture forms, then add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Shape into a disk shape, wrap, and chill. In a small bowl combine your egg wash — one egg beaten with a splash of milk — to brush over the crust before baking. So dreamy!

FAQs and Serving Ideas

A few questions I get all the time! Can you use a large bowl instead of a large mixing bowl to toss the apple mixture? Absolutely — either works perfectly. Does the filling need to cook on medium heat first? Nope — the raw apple filling goes straight into the bottom crust and bakes beautifully. Love sharing recipe photos? Please do!! And if you are wondering about food platforms that ask for your email address and require you to agree to their terms of use and personal information policies — most are operated under networks like Warner Bros. Discovery or the Discovery Family umbrella, just like Food Network where paula deen had her own cooking show. Beyond this pie, if you are hunting for more tasty treats and easy dinner ideas — from pot recipes to healthy recipes, italian recipes, mexican recipes, indian recipes, thai recipes, korean recipes, chinese recipes, japanese recipes, and spanish recipes — this blog has something for everyone. Now go make this pie! 🍎🥧

More Recipes You Will Love

If you are obsessed with this pie (same, honestly), you have GOT to check out Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler Recipe — it has the same cozy Southern magic and is an absolute crowd-pleaser. And for more favorite recipes in the pie department, my Blackberry Crumb Pie Recipe is stunning for next time you want something a little different. I also love pairing a warm slice with something like Pecan Pie Bread Pudding for a full dessert spread. And if you are into fun apple-forward treats beyond pie, my High Protein Apple Dip With Peanut Butter Yogurt is a total crowd-pleaser that comes together in minutes. No matter what you are baking, this little corner of the internet always has something sweet and comforting waiting for you. Now go make this pie — you will not regret it for one single second! 😍

Helpful Related Posts

While you’re baking, try our Cherry Tart Recipe.

Why and How to Sweat Apples for Pie

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Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe

After years of struggle, I finally perfected the Classic 2-Pie Crust Recipe. I picked up a few tricks along the way, and I'm sharing them with you in this post!

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Buttermilk Pastry Pie Crust

If you're like me, and the art of pie crust-making has eluded you... give this one a try! I like that it's a little softer to work with; I've found that it cracks less when I'm rolling it out. And I also like that I can skip the rolling part if I want and just use my hands to press it into the pie dish.

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Paula Deen's Apple Pie

Yield: 8-12 slices

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

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Paula Deen's classic Apple Pie with a buttery homemade lattice top crust and brown sugar apples.

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 7 medium green apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp butter, cubed
• 2 unbaked pie crusts
• egg wash for brushing on crust

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Place the apple slices in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the dry ingredients mixture to coat.

Press a pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the apple mixture.

Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples. Sprinkle the cubed butter over top as well.

Place the second pie crust over the filling (you can make a lattice top or simply cut slits to vent the steam). Press edges to seal.

Bake for 55-60 minutes. Let cool before slicing.