A Fresh Roots Living Apple Pie
Timeless, Grounded, and Built on Simple Ingredients that Work
Certain recipes don’t belong to a single occasion. They return year after year, not because you planned for them, but because something in the season calls for them.
Apple pie is one of those.
It shows up when the days stretch longer and the kitchen feels like a place you want to linger again. When the windows are open just enough, and the rhythm of the house softens. It’s less about tradition and more about instinct—a pull toward something familiar, steady, and worth the time.
This is the kind of recipe that asks you to slow down, just slightly. To peel and slice a generous pile of apples. To work butter into flour until it becomes something you can shape with your hands. To notice the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg as it settles into the room, long before the pie ever reaches the table.
There’s nothing complicated here, but there is intention.
A well-made crust that holds its structure but stays tender. Apples that soften just enough while still keeping their shape. A filling that’s spiced generously—warm, not subtle—balanced with a touch of brightness from fresh lemon. It all comes together into something that feels complete without needing anything extra.
This is the kind of dessert that becomes part of the backdrop of a season. Set out on the counter. Sliced and shared without much ceremony. Returned to again the next day, maybe with coffee, maybe standing at the kitchen island in the quiet.
Simple, classic, and always worth making.
Fresh Roots Living Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
2½ cups organic all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold organic unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
6-8 tablespoons ice water
For the Apple Filling:
5-6 lbs organic baking apples (about 12-14 medium apples)
1 cup organic granulated sugar
½ cup organic light brown sugar, packed
½ cup organic all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons organic ground cinnamon (extra!)
1 teaspoon organic ground nutmeg (extra!)
½ teaspoon organic ground allspice
¼ teaspoon organic ground cloves
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh organic lemon juice
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cold organic unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For Assembly:
1 organic egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
2 tablespoons organic coarse sugar (turbinado or organic sanding sugar)
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Pie Dough (The Simple Way)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Stir with a fork until the dough starts to come together. If it’s still too dry and crumbly, add more water one tablespoon at a time.
Gather the dough together with your hands and divide it in half. Shape each half into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
That’s it. Simple as that.
Step 2: Prepare the Apples
Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch thick slices. You want a lot of apples—the pile will seem enormous, but they cook down significantly.
In a very large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt. Whisk together until no lumps remain.
Add the sliced apples, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss everything together with your hands, making sure every apple slice is coated with the spice mixture. Let this sit for 15-30 minutes while you roll out the dough. The apples will start releasing their juices and the sugar will begin to dissolve.
Step 3: Roll Out the Bottom Crust
Remove the larger disk of dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly—this makes it easier to roll without cracking.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle, about ⅛-inch thick. Keep the surface and rolling pin lightly floured, and rotate the dough frequently to prevent sticking.
Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch deep dish pie plate (at least 2 inches deep). Gently press it into the bottom and up the sides, letting the excess hang over the edge. Refrigerate while you roll out the top crust.
Step 4: Roll Out the Top Crust
Roll the second disk of dough into a 13-inch circle, same thickness. You can transfer this to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate it while you fill the pie, which makes it easier to handle.
Step 5: Fill the Pie
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and place a baking sheet on it (this catches any drips).
Give the apple mixture one final toss. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to the prepared pie crust, mounding them high in the center—they should dome up above the rim. You want to leave most of the liquid in the bowl; too much will make the pie soggy. Dot the apples with the cold butter pieces.
Step 6: Assemble and Seal
Brush the overhanging edge of the bottom crust with egg wash. Carefully drape the top crust over the apples. Press the edges together to seal, then trim the excess dough to about 1 inch beyond the pie plate rim.
Fold the overhang under itself to create a thick edge that sits on the rim of the pie plate. Crimp or flute the edges decoratively—use your fingers, a fork, or create a rope edge.
Cut 5-6 vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape. You can make simple slits, or get creative with small cut-outs using a small cookie cutter.
Step 7: Finishing Touches
Brush the entire top crust (but not the crimped edges yet) with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar—this creates a beautiful sparkly, crunchy top.
Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes.
Step 8: Continue Baking
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 55-70 minutes more. The pie is done when the crust is deep golden brown, the juices are bubbling vigorously through the vents, and a knife inserted through a vent meets tender apples.
If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil about halfway through baking.
Step 9: Cool and Serve
Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 4-6 hours before slicing. I know this is torture, but it’s essential. The filling needs time to set up, otherwise it will be soupy when you cut into it.
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a slice of sharp cheddar cheese if you’re feeling traditional.
Cari Ann Carter is the best-selling author of Are Your Roots Right? Rightsize Your Space. Reclaim Your Life. and a multi-faceted entrepreneur with a passion for intentional living, design, and home.
She leads the Cari Ann Carter Group, bringing over 28 years of experience in real estate, design, build, and renovation, and is the creative voice behind DIY Designer Homestead.
Through Fresh Roots Living, she shares practical ideas for cooking, gardening, entertaining, and creating a home that supports your next chapter.