This award-winning Apple Pie recipe is a Deluxe apple pie that has the perfect balance of tart and sweet, with green apples and lemon zest in the filling. But the butter and whipped cream make it extra rich and creamy!
This prize winning apple pie has the perfect balance of tart to sweet with green apples and lemon zest in the filling. But the butter and whipped cream make it extra rich and creamy! It's popular during apple season in the fall and during the holidays. If you love pie, be sure to check out my other pie recipes, too! I was inspired to make a stovetop version of this apple pie filling as well. It replaces canned apple pie filling in any recipe!
🍒Reader Reviews
"Thank you for your recipe. I have only made two pies in my life, one out of the can cherry pie. And my wife wanted me to make another, and I ran across your recipe and thought I could try it. It was the best pie ever! Thank you for making me look like an award winner."⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Best apple pie I've ever eaten!!! "⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I have made a lot of apple pies, but this recipe is the best one I've ever tried. Loved it! "⭐"⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jump to:
- 🍒Reader Reviews
- Tips for Making Award Winning Apple Pie
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 🔪How to Make an Award-winning Apple Pie recipe
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 🌡️Storage
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🥗What to Serve with Prize winning Apple Pie
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🍏More Apple Recipes!
- Comments & ⭐Ratings
- 📋 Award-winning Apple Pie Recipe
I was working in a seniors care home when I won my first baking contest with this Deluxe Apple Pie. I hadn't won many things in my life, and certainly not a baking contest. I was an aspiring baker, and my Award-winning Apple Pie Recipe had just won first place in the pie contest!~
As a seasoned baker and cook, I've not only baked a lot of pies, but I've won quite a few other recipe contests in the 20-ish years since that first win (see award-winning recipes HERE!), but that apple pie recipe win was truly the sweetest.
And it wasn't just because it was my first, but it was because of who the judges were. This was a TOUGH CROWD- the residents of the seniors facility. This generation grew up in a time when everyone baked from scratch, so they knew what really good apple pie from scratch tastes like! I was so very honored that they picked mine!
Tips for Making Award Winning Apple Pie
When I'm not in a hurry, I use my No Fail Pie Crust for all my pie recipes. This recipe is THE BEST because you just CAN'T fail with it. This cold water pastry recipe was a gift from my Grandma and one of the best gifts I've ever recieved! You can be a novice baker and still not mess it up. It also tastes delicious and freezes well!
- Brush the crust with milk, cream, or whipping cream (liquid) and sprinkle granulated sugar or sparkling sugar. I used whipped cream on this pie (I do this instead of the typical egg wash). It gives the pie a shiny golden brown finish!
- Seal the pie well. This will ensure that your pie filling cooks poperly.
- Vent. Make at least 3 rows of slits (triangles) on the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Venting and crimping the top crust doesn't just make your pie look beautiful; it also releases steam, prevents the crust from getting soggy, and keeps the filling sealed inside.
- Slice your apples into uniform thin wedges. The apples won't cook fast enough in the pie if you don't slice them thin enough. Plan to cut the apples into ¼-inch-thick slices. This is thin enough so that they'll easily soften in a short amount of time, but not so thin that they'll get mushy.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
The Secret to Award-winning Apple Pie is the lemon zest, whipped cream, and butter in the filling, as well as the brown sugar and white granulated sugar combination!
Making apple pie from scratch is easier than you think! All you need for this old-fashioned apple pie is:
- Green Granny Smith apples. I use Granny Smith Apples because they hold their shape better, are a little tart (and balance the sweetness of the sugars), and are the best apples for pie.
- White sugar, Brown sugar, and Cinnamon. This is the flavor trio that gives apple pie filling its iconic taste. The brown and white sugars offer different flavor profiles.
- All-purpose flour. Flour thickens and helps set the filling.
- Unsalted butter. Butter is not only for taste, but helps the filling set and makes the pie rich and creamy. I prefer to use unsalted butter in my baking because the salt content in salted butter varies by brand, and I like to control the salt in my recipes.
- Lemon zest. Adds a delicious hint of zing to your apple and balances the sweet and the whipped cream.
- Whipped cream. Whipped cream makes your apple pie filling creamy and smooth!
- Pie Shells. You can use a store-bought pie crust (as shown in photo), but make sure you get the "deep dish.". However, my No Fail Pie Crust recipe (shown below) is far superior and really easy!
🔪How to Make an Award-winning Apple Pie recipe
There is NO PRE-COOKING required!
- Step 1: Spray a 9-inch pie dish with nonstick spray and place the pie shell inside. Trim edges to fit if using homemade pastry.
- Step 2: Core and peel apples, then slice them thin (as shown). *Don't worry if they brown, as it won't make a difference when cooked.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, combine sugars, flour, and cinnamon.
- Step 4: Then mix with apple slices.
- Step 5: Spread the apple mixture into the unbaked pastry shell.
- Step 6: Cut butter with a pastry cutter or knife. Or grate from frozen (see expert tips). *You can also grate refrigerated cold butter, but it's a little messier. Spread grated butter over the apple mixture and sprinkle with lemon zest. Dot with whipped cream.
- Step 7: Then cover the bottom crust with the top crust, sealing carefully by running your finger (dipped in water) or a pastry brush dipped in water, around the rim. Then use a fork to mark and seal.
- Step 8: Make 3 rows of slits (triangles) on the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. 3 in outside rows and 2 in the middle.
- Step 9: Brush on cream, milk, or whipping cream with a pastry brush and sprinkle granulated sugar. * I used whipped cream in this photo (I do this instead of the typical egg wash).
- Step 10: Bake in a hot oven at 450 degrees F/232 degrees C for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes or until apples are cooked (a fork can easily go through) and the crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish: Serve this classic apple pie recipe with ice cream, whipped cream with cinnamon sprinkles, or whatever you desire. *Note: the pie actually looks nicer if you use homemade pastry instead of store-bought. It also tastes even better with homemade pie crust. I used homemade pastry in the final photos.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Freeze your butter before grating it. This keeps the pieces extra cold so they melt slowly in the filling, giving you a richer, creamier texture without mess.
- Use uniformly thin apple slices. Cutting them about ¼-inch thick ensures they soften evenly without turning mushy.
- Mix the sugars thoroughly with the flour and cinnamon before adding the apples. This evenly distributes the thickener so you don't end up with gluey pockets in the filling.
- Dot generously with butter and whipped cream. This is what gives your pie its signature creamy, award-winning texture and prevents a dry filling.
- Seal the top crust really well. A good seal helps the filling cook properly, preventing leaks and ensuring consistent texture.
- Vent with multiple slits in rows. This allows steam to escape, keeps the crust from getting soggy, and prevents the top from doming or cracking.
- Brush the top with milk, cream, or whipped cream instead of an egg wash. It creates your signature golden, shiny finish without the hardness egg washes can cause.
- Start with a high oven temperature. The burst of heat sets the crust quickly so it stays crisp and flaky.
- Tent with foil if the crust browns too fast. Lightly shielding the top prevents burning while the apples finish cooking through.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. This allows the filling to firm up so the slices hold together beautifully.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover apple pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can make it in advance and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months, as long as you store it in an airtight container.
👪 Serving Size
This Apple pie recipe serves 8. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You will need additional pie plates if you are doubling or tripling the recipe.
🥗What to Serve with Prize winning Apple Pie
Apple Pie goes exceptionally well with red meat, hearty soups, and stews. I recommend you serve this scrumptious apple pie with my Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun (shown), Old-fashioned Slow Cooker Beef Stew, or my Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup!
If you're looking for something quicker, try it with this Stovetop Beef and Pork Chili Recipe!
❔ Recipe FAQs
High temperatures expedite the fat in the dough melting and producing steam, which in turn, gives the pie crust its flaky texture. Reducing the oven temperature after about 10-15 minutes allows the pie to bake fully without danger of burning.
With double-crust fruit pies, like this deluxe apple pie, it's important to create a vent with slits. This allows the steam from the filling a way to escape instead of settling into the crust and making it soggy.
The crust should be melt-in-your-mouth flaky and not greasy. The filling should have a smooth texture without grit or chalkiness, and the apples should be evenly distributed and firm but not overly crisp.
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And if you love apple pie, then check out Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie Recipe and my Award-winning Toffee Apple Pie Cookies! They won the Grand Prize in the Home Baking Cookie Category at "Canada's Baking and Sweets Show 2015". That contest was also judged by two of my baking/cake decorating heroes - celebrity chefs Anna Olsen & Duff Goldman!
I was also selected as a finalist for my Potato Ice Cream - Cookies N' Creamers No Churn Ice Cream by a panel of judges that included celebrity chef Michael Bonacini. And although that was a very high honor, when it comes to judging panels, to this day, having those seniors select my apple pie, deeming it an award-winning apple pie, still feels like my finest hour.
For more award-winning recipes, be sure to check out this post: 40 Award-winning Recipes
So if you're looking for an apple pie recipe that will make you feel like the best baker around, then give this Award-winning apple pie a try. Anyone who tries it tells me it's the best apple pie recipe they've ever made!
🍏More Apple Recipes!
Comments & ⭐Ratings
Did you know that commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you loved this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
📋 Award-winning Apple Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 LARGE peeled and cored thinly sliced green Granny Smith apples * like the size of the apple in the lead photo. If your apples are very small, use more
- 6 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 8 dollops whipped cream * can use spray can whipped cream
- 2 -9 inch pie shells (store-bought or homemade)
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon milk, cream or whipping cream
Instructions
- Spray a 9"inch pie plate with non stick spray and place pie shell inside. Trim edges to fit if using homemade pastry.2 -9 inch pie shells
- Core and peel apples then slice thin.3-4 LARGE peeled and cored thinly sliced green Granny Smith apples
- Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, then mix with apples. Spread apples mixture into unbaked pastry shell.6 tablespoon white granulated sugar, 6 tablespoon brown sugar, ⅓ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cut butter with pastry cutter or knife. Or grate from frozen (as I do). *You can also grate refrigerated butter, but it's a little messier.¼ cup butter
- Dot apple mixture with butter and sprinkle with lemon zest.½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Dab mixture with whipped cream dollops.8 dollops whipped cream
- Then cover with top crust, sealing carefully by running water around the rim, then adding crust and using fork to mark and seal.
- Make 3 rows of slits (triangles) to allow steam to escape. 3 in outside rows and 2 in the middle.
- Brush on cream, milk or whipping cream and sprinkle granulated sugar. * I used whipped cream in this photo1 teaspoon white granulated sugar, 1-2 tablespoon milk, cream or whipping cream
- Bake in a hot oven 450 degrees f/232 degrees Cfor 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes or until apples are cooked (fork can easily go through)
Garnish
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream with cinnamon sprinkles or whatever you desire.
Notes
- Freeze your butter before grating it. This keeps the pieces extra cold so they melt slowly in the filling, giving you a richer, creamier texture without mess.
- Use uniformly thin apple slices. Cutting them about ¼-inch thick ensures they soften evenly without turning mushy.
- Mix the sugars thoroughly with the flour and cinnamon before adding the apples. This evenly distributes the thickener so you don't end up with gluey pockets in the filling.
- Dot generously with butter and whipped cream. This is what gives your pie its signature creamy, award-winning texture and prevents a dry filling.
- Seal the top crust really well. A good seal helps the filling cook properly, preventing leaks and ensuring consistent texture.
- Vent with multiple slits in rows. This allows steam to escape, keeps the crust from getting soggy, and prevents the top from doming or cracking.
- Brush the top with milk, cream, or whipped cream instead of an egg wash. It creates your signature golden, shiny finish without the hardness egg washes can cause.
- Start with a high oven temperature. The burst of heat sets the crust quickly so it stays crisp and flaky.
- Tent with foil if the crust browns too fast. Lightly shielding the top prevents burning while the apples finish cooking through.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. This allows the filling to firm up so the slices hold together beautifully.
Jacqulyn Miller
Best apple pie I've ever ate!!!
Terri Gilson
Hi Jacqulyn,
So happy to hear you loved it as much as we do! And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Terri
Jacquly Miller
I have made a lot of apple pies but this recipe is the best one I've ever tried. Loved it
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad to hear you loved it!
Rod
Howdy the Rutman here
I haven't tried it yet but fixing to try it. We have Christmas dinner this weekend and planning on taking 2 pies out there. The recipe sounds good, and I'm going to use a sourdough pie crust with it. I know it makes my blueberry with a cinnamon crum topping over the top. I will repost on how your pie filling and my sourdough crust goes over. Thanks for the recipe
Rutman
Terri Gilson
Hi Rod,
Hop enjoy it!
CountryMama
This is the second “homemade” pie I’ve ever made (although I cheated with the crust still). I forgot to get a lemon so I left the zest out but followed it to a tee other than that. My large family absolutely devoured it, we even ate it so fast that we forgot to pull out the rest of the whipped cream and the ice cream! My MIL is the pie making queen so to have one Ive made that my family approves of like this is priceless, thank you so much!
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad to hear how much your family enjoyed it! The fact that your MIL is a the pie making queen and your family approved is definitely high praise. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Cameron England
Hi Terri,
Thank you for your recipe. I have only made two pies in my life one out of the can cherry pie. And my wife wanted me to make another and I ran across your recipe and thought I could try it. It was the best pie ever! Thank you for making me look like an award winner.
Cameron
Terri Gilson
Hi Cameron,
I'm so glad you loved the recipe! And I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Holidays!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I've never entered a cooking or baking competition, so I love that you put yourself out there. And won! I can see why this is award winning. The crust looks so flaky, and I never would have guessed those secret ingredients in the filling, especially the whipped cream! Looks delicious!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Leanne! Once you start entering contests, it's hard to stop! It's fun and just a little addictive:)
Denise@urbnspice
It does seem so odd to me that the coordinators would ask for your well-earned award ribbon back - so happy to hear that you were able to keep and treasure it, Terri! Your winning apple pie entry looks and sounds amazing with those special ingredient additions - congratulations on another win!
Terri Gilson
Thank you! Yeah, it was really weird, Denise... but I held on to that sucker 🙂 And it inspired me to go on and win many more... Recipes contests are super fun!
Lillian Tse
wow! Terri your pie looks amazing! Seriously picture perfect. I am pretty sure if I every won anything I would 100% not be giving back the ribbon. I feel that part of the winning includes the object that indicates that you win! 😀 Good for you for standing your ground!
Now, I'll have to go buy some granny smith apples and make some pie!
Terri Gilson
thank you, Lillian! I agree - that ribbon was MINE and I wasn't giving it back! 🙂
Sabrina
I’m so glad you stood your ground and kept that ribbon! This post made me chuckle and I think I would have done the same. Anyways, this Apple pie recipe looks amazing, I cannot wait to try it, thanks for sharing it ?
Terri Gilson
thanks, Sabrina! 🙂 I'm glad I kept it too.
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
This apple pie does look unbelievable! Congratulations on your award. I, too, don't like any kind of competitions, but maybe would go for a cooking contest 🙂
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Nicoletta! Cooking contests are really fun - competitors behave more like food bloggers - very supportive! I think you'd enjoy it 🙂
Dani
Delicious!! Our favorite. Used honey crisp and Fuji apples and they help up beautifully.
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad you loved it!
Colleen
Terri, I'm in awe of your pie making skills! And you should keep and treasure that ribbon! You are obviously a blue ribbon baker and the next time I make an apple pie, this one is saved for me to try. Congratulations on this, and all of your contest successes!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Colleen!