Classic Apple Pie with Lattice Crust

Name: Classic Apple Pie with Lattice Crust
Prep time: 1 h 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling; spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt; 1 cup (2 sticks) (227 g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes; ½ cup (120 ml) ice water, measured without the ice; you may not need it all; 2¾ lb (1250 g) firm apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar, packed; 3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch; 1½ teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) freshly grated nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine salt; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small bits; 1 whole (50 g) large egg, beaten with the cream; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream or whole milk; 1 tablespoon (12 g) coarse sugar (turbinado or sanding sugar)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A flaky all-butter crust woven into a golden lattice over a tender, cinnamon-spiced filling of tart and sweet apples. The cornstarch-thickened juices set into a sliceable filling that holds its shape.

Prep: 1 hr 40 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Wait: 5 hr 20 min
Total: 8 hr 5 min
Makes: 1 deep 9-inch (23 cm) pie (8 slices)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the crust
2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling; spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) (227 g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup (120 ml) ice water, measured without the ice; you may not need it all
For the filling
2¾ lb (1250 g) firm apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
1½ teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small bits
For the topping
1 whole (50 g) large egg, beaten with the cream
1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream or whole milk
1 tablespoon (12 g) coarse sugar (turbinado or sanding sugar)

Equipment (11)

9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate
Large mixing bowls (2)
Pastry blender or food processor
Rolling pin
Rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet, 18×13 inch / 46×33 cm)
Pastry brush
Sharp knife or pizza wheel and a ruler
Vegetable peeler and paring knife
Parchment paper
Wire cooling rack
Instant-read thermometer (optional)

Steps

Before you start

Read the timing: the dough needs at least 2 hours of chilling and the baked pie needs 3 hours to cool and set, so plan to start in the morning for an evening dessert.
Cut the butter into cubes and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you start. Fill a measuring cup with water and ice.
Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Put a rimmed baking sheet on it to catch drips and heat the pie bottom. You will preheat later, in step 8.
Use a mix of firm-tart apples (Granny Smith) and firm-sweet apples (Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious). Soft apples like McIntosh turn to mush.

1
Make the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, dough sugar, and dough salt.
- Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat.
- Using a pastry blender (or pulsing in a food processor), cut the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pieces the size of peas and some the size of small lima beans.
- Drizzle in 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the ice water and stir with a fork.
- Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clumps when squeezed in your hand.
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Ready when: Dough holds together when pinched, with visible flecks of butter and no dry floury patches.
Tip: Work quickly and avoid overmixing. Visible butter pieces create flaky layers.
2
Shape and chill
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 pieces, one slightly larger (about 55%) for the bottom crust.
- Press each into a flat 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
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Ready when: Dough is firm and cold throughout but gives slightly when pressed.
3
Prepare the apple filling
- During the last 30 minutes of chilling, peel, core, and slice the apples ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- In a large bowl, whisk the white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and filling salt.
- Add the apple slices, lemon juice, and vanilla and toss until every slice is evenly coated.
- Set aside; do not let it sit more than 30 minutes or the apples will release a lot of liquid.
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Ready when: No dry cornstarch is visible and the apples look glossy.
Tip: Slice evenly so all the apples cook at the same rate.
4
Roll the bottom crust
- On a floured surface, roll the larger dough disk into a 13-inch (33 cm) circle about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, rotating a quarter turn as you go.
- Roll it loosely over the pin and unroll into the 9-inch pie plate.
- Gently press into the corners without stretching, leaving the excess overhanging the rim.
- Refrigerate while you prepare the lattice.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, fully lines the plate, and overhangs the rim by about 1 inch.
Tip: If the dough cracks or turns soft and sticky, patch it and refrigerate 10 minutes before continuing.
5
Cut the lattice strips
- Roll the second disk into a 12-inch (30 cm) round about ⅛ inch thick.
- Use a ruler and pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut ten to twelve strips, each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
- Slide the strips onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes so they firm up and are easier to handle.
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Ready when: Strips are cold, firm, and hold their shape when lifted.
Tip: Keep the longest strips for the center of the pie.
6
Fill the pie
- Pile the apples into the chilled crust, mounding them in the center and packing them gently so there are few gaps.
- Pour in any juices left in the bowl.
- Scatter the small bits of cold butter over the apples.
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Ready when: Filling is mounded about 1 inch above the rim of the plate.
7
Weave the lattice
- Lay 5 or 6 strips over the filling, parallel and about ¾ inch apart.
- Fold back every other strip halfway.
- Lay one strip across the center at a right angle, then unfold the folded strips over it.
- Now fold back the strips that were underneath, add another cross strip about ¾ inch from the first, and unfold.
- Repeat until the lattice is complete.
- Trim the strip ends to leave a ¾-inch overhang.
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Ready when: Strips form an even over-under weave across the whole pie.
Tip: If strips get warm and floppy, slide the pie into the fridge for 10 minutes and continue.
8
Crimp, glaze, and chillOven 425°F / 220°C
- Fold the bottom crust overhang up and over the strip ends and press to seal.
- Crimp the edge with your fingers or a fork.
- Beat the egg with the cream and brush it lightly over the lattice and edge, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Freeze the pie for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the baking sheet on the lower oven rack and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
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Ready when: Crust edge is sealed and the egg wash is shiny with no puddles.
Tip: Brush lightly; pooled egg wash will leave scrambled-looking spots.
9
Bake at high heatOven 425°F / 220°C
- Set the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes to set and brown the crust.
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Ready when: Crust is pale golden and starting to color.
10
Finish bakingOven 375°F / 190°C
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake 40 to 45 minutes more.
- If the edge or lattice browns too quickly, tent the pie loosely with foil.
- Rotate the pie halfway through for even color.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden brown, juices bubble thickly through the lattice gaps, and a knife slides easily into the apples.
Tip: Bubbling juices that are thick and slow, not thin and watery, mean the cornstarch has activated.
11
Cool completely
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.
- The filling thickens as it cools; cutting it warm will make it runny.
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Ready when: Pie is at room temperature or just barely warm to the touch on the bottom.
Tip: Serve with vanilla ice cream or sharp cheddar.

Good to know

Tips

Keep everything cold. If the dough softens or butter smears while rolling, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use a glass or ceramic plate on a preheated baking sheet so you can see the bottom crust browning and it bakes through crisply.
Mound the apples high; they shrink as they bake, and gaps under the lattice will leave it sagging.
Cool the pie fully before cutting. The 3-hour rest is what makes clean, neat slices.

Make ahead

The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). You can also assemble the unbaked pie and freeze it up to 1 month; bake from frozen at 425°F (220°C) for 25 minutes, then at 375°F (190°C) for 55 to 65 minutes, tenting with foil if needed.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature, loosely covered: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: wrap well and freeze baked pie up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. To reheat, warm slices or the whole pie at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 20 minutes to re-crisp the crust.

Substitutions

cornstarch → all-purpose flour (¼ cup / 30 g) or tapioca starch (3 tablespoons). Flour gives a slightly cloudier, softer set; tapioca makes a glossy filling.
unsalted butter → ¾ cup (170 g) cold butter plus ¼ cup (50 g) cold shortening. Shortening makes the dough easier to handle, with slightly less butter flavor.
firm apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp (about 6 large) → Braeburn, Jonagold, or Golden Delicious apples. Keep a mix of tart and sweet, and avoid soft varieties like Red Delicious or McIntosh.
heavy cream or whole milk → water or milk. Gives a slightly less glossy, lighter-colored finish.