The Secret to Perfecting a Classic Apple Pie With a Lattice Crust

This article was written with help from AI and edited by Thrive Market’s talented team of human writers.

Few desserts evoke the warmth of home and tradition quite like apple pie. With its buttery, flaky crust and spiced fruit filling, apple pie has earned its reputation as a quintessential comfort food. Whether served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoyed cold for breakfast (no judgment here), apple pie holds a special place in many hearts and kitchens.

The History of Apple Pie

While apple pie is often associated with American culture—so much so that the phrase “as American as apple pie” is widely recognized—its origins stretch far beyond the United States. The earliest known recipes for apple pie date back to 14th-century England. One such recipe appears in The Forme of Cury, a medieval English cookbook compiled by the cooks of King Richard II. These early versions often included ingredients like figs, raisins, and saffron, and were encased in a pastry shell known as a “coffin,” which was sometimes not intended to be eaten.

Apples themselves are not native to North America. They were brought over by European colonists, who introduced apple seeds and saplings to the New World. As settlers established orchards, apple-based recipes—especially pies—became staples of colonial cooking.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, American cooks were adapting European recipes using local ingredients and spices. The apple pie became a symbol of American thrift, resourcefulness, and homegrown pride. During World War II, soldiers were quoted saying they were fighting for “mom and apple pie,” cementing the dessert’s place in the national identity.

Tips for the Best Apple Pie

Creating a truly memorable apple pie involves more than just tossing fruit into a crust. Here are five essential tips to ensure success every time.

1. Choose the Right Apples
   Not all apples are created equal when it comes to baking. A mix of sweet and tart apples, such as Granny Smith (tart) and Honeycrisp or Fuji (sweet), adds depth of flavor and texture. Make sure they’re firm enough to hold their shape during baking.
2. Avoid a Soggy Bottom
   To prevent the dreaded soggy crust, pre-bake (blind bake) the bottom crust for a few minutes before adding the filling, or sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs or crushed graham crackers on the crust to absorb excess moisture.
3. Use Cold Butter and Ice Water
   For a flaky crust, keep your butter and water as cold as possible. Cold butter creates steam as it bakes, which results in a light, crisp pastry.
4. Spice It Just Right
   A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice adds a warm, aromatic profile to your filling. Don’t overdo it—let the natural sweetness and flavor of the apples shine through.
5. Let It Cool
   It’s tempting to dig in right away, but letting your pie cool allows the filling to set and the flavors to meld. For clean slices, wait at least a couple of hours before serving.

Best-Ever Apple Pie Recipe (With a Lattice Crust)

Yield: One 9-inch pie
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

The secret to getting classic apple pie just right? Sautéing the apples beforehand. This step locks in tons of flavor, and ensures the pie gets packed to the brim with filling—no more pesky gap left between the top crust and the filling below.

Ingredients

For the crust

3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 egg yolks
About 1 cup water

For the filling

10 mixed apples (ex. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn)
4 tablespoons butter
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
1 tablespoon raw sugar, to garnish

Instructions

Make the crust

Using a food processor, process flour, salt, sugar, and butter about 5 to 8 seconds, so some pieces of butter are left, then transfer mixture to a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add egg yolk and a scant half cup of water (less on a hot day, more on a cold day). Stir quickly with a fork to start bringing the dry and wet ingredients together, add more water if needed. When the fork can’t do anymore, gather up the dry parts of the dough with hands as quickly as possible and press into dough. Make sure the dough’s not too sticky or too dry, then wrap in plastic and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. When ready to make pie, preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch deep pie dish with butter.

Make the filling

Peel, core, and quarter apples and slice into pieces 1/4-inch thick. Place butter in a large skillet and toss with apples. Sauté apples until they begin to soften, then stir in lemon juice, spices, and sugar. Let sugars caramelize then stir in crème fraiche. Let mixture bubble up, and then cook 30 seconds more. Stir and turn off heat.

Assemble the pie

Divide into two even balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a disc 11 to 12 inches wide, taking care not to work the dough too hard. Center one of the rounds of dough in the bottom of the pie dish, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the dish. Add in the apple filling and smooth the top so that it’s even. Using a knife, cut the second round into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Lay strips of dough, evenly spaced, across the entire pie. Weave more strips of dough through the previous strips perpendicularly to make a lattice design across the entire pie. Trim excess dough from the ends of the strips. Pinch the edge of the bottom crust and edge of the lattice together, and flute the edge of the pie. Brush the surface of the dough with beaten egg and then sprinkle with raw sugar. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 

Bake the pie
Bake pie until the crust is golden, 40 to 50 minutes minutes, rotating at the halfway mark. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before serving.