Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe

French Apple Pie (Foolproof Pie Crust + Make Ahead Filling)

Delicious mini-sized French Apple Pies with make-ahead filling, foolproof pie crust (not soggy), and a crumble topping make this a classic apple pie recipe!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Desserts & Sweets
Cuisine: American
Keyword: French Apple Pie
Servings: 8
Calories: 1039kcal
Author: Lisa Hatfield

Ingredients

For the Foolproof Homemade Pie Dough:

  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup cold diced butter

For the Apple Pie Filling:

  • 6 large Granny Smith apples cored and cut into ½" size pieces
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Crumble Apple Pie Topping:

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make Pie Dough First:

  • In a food processor, blend flour, salt, baking powder, butter and pulse 10 times until the butter is the size of “peas”.
  • Add ⅓ cup ice water, pulse until ball forms.
  • Wrap in a zip-top bag, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

prepare apples and thickener

  • Wash the apples, peel, core (use apple corer/slicer), and cut into ½ pieces. Place into a bowl with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  • Squeeze ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Set aside. (This is your pie filling thickener).

cook the apples

  • In a large skillet or cast iron pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter and cook the cut apples for about 5 minutes, stir every minute until they just turn soft. I like them with a little firmness, so taste them and cook them to the firmness you prefer.
  • Next, pour the lemon juice and cornstarch mixture over the apples and stir until well combined for a couple of minutes.
  • Sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar over the apples, and the sea salt. Stir until well combined.
  • Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon and nutmeg off heat. The reason you do this is to keep the flavor of the spices!
  • Let the pie filling cool completely so it thickens. Once the apple filling is cool, use it in a recipe, store in in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in a Mason jar, or freeze in zip-top bags.

make the crumble apple pie topping

  • Mix soft butter, brown sugar, and flour in a bowl with two forks until it's a small crumbled mix.

bake your pies

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
  • In small pie dishes, roll the pie dough ¼" thick, cut into circles just slightly larger than pie dishes. Place pie crust in bottom of the mini pie dish.
  • Add 1 cup apple pie filling.
  • Sprinkle ¼ cup crumble apple pie topping.
  • Bake 400 degrees, 30 minutes until crust is golden brown and bubbly.
  • If baking a large pie, it will take up to 1 hour, and up to for 1 hour 15 minutes for deep dish pies.

Notes

How Big is a Mini French Apple Pie?

Mini apple pies can vary in size, here are 3 options. People love to have their own "pie", and you don't have to slice pieces for your family and friends. Win-Win!
1) mini muffin tins (1-2 bite size)  < baking temperature will vary
2) regular muffin tins (3-5 bites) < baking temperature will vary
3) small individual pie dishes (8 oz) which are the ones I used in this recipe!

What Are The Best Apples for Apple Pie?

Granny Smith green apples are my pick for apple pies! They have a slight tart flavor which balances perfectly with the sweet crumble topping. Granny Smith apples hold up well during baking and are a classic choice.
These ten apple varieties are classic favorites for apple pie. Some fall into the firm-tart category, and some the firm-sweet. You can even use a combination of two apples listed below.
  • Granny Smith
  • Esopus Spitzenburg
  • Northern Spy
  • Idared
  • Pink Pearl
  • Ginger Gold
  • Golden Delicious
  • Jazz
  • Jonagold
  • Pink Lady

Can You Freeze a Mini Apple Pie?

Yes, you can! There are two ways I suggest doing this:
One is to make and freeze parts of your mini apple pie separately. Make and freeze your pie crust dough, and make and freeze your homemade apple pie filling. (I do not suggest making and freezing your pie crumble topping... you'll want to make that fresh.)
The second is to freeze your mini French apple pie after you've baked it. To do that:
  • Make sure your pies are completely cooled off!
  • Wrap the pies tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap again in heavy aluminum foil.
  • Place in freezer-safe zip top storage bags, make sure you’ve removed all excess air.
  • Label and freeze the mini French apple pies for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving: 4mini pies | Calories: 1039kcal | Carbohydrates: 210g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 161g | Vitamin A: 895IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2.5mg