Apple Pie with Brown Butter Crust
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Elevate your holiday gatherings with this irresistible Apple Pie featuring a decadent Brown Butter Crust. Imagine gooey cinnamon-infused apple filling tucked into a rich, nutty crust that’s bursting with flavor. This pie is not just a dessert; it’s a showstopper that will leave your guests raving.
Do you remember this apple slab pie? Now you can have all those delicious flavors in a pie that’s a regular size!
The slab pie is good for feeding a crowd while the regular pie is great for a small gathering. Or you can just eat it all yourself. No judgment here.
My favorite thing about this pie is the brown butter crust. Have you tried this crust yet? It adds SO MUCH FLAVOR to any pie. Combined with apple pie filling, you really can’t go wrong.
There’s not really much difference between today’s pie and the slab pie. Basically, it’s just a reduced version. You should try my mini apple pies, apple strudel, and cranberry apple pie after this one!
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is used to make the crust.
- Brown butter: Brown unsalted butter and let it cool until solidified.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar goes in the crust, while brown sugar is used in the filling for a more complex flavor.
- Apples: I prefer Granny Smith apples when making apple pie.
- Cinnamon
- Egg: I add egg to my brown butter crust for extra richness and flakiness.
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- Make the crust. Brown the butter and let it cool until solid. Blend pieces of brown butter with flour, sugar, and salt. Combine egg with water and drizzle it over the mixture. Toss with a fork until moistened. Knead into a ball then flatten into 2 disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Roll each disk into a circle large enough to fit your pan. Gently press one pie dough into the pan.
- Make the filling. Combine apples, lemon juice, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add to the pan over the pie dough.
- Roll the remaining dough and cover the pie. Flute the edges and cut slits in the top to allow the pie to vent.
- Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Tips For Success
- Chill the brown butter until it is solid and cold. You can do this in the fridge for several hours or pop it in the freezer for about 1 hour. I like to make the brown butter the night before and let it chill overnight.
- Tent with foil if the top crust begins to brown too quickly.
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Apple Pie with Brown Butter Crust
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) ice water
For the filling
- 2-3 pounds (907 – 1360) apples, about 8 medium apples, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup (43 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Make the crust
- Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk frequently. Continue to cook until melted. The butter will foam and then subside. Cook until brown bits develop in the bottom of the pan and the butter turns a light golden color, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Line a small bowl with foil, letting some excess to hang over the sides. Pour the brown butter into the bowl, leaving behind the dark bits in the bottom of the pot. Freeze for 1 hour.
- Remove the solidified brown butter from the bowl and cut into small chunks.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and brown butter. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Whisk the eggs and ice water together until well combined. Drizzle over the flour mixture and toss with a fork until the dough comes together. If the dough is too dry, add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time until moist enough to stick together.
- Divide the dough into two equal size balls. Flatten each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Set the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 450°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle. (A silicone rolling pin works great for this!) Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Make the filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir to evenly coat the apples. Spread evenly into the prepared crust.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the second disk of dough out into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer the dough over the top of the pie.
- Cut the edges so there's a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the edges under so they sit on the rim of the pan. Flute the edges as desired. Use a sharp knife to cut slits into the top of the pie for venting.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for 35 minutes. Whisk the egg yolk and milk together and brush it over the top of the crust. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
- Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Make ahead tip
- The pie dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Fully baked pie will keep for up to 3 months stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Use your favorite apple or any combination of apples for a unique flavor profile.
- Tent with foil if the top crust begins to brown too quickly.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
I just baked this amazing apple pie <3 thank you Jen for sharing the tips and recipe for this gem!
I use this recipe all the time! (And all of her other ones) Except I do lover her basic pie crust!!! I sometimes interchange between lattice and sugar/flour/butter crumble mix but the recipe is GOLDEN!
This is the most delicious apple Pie I’ve ever had!
This is the most delicious apple Pie I’ve ever had!