If you have never had a homemade apple pie made with homemade apple pie filling, you need to try it. Sure, it is faster and easier to just use canned apple pie filling. But the canned filling just does not taste the same and it is full of preservatives. With this simple apple pie filling recipe, it is also fast and easy to make with common ingredients. Apples, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and some other warm spices are all you need. You do not even have to use it for apple pies. You can use it as a cake filling, for tarts, hand pies, or donuts, on top of vanilla ice cream, or even just eat it with a spoon.
The classic apple pie recipe was not invented in America, so nobody is sure why the saying is, “as American as apple pie”. The first apple pie was made in 1381 in England, and it also had figs, pears, and raisins in it. You can bet they were not using canned stuff back then! Today, there are many different apple recipes that call for canned apple pie filling but using your own fresh homemade apple pie filling will make them absolutely delicious.
How To Use Apple Pie Filling
There are so many uses for apple pie filling. Besides using it for apple pie, you can add it to apple recipes like cobblers, crisps, and crumbles. You could even fry them to make a golden brown topping for pancakes and waffles. It would also be absolutely delicious on top of cheesecake or cupcakes. Other uses include apple bread, pudding, smoothies, and oatmeal. Whatever your favorite recipes for apple dishes, apple pie filling will make them so much better.
Apple Pie Filling Recipe
The easy recipe to cook apple pie filling is so simple, that anyone can do it. All you need are apple slices, white granulated sugar, light brown sugar, corn starch, ground cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, all-spice, butter, salt, and lemon juice or zest. You could also use apple cider vinegar or apple juice instead of lemon juice. But first, blanche the apples in a large pot on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Different Styles Of Apple Pie Filling
Another great thing about making your own apple pie filling is that you can make it gluten-free. Some canned apple pie filling has flour in it for thickening, so they are not always gluten-free. Make your own and use a gluten-free pie crust for those who are sensitive to gluten. You could also make it low-carb, keto, or sugar-free. Just use Splenda or some other sugar substitute instead of the brown and white sugars in the apple pie filling recipe.
How To Serve Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Apple crisp with dried cranberries, raisins, and dates.
- Crispy air-fried apple pie taquitos.
- Caramel apple cheesecake bars with graham cracker crust.
- Apple beignets with strawberries and raspberries.
- Baked apple muffins with a cinnamon glaze.
- Crunchy apple turnovers with vanilla frosting.
- Easy apple pancakes made with pancake batter and apple pie filling.
- Sliced apples with caramel apple dip mixed in.
Frequently asked questions
Why Put Lemon Juice In Apple Pie Filling?
There are several reasons to include lemon juice when making apple pie filling. First of all, it prevents the sliced apples from turning brown. It also adds a bright and tangy flavor while evening out the sweetness of the apples. But if you do not have or do not like lemon juice, you could also use apple cider vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, or apple cider.
What Are The Best Apples For Easy Apple Pie Filling?
Most people use granny smith apples because of their tart flavor and crispness for the best apple pie filling. Golden delicious is also great as well as red delicious, fuji, gala, or Braeburn apples. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Melrose are also delicious options. I like to use more than one kind of apple for a mixture of tart and sweet. Just make sure they are fresh apples. Why not go apple picking instead of buying them from the grocery store?
Do I Have To Blanch My Apples?
After you peel, core, and slice the apples, it is a good idea to blanch them for just a few minutes in hot boiling water. You want them to be just slightly softened. This helps to make sure your apples are cooked all the way when baking them in a pie. It also preserves the flavor, cleans any kind of bacteria that may be on the skin, and helps with peeling. After blanching, let them cool completely before you thinly slice them with a sharp knife.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you make apple pie filling from scratch that is too runny, you can add a cornstarch slurry. Just mix cornstarch with water in a small bowl until it is dissolved. Then add that to your apple filling to mix with the juices released by the apples.
- You can freeze apple pie filling for up to three months if you put it in a freezer-safe container. Make sure you let the filling cool before freezing it.
- To cut down on prep time when making apple pie, you can use a store-bought crust or even a graham cracker crust instead of making your own.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to your homemade apple pie filling for even more flavor.
- This is a great recipe for an easy snack. Just serve a small dish of apple pie filling with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
- Melt butter on low heat and add to your apple pie filling recipe for extra creaminess.
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