Description
Sweet, spiced, and gooey—this homemade apple pie filling recipe is perfect for pies, crisps, or tarts. Easy to freeze and ready when you need comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Apples
- 6 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 6 medium apples)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sauce
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare the Apples: In a large bowl, toss the peeled and sliced apples with lemon juice. This prevents browning and adds a hint of brightness. Set the bowl aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Make the Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, and water. Whisk until everything is smooth and all lumps are dissolved.
- Cook the Sauce: Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. This ensures you don’t get any lumps and the sauce becomes glossy and rich.
- Add Butter: Stir in the unsalted butter until fully melted and the sauce is silky. The butter adds richness to the filling.
- Combine Apples and Sauce: Gently fold the sliced apples into the hot sauce. Stir to coat every slice evenly with the spiced mixture.
- Simmer: Let the apples simmer in the sauce for 8–10 minutes, stirring often. The apples should be tender but keep their shape—don’t let them get mushy.
- Cool the Filling: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature. It’s now ready to be used in pies, tarts, or as a topping for desserts like ice cream, pancakes, or yogurt.
Notes
- Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor and texture.
- Let the filling cool completely if using in a pie to avoid a soggy crust.
- This filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch by 1–2 tablespoons.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 11mg