Description

This isn’t just any apple pie—it’s a double-decker, flavor-packed showstopper. With a rich all-butter crust, a mountain of spiced apples, and a bright citrus lift from orange zest, it’s the pie that will make your kitchen smell like autumn magic. Perfect for holidays, potlucks, or a cozy rainy day indulgence.

Ingredients

Scale

All-Butter Crust (makes 2 double crusts):

7½ cups (940g) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
3 tsp salt
6 sticks (680g) unsalted butter, cubed and very cold
1½ cups very cold water

Apple Filling:

7–8 lbs apples (½ Granny Smith + ½ Honeycrisp/Braeburn), peeled, cored, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
1½ cups sugar (adjust to taste)
6 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

Finishing Touch:

3–4 tbsp heavy cream (or 2 eggs beaten with 2 tbsp water for egg wash)
Optional: turbinado sugar for topping

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut cold butter into flour using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your hands until mixture resembles coarse meal with visible pea-sized butter chunks.
Gradually add ice-cold water, mixing until dough just clumps. Avoid overmixing.
Divide dough into 4 discs, wrap in plastic, and chill 1 hour to 2 days.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling

Toss peeled, cored, chopped apples with lemon juice.
Add orange zest, sugar, cornstarch, spices, salt, and vanilla; mix to coat evenly.
Let sit 15–20 minutes for juices to form.

Step 3: Assemble Pies

Roll out 2 dough discs to fit 9-inch deep-dish pie plates; place in pans, leaving edges overhanging.
Divide apple filling between pies, mounding slightly.
Roll out remaining dough discs for tops—cover with full crust, lattice, or cut-out shapes. Trim and crimp edges.
Brush tops with cream or egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Optional: Chill assembled pies 15 minutes before baking.

Step 4: Bake

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with a baking sheet on bottom rack.
Bake pies 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake 35–45 minutes more until golden-brown and bubbling. Tent edges with foil if browning too fast.

Step 5: Cool & Serve

Cool pies on a wire rack at least 2 hours before slicing to set filling.
Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a slice of sharp cheddar.

Notes

Soggy Bottom? Blind bake crust 10–15 min, or bake on preheated sheet.
Tough Crust? Keep butter cold; handle dough minimally.
Prep Ahead: Assemble unbaked pies and freeze up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 20–30 min.
Shortcut: High-quality store-bought crust works in a pinch.

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 min (including chilling)
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min

Nutrition

Calories: 400 kcal Estimate per slice, 1 of 20 slices
Fat: 18 g
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Protein: 2 g