Brown Sugar Honey Apple Pie
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This Brown Sugar Honey Apple Pie is the epitome of fall’s comforting flavors! This rustic organic pie marries the natural sweetness of ripe apples with the rich notes of brown sugar and golden honey, all wrapped up in a buttery and flaky crust.
If you’re looking for more apple pie recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Vanilla Bean Apple Pie, Lattice Spied Apple Pie, or my Apple Cinnamon Strawberry Pie.
Table of Contents
This is one of my all time favorite apple pie recipes! I combine
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Buttery & Flaky Crust: I love this organic pie because it has a buttery and flaky crust! I also top the crust with turbinado sugar, which gives it a really nice texture and a little extra sweetness!
Comforting & Sweet: This Brown Sugar Honey Apple Pie has the comforting flavor of traditional apple pie with brown sugar and cinnamon, but it has a hint of honey for a little added sweetness. I also top this pie with my favorite pie wash that is just one part water and one part honey. This gives pie an uber golden brown crust and it makes it sweeter, I’m totally obsessed! And, it’s naturally eggless!
Fall Vibes: This Brown Sugar Honey Apple Pie has all the fall vibes! This organic pie is the perfect bake for a lazy weekend and it would also be a showstopper at your Thanksgiving table.
Organic Pie: While you can buy apple pie at the grocery store, it's so much better to make your own at home! Using organic ingredients will ensure a tastier pie along with better quality ingredients you can trust.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite. Just be sure its cold, straight from the fridge as cold butter makes the best flaky crust.
- All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar, which is less processed than granulated white sugar.
- Light Brown Sugar: I use my homemade light brown sugar, but store bought also works.
- Honey: I use organic raw honey both inside this apple pie and for the pie wash. My favorite pie wash is a 1 to 1 ratio of honey and water. This creates a golden brown crust with a slightly sweet flavor that I am obsessed with!
- Cinnamon: I use organic Korintje cinnamon. Check out my post the Best Cinnamon to Bake With for more info on the different varieties of cinnamon.
- Cornstarch: I use organic cornstarch in the filling. This helps solidify the sugars in the oven
- Apples: I use Gala apples in this recipe. You can also use another sweet variety like Fuji or Pink Lady.
- Turbinado Sugar: I top this organic pie with turbinado sugar. This is what gives the crust this sparkly look and perfect texture!
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer to make the pie dough, but you can also make this by hand if you prefer.
- Rolling Pin: You'll need a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough.
- 9-inch Pie Pan: I use my USA Pie Pan. Check out my post The Best Pie Pans to Bake With.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a large mixing bowl to mix up the filling.
- Pastry Brush: I use a silicone pastry brush to brush on the pie wash.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and cane sugar. Turn the mixer on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
Remove the butter from the fridge and chop into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust. Cut the stick of butter into four and then chop into small cubes from there. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Measure out the cold water and have it ready.
Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate the ingredients. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer. Do not over mix.
Divide the dough into two portions, one should be almost double the size of the other. I prefer to weigh them, the large one should weigh 312 grams and the small should weigh 170 grams. Form them both into disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, brown honey, flour, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix together. Slice the apples into thin slices, leaving their skins on. Add the apples to the sugar mixture and toss to coat them completely. Set aside.
Step 4
To make the topping: Add the honey and water into a small dish and microwave for a few seconds to combine completely. Set aside.
Step 5
Grease a 9-inch pie pan well with butter. Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a floured surface. First, roll out the large disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 11-inches in diameter. Place the pie dough into the pie pan and press lightly to form against the pan. It should be large enough that the dough folds right over the top. Roll out the smaller disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 9-inches in diameter. Set aside.
Add the filling into the pie pan and spread evenly.
Step 6
I like to use a pizza cutter for this next step, but a sharp knife will work as well. Cut the rolled out dough into 1-inch wide strips. Place the strips on top of the apples going horizontal leaving 1-inch between strips. Use the smaller strips towards the sides of the pie and use the longer strips for the middle. Next, add the remaining dough strips going vertical, alternating each strip over and under the horizontal ones.
Step 7
Once the lattice top is complete, trim the crust if needed so it lines up with the edges of the pie pan, and crimp and fold over the edges of the dough to seal the top and bottom together. Flute the edges.
Step 8
Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the honey and water mixture and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Baker's Tips
- Make sure to use cold butter for your pie crust. If you are new to making pie crust, then make sure to read my article All Butter Pie Crust, where you’ll find lots of tips and tricks for making the best buttery and flaky pie crust!
- Make sure to use an aluminum pie pan or cast iron. My favorites are the USA Pan Pie Pan or the Lodge Cast Iron. These materials will conduct heat the best and help your crust bake up crisp, especially at higher altitudes. Using glass or ceramic is not as good and could result in a soggy bottom crust.
- I always leave the skins on my apples, but you are welcome to peel them if you want. Either way, the pie will be delicious!
- I lattice the top of this pie, but if you want to do a traditional top, you can skip the lattice step and just top the pie with the top crust too! If you want to learn how to lattice a pie with even more detailed instructions, then check out my article How to Lattice a Pie Crust! This has step by step tutorial with photos and a video to teach you how to lattice a pie crust.
- I use my favorite pie wash, which is just one part honey and one part water. This is an insanely delicious way to top your pie and it’s naturally eggless! If you want to do a traditional egg wash, you can do that as well. You could also top this pie with heavy whipping cream too.
- I top this pie with turbinado sugar as it gives it a beautiful texture. This is also optional, so if you don’t have this sugar, you can totally skip it.
FAQ's
Yes! If you make your pie dough and just realize you can't bake the pie, then just pop your dough in the freezer and it will keep for up to 3 months. Just remove the pie dough from the freezer and place in the fridge 24 hours before you want to roll it out.
Using cornstarch in a fruit pie filling will help thicken the fruit juices. This will prevent the pie from leaking fruit juices the moment it's cut into. This also keeps pies more flavorful as juices stay inside the pie. I think cornstarch is a must for all fruit pie fillings! If you don't want to use cornstarch, tapioca starch or Irish moss powder are other binding substitutes that could work.
The best way to store homemade pie is out on the counter. Do not put it in a tupperware or under a cake dome as this will result in soggy crust! Pie is best eaten the day its made or within 3 days.
The best (and only way) to reheat pie is in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer. You can do this on a warm setting or you can do 350°F. This should only take about 5 to 10 minutes to reheat the pie and the crust will stay nice and flaky!
Craving More?
Brown Sugar Honey Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 226 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 170 grams salted butter (cold)
- 7 tablespoons cold water
- Extra flour for rolling
Filling
- 113 grams light brown sugar (packed)
- 43 grams raw honey
- 21 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large apples
Topping
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- Turbinado sugar
Instructions
- To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and cane sugar. Turn the mixer on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
- Remove the butter from the fridge and chop into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust. Cut the stick of butter into four and then chop into small cubes from there. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Measure out the cold water and have it ready.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate the ingredients. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer. Do not over mix.
- Divide the dough into two portions, one should be almost double the size of the other. I prefer to weigh them, the large one should weigh 312 grams and the small should weigh 170 grams. Form them both into disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the filling: In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, brown honey, flour, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix together. Slice the apples into thin slices, leaving their skins on. Add the apples to the sugar mixture and toss to coat them completely. Set aside.
- To make the topping: Add the honey and water into a small dish and microwave for a few seconds to combine completely. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan well with butter. Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a floured surface. First, roll out the large disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 11-inches in diameter. Place the pie dough into the pie pan and press lightly to form against the pan. It should be large enough that the dough folds right over the top. Roll out the smaller disk to ¼-inch thick, it should be about 9-inches in diameter. Set aside.
- Add the filling into the pie pan and spread evenly.
- I like to use a pizza cutter for this next step, but a sharp knife will work as well. Cut the rolled out dough into 1-inch wide strips. Place the strips on top of the apples going horizontal leaving 1-inch between strips. Use the smaller strips towards the sides of the pie and use the longer strips for the middle. Next, add the remaining dough strips going vertical, alternating each strip over and under the horizontal ones.
- Once the lattice top is complete, trim the crust if needed so it lines up with the edges of the pie pan, and crimp and fold over the edges of the dough to seal the top and bottom together. Flute the edges.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the honey and water mixture and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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