Homemade Apple Pie Filling
Homemade Apple Pie Filling is easy, delicious, and freezes well! Use it for apple pie, apple crisp, or any dessert that uses canned apple pie filling. Stays freezer fresh up to 12 months!
Yields 8 servings (enough for one standard 9-inch pie)
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼-½ tsp ground nutmeg, to taste
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) butter
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water or apple juice*, (see notes)
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss with lemon juice, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the apples. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- Place cornstarch in a large bowl. Slowly whisk the water (or apple juice) into the cornstarch. Once combined, add to apples. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until apples are fork tender and sauce is thickened. (*Add more water/juice, if needed, for desired sauce consistency.)
- Cool apple pie filling to at least room temperature before using for pie. Can store filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. To freeze, place cooled filling in a gallon size zip-top freezer bag. Squeeze excess air out and lay flat in freezer. Freeze up to 9-12 months. Thaw in the microwave or refrigerator overnight to use.
Notes
- Adjust amount of sugars depending on variety of apple used.
- Use half as much of the sugars if using apple juice instead of water.
- For softer apples, only mix ¼ cup of the water with the cornstarch to make a slurry/paste. Set aside. Simmer apples, covered, with the remaining water until desired tenderness. Then add the cornstarch slurry and heat to boiling to thicken the sauce.
- To make apple pie: Empty cooled pie filling into a pie shell. Add top crust and crimp edges. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Cut slits for ventilation then bake at 350˚F for 60 minutes or until filling bubbles in the center and the crust has browned.