Classic Homemade Apple Pie with a Cream Cheese Crust
Author: Cooks On Main
Servings: 8
One of our favorite fall rituals is baking a classic apple pie (or two!) Packed to the brim with sweet apples and warm fall spices, this delightful dessert is cradled in a delicate crust browned to golden perfection. The only thing that improves the moment is a scoop of a good vanilla bean ice cream on top of each slice.
View Original PDFIngredients
Cream Cheese Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 12 oz (1.5 pkg) cream cheese
- 1½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), well chilled
Apple Pie Filling
- 12-14 apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (about 12 cups; Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady)
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt (try our Olivelle Vanilla Bean Sea Salt!)
- 4 tbsp butter
Crust Assembly and Topping
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar
Directions
- Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Cut butter and cream cheese into 1/2-inch cubes, toss with a bit of flour to prevent sticking, and chill for 15 minutes.
- Add butter and cream cheese to processor and pulse 6-8 times until the dough is coarse with pea-sized pieces.
- Form dough into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Peel, core, and slice apples. Cook in water and lemon juice until tender. Cool on a sheet pan. Reserve juices.
- Measure 1 cup of reserved juices, add sugars, cornstarch, spices, salt, and butter. Heat until thickened and cool.
- Toss apples with cooled sauce.
- Roll out one disk to 1/4-inch thick and line a deep-dish pie plate with 2–3-inch overhang.
- Fill with apple mixture, mounding in center. Brush crust edge with water.
- Roll second disk to 1/4-inch thick and 14-inch diameter. Drape over filling.
- Trim and fold bottom crust over top crust, seal and crimp edges. Cut steam slits.
- Brush with egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake at 400°F on a lower rack for 65-75 minutes. After 25 minutes, shield crust with foil to prevent overbrowning.
- Cool on a rack for 2-3 hours or refrigerate overnight to set the pie.