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Cinnamon Apple Pie à la Mode with Flaky Crust and Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 48 reviews
  • Author: Emma
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

A classic American dessert featuring a flaky all-butter crust filled with warm cinnamon-spiced apple filling, topped with a beautiful lattice crust and served à la mode with vanilla ice cream.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the crust

  • 300 g all-purpose flour
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 220 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 110 g water

For the filling

  • 1 kg apples (Pink Lady, Royal Gala or Fuji)
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 190 g brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 tbsp water

For assembling

  • 5 tbsp almond flour or other finely ground nuts or breadcrumbs

For painting

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar

For serving

  • Vanilla ice cream or other preferred flavor

Instructions

  1. Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and pinch it into the flour mixture until roughly half the pieces are tiny and half are medium-sized. Add water and gently knead just until the dough comes together, ensuring to keep butter spots visible. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
  2. Make the filling: Peel, core, and slice apples into 5mm thick pieces. Place apple slices in a large saucepan with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, salt, and water over medium heat. Cook until apples are softened, and the liquid thickens to a honey-like consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
  3. Assemble the pie: Reserve one-third of the dough for the lattice and refrigerate. Roll the remaining dough to 3mm thickness and carefully place it into the pie pan, fitting it into edges. Sprinkle the base with almond flour and add the cooled apple filling on top.
  4. Create the lattice: Roll out the reserved dough to 2mm thickness and cut into 2cm strips. Lay strips parallel with 1cm spacing. Weave strips to create a lattice pattern by folding alternating strips and crossing with perpendicular strips, repeating for both halves of the pie. Trim excess dough leaving 1cm overhang, fold the edge under to form a thicker crust, and crimp edges with fingers.
  5. Prepare for baking: Brush the lattice and edges with a beaten egg mixed with water, avoiding the filling. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the crust. Cover pie edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
  6. Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake pie with foil-covered edges for 30 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking another 30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling.
  7. Cool and serve: Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool until just warm. If using a removable bottom pan, gently release the sides. Serve slices warm accompanied by a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite flavor.

Notes

  • Use firm apples like Pink Lady, Royal Gala, or Fuji for the best texture.
  • Do not over-knead the dough to preserve flakiness.
  • Chill the dough well to make it easier to handle and to maintain a flaky crust.
  • Using almond flour or finely ground nuts in the base helps absorb excess moisture and keeps the crust crisp.
  • Covering edges with foil prevents over-browning while baking.
  • Allow pie to cool slightly to avoid burning and to let filling set before slicing.