From Scratch Honey Apple Pie

Updated October 17, 2024

Who doesn’t love apple pie?! But, oh my, honey apple pie is something special. Not only are the flavours in this pie rich and aromatic, but if you are wanting to make an apple pie without white sugar in favour of something more natural, honey is a great choice!

The flavour and texture that honey adds to a traditional apple pie needs to be experienced. This might be your new favourite apple pie variation.

What apple are best for honey apple pie?

This is a question I see often. There are so many varieties of apples, which ones are going to be best for my pie?

I use a variety of apples in my pies. It is really a matter of preference. Which apples are your favourite? Do you like soft mushy apple pie filling or one where the apples have a bite and holds their shape?

These popular apples for apple pie:

• Granny Smith– These apples are tart and quite firm. They do well in baking because they tend to hold their shape. They are one of the most popular apple varieties and should be no problem to find at your local store or market.
• Fuji– These apples are much sweeter than granny smith, but they still have a bit of tartness to them. They hold up well in baking and are also a very popular variety.
• Honeycrisp– The characteristics of this variety are spelled out in the name. Sweet but crisp enough to hold their shape while baking. And with honey in the name, you know they will be perfect for a honey apple pie!
• Gala– This is one of the best apples to eat raw. It has deliciously sweet smooth flavour. One of the most popular at the grocery store.
• Cortland– Another great crisp and sweet-tart apple. These are popular apples to eat fresh, bake, or cook with.
• Empire– Another sweet and tart apple. This flavour profile lends itself well to eating fresh, baking, or cooking with.
• Your family’s favourite – This will always be the best choice!
• Mixture– When I make an apple pie, I love to make it with a mixture of different types of apples. Some tart and some sweet, I like the variety and complexity of flavours it lends to the apple pie.

How to store my honey apple pie

Pies, and other fancy desserts, are often made for big family feasts, like Christmas and Thanksgiving. I always seem to be piling left-overs high in the fridge and trying to make space for everything.

At room temperature

Since this apple pie filling is made without eggs and without milk, you can leave it out on your counter for up to two days. If you haven’t finished it by then, store the rest in the refrigerator.

In the refrigerator

• Allow the pie to cool to room temperature.
• Wrap completely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
• Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

In the freezer

• Allow the pie to cool to room temperature
• Wrap completely in plastic wrap, or store in an air-tight container
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• When you are ready to enjoy the pie, let it warm back up to room temperature. Slice and serve.

If you want to reheat the apple pie, cover the top with foil and place it in a preheated 350 °F (180 °C) oven for about 10 minutes.

To freeze apple pie filling

Place the pie filling in an air-tight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove and let it come to room temperature, before filling your pie shell and baking.

What pastry to use for honey apple pie

The second most important part, the crust! I have tried a few different pie crust recipes over the years. This is our favourite recipe for pie dough.

It is simple to make, bakes well, and tastes amazing! This recipe makes 3 double pie crusts.

During the holidays I bake a lot of pies, so I need a big batch. If you are only making one or two pies, you can freeze the rest. Or cut the recipe in half. Check out the recipe for pie dough here!

To store your dough for later use

• Split the dough into pie size portions.
• Form each portion into a disk.
• Wrap each disk completely in plastic wrap.
• Either store in the fridge, if you will be using it soon, or label and store in the freezer for longer storage.
• If stored it in the fridge, it is ready to use right away. You may need to leave it out on the counter for a few minutes for easier rolling.
• If stored it in the freezer, pull it out a day before needed and store in the refrigerator. Then follow the previous step.

You can also use store bought frozen pie crust to make this apple pie. Fill the base crust with the filling then invert a second crust for the top and pinch it closed to seal. Cut vents in the top crust before baking.

Why is my honey apple pie runny?

This is by far the biggest pie problem home cooks encounter. The watery apple pie that just wont hold together.

To ensure you do not run into this problem, you can do 4 things.

1. Cook the apples down on the stove top first. This will let the apples release some of their liquid before going into the pie crust, and will allow some of this liquid to evaporate.
2. Add cornstarch. Cornstarch is a great thickener. When it mixes with the juice released from the apples, it turns it into a thick sauce. (If you do not have cornstarch, you can replace it with flour)
3. Place a ¼ cup of rolled oats, in the bottom of the crust. The oats will soak up some of the moisture from the apples.
4. Let the pie cool. Apple pie will thicken as it cools.

How to serve honey apple pie

The apple pie glaze in this recipe makes it a perfect stand alone dessert.

Apple pie with ice cream. A Warm slice of pie and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down through the lattice and into the sweet warm filling is the perfect decadent dessert!

Apple pie with whipped cream. A generous dollop of whipped cream on top mellows out the flavours and is a classic pairing.

From Scratch Honey Apple Pie Ingredients

For the apple pie filling

8-10 medium apples peeled, cored, and sliced 1400 g

1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch 22 ml

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon 7 ml

½ teaspoons salt 2 ml

3 Tablespoons brown sugar 45 ml

3 Tablespoons butter, melted 45 ml

1/3 cup honey 80 ml

For the apple pie glaze

¼ cup brown sugar 50 g

¼ cup honey 60 ml

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 30 ml

1 Tablespoon butter 15 ml

Double pie crust

Method

1. Prepare recipe for a double pie crust and chill in the refrigerator. Or use a store bought pie crust.
2. Peel, core, and very thinly slice apples.
3. Place apples in a sauce pan, covered, on medium heat. Remove lid after 10 minutes. If there is still a lot of liquid, leave the lid off and stir occasionally, until more liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

4. In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, butter and honey. Add in the apples and stir to coat.

5. Roll out and line a pie plate with the bottom crust and trim the edges or use a store bought pie crust.

6. Arrange the apple mixture into the crust.

7. Preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C)

8. Roll out the top crust. If the top crust is solid cut slits into the top to make vents. Alternatively, you can roll out, and cut strips, to weave a lattice work top. Seal and trim the edges.

9. Place the pie on a baking sheet (this will catch any liquid that spills over). Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.

10. Reduce the temperature to 350 °F (180 °C). Bake for 25-30 minutes.

For the Glaze

1. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the glaze, until you have a smooth spread.
2. Remove the pie from the oven and spread the glaze, evenly, on top of the hot crust.

3. Bake for another 10 minutes.

4. Let the pie cool to room temperature or slightly warm. Slice and serve!

Looking for more apple recipes? These are some of my favourites!

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