Easy homemade apple pie filling, made from scratch with fresh apples, cinnamon, and a hint of nutmeg. Thick, flavorful, freezer-friendly, and perfect for pies, crisps, cobblers, and holiday baking. Makes a delicious topping too!
Fall is cozy season, and what could be more cozy than a pot full of easy apple pie filling from scratch bubbling on the stove? Feels good, smells good, and certainly tastes good too!
This is the best apple pie filling recipe to use in homemade apple pie, apple crisp, tarts, cobblers, and even as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, and more. It’s so versatile.
Why You’ll Love This Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Filling
This apple pie filling recipe is one to love for many reasons, a few of which are…
- I mentioned above how versatile it is. You can use it to make all sorts of apple desserts like pies and crumbles, or you can use it as a topping for pancakes, ice cream, and more.
- It tastes like fall in a jar. What could be more fall favorite than sweet apples combined with the warmth of apple pie spice?
- Make it with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand in your pantry; no need for special thickening ingredients like Clearjel, and no preservatives either.
- You can customize it to your desired level of sweetness or flavor.
- While this particular recipe isn’t meant for canning (see FAQs below), you can freeze this pie filling.
- This is a pre-cooked apple pie filling, so you can easily put it in a crust and bake it, but you won’t have to bake it as long, so no need to worry about a soggy crust.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
Gather your ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need…
- Apples – Using a mix of apple types will give the best flavor, so use what you have on hand before going and buying new. However, if you don’t have any apples on hand… For any kind of apple pie, crisp, cobbler, or crumble, I love using seconds; seconds are imperfect apples you can often buy cheaper and in bulk at an orchard or farmer’s market. I prefer to use Jonathan apples or Jonagold apples. Jonagolds are a cross between Jonathans and Golden Delicious, and they are so sweet, tart, and crisp. More ideas for great apples include Granny Smith apples, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Cortland, and Northern Spy. According to Bob’s Red Mill, Northern Spy is a rare apple and hard to find; but if you love apple pie, it’s definitely one you may want to hunt down.
- Salted Butter – I prefer salted butter because the salt adds to both the flavor and the sweetness of the pie filling.
- Sour Cream – This may seem an unnecessary ingredient to some, but I find that it gives a tang and a slight creaminess to my pie filling. It just adds so much to the flavor.
- Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Lemon Juice
- Water
- Cornstarch – You can also use all-purpose flour; I’ve actually used both and had great success with both.
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie Filling
You’ll need a pot or skillet to make apple pie filling with cornstarch.
Before you start to cook, you’ll need to wash, core, peel, and thinly slice the apples, adding them to a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small stockpot (or large skillet), melt the butter.
- Then whisk the sour cream, cane sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice into the melted butter.
- Stir the apples into the butter mixture.
- Cover and cook the apple mixture on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40-43 minutes, or ’til the apples are softened.
- Meanwhile, in a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the water and cornstarch to form a slurry. Once the apples are softened, stir the cornstarch slurry into the apple mixture, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly ’til the mixture thickens.
- Remove the pie filling from the heat, and allow to cool. Then refrigerate it ’til you’re ready to add it to your favorite pie, dessert, pancakes, etc.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can freeze it. Just seal it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and it should keep for 6-12 months in the freezer.
Due to the cornstarch (or flour) used in this recipe, it’s not safe to can. If you want to can apple pie filling, that’s where a safer alternative like Clearjel comes in handy.
Don’t overcook them. Keep tabs on your apples as you cook them, and test with a fork every so often; when they’ve softened, they’re ready for cornstarch slurry.
You should store it in an airtight container in the fridge, where it should keep for up to 5 days.
Delicious Ways to Use Apple Pie Filling
Here are a few delicious ways to use apple pie filling with cinnamon and nutmeg…
- Apple crumb pie – Since this pie filling is pre-cooked, you won’t need to bake the pie as long, just enough for the pie crust to fully cook and the filling to be bubbly.
- Apple turnovers or hand pies
- Topping for ice cream – Spoon it warm over vanilla ice cream, and maybe add a dollop of whipped cream.
- Pancake topping – It’s especially good on apple cinnamon pancakes, or as a topping for French toast, waffles, etc.
- Apple dump cake
- Apple crisp, apple crumble, etc.
More Fall Baking Favorites
Here are a few more ways to usher in fall to your kitchen and your home.
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Homemade Apple Pie Filling
Equipment
- Small Stockpot (or Large Skillet)
Ingredients
- 6 cups apples cored, peeled, and sliced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small stockpot (or large skillet), melt the butter.
- Then whisk the sour cream, cane sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice into the melted butter.
- Stir the apples into the butter mixture.
- Cover and cook the apple mixture on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40-43 minutes, or 'til the apples are softened.
- Meanwhile, in a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the water and cornstarch to form a slurry.
- Once the apples are softened, stir the cornstarch slurry into the apple mixture, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly 'til the mixture thickens.
- Remove the pie filling from the heat, and allow to cool. Then refrigerate it 'til you're ready to add it to your favorite pie, dessert, pancakes, etc.
