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Homemade Apple Pie Filling Recipe – this easy recipe takes just a few minutes and tastes so much better than canned pie filling! Keep it in your freezer for when you want pie filling ASAP!
You never need to buy the can of pie filling again – just whip up this easy recipe to use for your pies or an easy side dish.
Best Apple Pie Filling Recipe
I never buy canned apple pie filling unless it’s for a recipe, because in all honesty, I don’t really like canned pie filling very much. Sure, I use it, because it’s easy and makes things like dump cake or slab pie even easier than normal, and you all love easy recipes. But then I realized something: I can make my own apple pie filling. It will taste better, be fresher, and I can use it in so many recipes (like the best apple strudel recipe or apple crisp).
This easy recipe is a cooked easy apple pie filling, made on the stovetop, and is perfect to use immediately, eat over the week, or freeze for later. Normally we make crockpot applesauce after we go apple picking, but this year we’re also going to make more apple pie filling too – and I’m going to use it to make my classic apple pie recipe.
Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
- Apples: I used Granny Smith apples because the tart/sweet combination is great, plus they’re more sturdy and can hold up to cooking. You can also use honeycrisp if you want.
- Cornstarch: This is what thickens the pie filling
- Sugar: Granulated, for sweetness – but you can swap brown sugar if you prefer in equal amounts.
- Water: Gives the liquid to the filling – you could substitute apple juice or apple cider, but you’d want to reduce the sugar.
- Lemon: Adds a brightness to the flavor
- Spices: Cinnamon and Nutmeg are perfect for apple pie, you can also use pumpkin pie spice!
How to make Apple Pie Filling
- Place apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. I don’t peel my apples and I usually do bite size chunks instead of apple slices, but you can do what you prefer. If you’re going to peel your apples, use an apple peeler or a sharp knife.
- Place sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan or large pot. Stir to combine. This makes a sort of cornstarch slurry.
- Add water and stir, then bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
- I like to cover the pot to help this process along.
- Once the mixture boils, boil it for two minutes.
- Add the apples, turn to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring often, until the apples soften, about 5-8 minutes.
- Pour into jars to cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
Best Crust to use with this recipe:
This recipe is perfect when baked into my All Butter Homemade Pie Crust. Or make a completely no-bake pie using my graham cracker crust!
FAQs
This apple pie filling recipe is designed to cook and cool, then use in a pie or in anything else, or eat alone as a side dish.
This recipe uses corn starch so it is gluten-free.
I do not recommend canning this recipe because it uses cornstarch. You should never can anything thickened with cornstarch. This recipe can be frozen for later thawing and use.
Freeze in airtight containers – I prefer using plastic – for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator.
Homemade Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups apples peeled, cored, and diced
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 3 cups (711ml) water
- 1 ⅓ cups (267g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (42g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Place apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- Place water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine then bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once the mixture boils, boil it for two minutes. Add the apples, turn to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring often, until the apples soften, about 5-8 minutes.
- Pour into jars to cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
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If you’re looking for other things to make with this recipe, be sure to check out more of my recipes below:
Last Updated on December 11, 2023
This is honestly the best apple filling ever! So delicious and classic, i have to use this again!Â
Cooking this right now and will wait until it is completely done but so far the taste test tells me there is too much sugar and nutmeg.
I just made this but used brown sugar instead… Nommmm
Making pie!
I’ll never buy a can of apple filling again. My daughter is a huge fan of apple pie! This filling is quick, easy and has my entire house smelling so great! Takes me back to holidays with my grandma!! Thank you so much!!
Dorothy – this recipe is both amazing and super simple. I had recently made a pie dish – Sugar Cookie Apple Crumble Cheesecake Pie (see it on my blog), which had originally called for a canned apple pie filling. I elected to instead substitute that for your recipe here (wanting to make as much of the dish from scratch), and the results were astounding!
Your apple pie filling will definitely be getting Incorporated in other pie dishes in the near future, that’s for sure! Thank you!
Easy peeeezy – great filling for cinnamon roll crust pie.Â
Great recipe!! How do I keep my filling from congealing when it cools? Maybe less cornstarch? I’m making this for church tonight but after it gets cold, it congeals. Thanks.
I made it work Thanksgiving and took leftovers to work. It is how being requested at work for our Christmas party! Amazing recipe. 🙂
this was delicious, I made it to use in a yogurt parfait, with vanilla yogurt and granola, yummy!
Wonderful!! Â Because I used several kinds of apples: Granny Smith, Pink Ladies, and Honey Crisp. Â I had to add a little more sugar, and a pinch more of cinnamon. Â I also used a whole lemon, as I had more than 4 cups of apples. Â But it turned out scrupulous!!! Thank you!!!
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