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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
So good! Exactly like store-bought and maybe even a bit better! We didn’t have cornstarch, so we substituted with flour with twice the amount of cornstarch. We also halved the recipe and will be using it to make little pocket apple pies on the campfire! Thankyou!
can I use preserving jars, seal while hot, and store the filling in the pantry? Freezer space is at a premium at ours
My question is the similar as Tracey”s above.
I would like to make this and preserve it with a water bath canning and keep in my pantry. Will this work?
best apple pie filling i didn’t add cornstarch i used tapioca thank you for a great recipe with lots of detail for new bakers
How long can I keep it in the freezer?
I would say a month or so.
Hi Dorothy, I had a fridge full of apples and made a double batch of your apple pie filling. OMG, it is awesome. No more Store bought canned apple pie filling ever again. Thanks for this terrific and easy recipe.
Cornstarch after apples soften, don’t boil the corn starch
I used 3 Granny Smith and one Autumn Glory which was more than she calls for in the recipe cup-wise… and it still could have used one more apple… maybe also less Granny Smith, as their natural tartness was a little too tart with the added lemon… idk, but it was still pretty good.
I like this recipe, but cut the sugar to just 1/2 cup to match the apple pie recipes from the 1970’s when people were not overweight.
Could this be used as a topping for cheesecake? I am not a pie fan and my crew loves cheesecake
Hi, if I’m not canning it, can I still make it ahead of time without freezing it?
For example, how long could I keep it in the fridge, in tupperware, before I use it in a pie?- and how long will that pie be good for (refrigerated or non-refrigerated/room temp)?
Easy to make and very yummy!
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