easy homemade apple pie filling

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my mom emailed me a recipe last week for a pumpkin pecan cheesecake she thought might be nice for thanksgiving. that would replace the pumpkin and pecan pies we usually make and we’d only have to make the apple pie. for this crust challenged girl that sounded like a great idea. working with crust causes me stress, and who needs more stress at holiday time.

it also made me realize that holiday season is coming at me full steam ahead. so i spent the better part of my weekend going through old magazines and cookbooks making a list of the recipes i want to include this year. more than a few recipes on my fall baking list call for canned apple pie filling.

in a pinch i have used canned raspberry pie filling, it makes these turnovers ^[3]a lot faster, but never apple. i am a firm believer that homemade is always the best, but with holiday season being incredibly busy for pretty much everyone, sometimes having the apple pie filling ready ahead of time is a must.

this easy homemade apple pie filling takes just 15 minutes, uses items you probably already have at home and is so delicious i know you will never go back to the can.

Print Recipe ^[4]

easy homemade apple pie filling

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (i used a combination of granny smith and honeycrisp)peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

• toss the apple slices with the cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, set aside
• in a large pot or saucepan combine the apple cider and the butter, bring to a boil and then add the apples and any juices that have collected in the bowl
• reduce the heat and simmer apples until they soften and the juices thicken- about 15 minutes – do not over cook the apples or they will become mushy
• spoon apples into an airtight jar
• once completely cool, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use

    

normally i make my pies with granny smith because i love a pie that is not overly sweet and one dimensional, but for this apple pie filling i used two granny smith apples and two honey-crisp. use whichever apples you like in your pies, but try to select a more crisp apple such as a jonagold, braeburn, or pink ladies. for this apple pie filing you don’t want to use an apple that will turn mushy or mealy like a red delicious or mcintosh.

i love to use apple pie filling on pancakes ^[5], waffles, and even oatmeal ^[6]. it makes a great filling for cupcakes, french toast, and turnovers ^[7]. i also have big plans for some apple pie baked brie this holiday season.

sealed jars can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator. this easy homemade apple pie filling can also be canned and even frozen for longer storage.

there are so many uses for this easy homemade apple pie filling; once you try homemade you will never go back to the can.

enjoy!