BA's Best Apple Pie

This recipe for homemade apple pie delivers on every front. It’s got a perfectly flaky pie crust, no soggy bottom in sight, and a filling loaded with saucy (not gloopy) thinly sliced apples hit with just the right amount of warming spice.

You’ll need a deep-dish pie plate to hold the four pounds of fruit packed in here, and we suggest being extra choosy when selecting apples for pie. Opt for sweet-tart firm baking apples like Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Jonagold in the fall, when apples are in season. The rest of the year look to Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples—and don’t be afraid to use multiple varieties in a single pie. Amp up the flavor of your chosen apples with a cider-vanilla syrup and a whisper of cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom (just enough to enhance the fruit but not overwhelm it).

For the pie crust recipe, don’t skip the genius trick of quartering and stacking the pie dough, which ensures a bevy of flaky layers, while a final sprinkling of demerara sugar over the top of the pie gives it sparkle and crunch.

As pastry chef and former BA senior food editor Claire Saffitz explains, this apple pie recipe is “something you can’t rush.” It requires ample chilling, baking, and resting, so plan accordingly, particularly if you’re making it for Thanksgiving. Thankfully, like pecan and pumpkin pie, it can be made a full day in advance. And while it’s excellent with vanilla ice cream, it can stand proudly all on its own.