This winning Apple Pie with lattice top crust is made with three varieties of apples and is a delicious addition to these other apple recipes. It is a from scratch double crust apple pie, built on a butter and shortening crust and filled with peeled, sliced apples tossed in brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice, with the top crust cut into strips and woven into a lattice.
I recently entered a small contest for baking an apple pie at a local event. I thought about how I wanted to make it and what the top would look like and what the pie would taste like.
By the way, my pie won for best looking pie. I was honored and realized I am not good at competitions, I was so nervous.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes of chilling for the dough
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 to 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 504kcal per slice
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Tart and sweet apples under cinnamon and brown sugar, in a flaky butter and shortening crust
- ✋ Difficulty: Worth the effort, the lattice is the only fussy part and it is optional
Quick Answer
Chill the butter, shortening, and water first. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar, cut in the shortening and cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal, then add ice water a little at a time until a dough forms. Split it into two disks, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Toss peeled, cored, and sliced apples with lemon juice, then with brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Roll one disk two inches larger than the pie plate, fill it with the apples, and dot with butter. Roll the second disk, cut it into even strips, and weave the lattice on top. Brush with egg wash and bake at 425 degrees to start, then reduce temp to 375 degrees. Bake on the middle rack for 40 to 50 minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Butter and shortening together, not one or the other. When I went to culinary school, part of our lesson one day was making crusts with different fats. Butter brings the flavor, shortening brings the tenderness, and mixing the two is the best of both.
- Cold is the whole crust. Solid butter left in visible pieces turns to steam in the oven and pushes the dough into layers. Butter that melts into the flour before baking gives you a crust that is short and sandy instead of flaky.
- Three apple varieties beat one. Granny Smith holds its shape and brings the tartness, Honey Crisp brings the sweetness and the snap, Pink Lady sits in between. One variety gives you one note.
- Lemon juice does two jobs. It stops the cut apples browning while you work, and the acid keeps the filling from tasting flat once all that sugar goes in.
- The flour in the filling is the thickener. Apples give up a surprising amount of liquid. The quarter cup of flour turns that into a syrup instead of a puddle under the bottom crust.
- A hot oven and the middle rack. 450 degrees sets the crust fast before the butter has time to leak out, and the middle rack keeps the top and bottom browning at the same rate.
- Egg wash moderately. Enough for shine and color on the lattice, not so much that it pools in the gaps and scrambles.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a contest winner. This is the pie that took best looking pie at a local baking contest.
- The crust is made from scratch. Once you have made this one, the store bought crusts stay in the refrigerator case.
- Three apples, three textures. The filling does not cook down into one mushy layer.
- The lattice is optional. Lay the top crust on whole with a few slits cut in it and the pie tastes exactly the same.
- It is the centerpiece of a fall table. Serve it with the rest of my fall apple recipes or alongside my keto pumpkin bars.
- Make the dough ahead. The two disks keep in the refrigerator, so the pie can be assembled the day you want it.
Key Ingredients
A crust list and a filling list, and the apples are the decision that matters. Quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Apples. I decided to try three different varieties. For this pie I used Honey Crisp, Pink Lady and Granny Smith. Typically people use Granny Smith. I have also made a chart of different varieties of apples if you want to see what else works.
- Butter and Vegetable Shortening. Both, in the crust. A stick and a half of butter cut into pieces and a quarter cup of shortening, and both go into the refrigerator before you start.
- All Purpose Flour. Two and a half cups in the crust and another quarter cup in the filling to thicken the juices.
- Light Brown Sugar. In the filling, for the caramel note white sugar does not give you.
- Ground Cinnamon. Three quarters of a teaspoon. Enough to taste like apple pie, not so much that it takes over.
- Lemon. One, juiced, tossed with the apples as soon as they are cut.
- Ice Water. Actually iced, and added a few drops at a time, never poured.
- Egg Wash. One egg beaten, brushed over the lattice for color and shine.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Variations & Substitutions
The pie is forgiving once the crust is in the pan.
- Skip the lattice. If you do not feel up to the challenge of a lattice crust, you can just lay it on whole. Just make sure to cut a few slits to let steam escape.
- Change the apples with the season. Depending on the month you are making this pie, you use what you can find in season. Any three firm baking apples will do.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to the sugar mixture along with the cinnamon.
- Use homemade vanilla. A teaspoon of my instant pot vanilla extract in the filling rounds out the brown sugar.
- Try it with pumpkin pie spice instead of straight cinnamon, the same blend I mix myself.
- Cut the sugar back. Sweeter apples like Honey Crisp can carry a little less brown sugar without the filling tasting thin.
How to Make Apple Pie with Lattice Top Crust
- Measure out the butter, water, and shortening and place them in the refrigerator to chill.
- Sift the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Mix in the shortening with your fingers and coat it with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and mix them into the flour with a pastry blender. Work quickly so the butter does not melt. This is the key to a good crust.
- Once the mix looks like coarse cornmeal, start adding drops of ice water a little at a time and mix it in.
- Use enough water until you can form a ball of dough, then split it in two, wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Once your apples are cut and placed in a large bowl, add the lemon juice to coat them. Mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a smaller bowl and sprinkle it over the apples to coat generously.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Take out one disk of dough and roll it out two inches larger than your pie plate. Place it into the pan and fill it with apples, adding any remaining sugar mix on top. Dot with the diced butter.
- Take out the second wrapped disk and roll it out two inches larger than the pan. Take a pastry cutter, slice even strips, and weave them on the top.
- Make an egg wash and brush it on top of the crust moderately.
- Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven on a cookie sheet. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, checking on it the last few minutes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cut your apples all the same size so they finish cooking at the same time.
- Make sure your crust ingredients are really cold. This is the single thing that separates a flaky crust from a tough one.
- Use an oven thermometer for a correct temperature. Most ovens are off by more than you would think.
- Place the pie in the middle of the oven for even heating.
- Try to get your crust to cover the edges for the best looking crust.
- The tools that make the apples quick: an Apple Slicer, an Apple Corer and an Apple Peeler. Seven apples go a lot faster with them.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Serve it slightly warm, on its own or with ice cream. This apple pie with lattice top crust is one of my favorite pies, and these are the others I make: cherry pie from scratch, gluten free s’mores brownie pie, my pie recipes for Pi Day collection, and caramel apple bread pudding when I have apples left over.
For a full fall dessert table, it sits next to my keto pumpkin bars, Amish cinnamon bread, cranberry orange loaf, skillet cinnamon rolls, and cinnamon chip scones. There are more ideas in my pumpkin recipes collection and my 16 easy pumpkin desserts roundup. A slice is also very good on an afternoon tea table with the rest of my tea party desserts, or after dinner with my lemon bars for the people who want something lighter.
Apple Pie FAQs
I use three different varieties in one pie: Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith. Typically, people use Granny Smith on its own, which is tart and holds its shape, but mixing varieties gives you more flavor and more texture. What you can find depends on the month you are baking.
When I went to culinary school, part of our lesson one day was making crusts with different fats. Mixing shortening and butter seems to be the best for flavor and flakiness. Butter carries the taste, and shortening keeps the crust tender.
No. If you don’t feel up to the challenge of a lattice crust, you can just lay it on whole. Just make sure to cut a few slits to let steam escape.
Yes. The dough needs at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator anyway, and the wrapped disks keep for a couple of days there. Let them sit on the counter for a few minutes before rolling so they do not crack.
Usually the butter got warm, or the dough got too much water or too much handling. Chill the butter, shortening, and water before you start, work quickly, and add the ice water a few drops at a time only until the dough holds together.
Bake on the middle rack at 425 degrees to start, so the crust sets quickly, use the quarter cup of flour in the filling to thicken the juices, and bake the pie on a cookie sheet, which also makes it easier to move.
Apple Pie with Lattice Top Crust
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 sticks butter cut in pieces
- 1/2 cup ice water
- Egg wash
Filling
- 7 apples peeled , cored and sliced
- 3/4 light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 Tablespoons butter diced
Instructions
Crust
- Measure out butter, water and shortening and place in refrigerator to chill.
- Sift together, flour, salt and sugar, in large bowl.
- Mix in shortening with your fingers and coat it with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and mix it into the flour with a pastry blender. Work quickly so butter doesn’t melt. This is the key to a good crust.
- Once the mix looks like coarse cornmeal you can start adding drops of ice water a little at a time and mix it in.
- Use enough water until you can form a ball of dough and then split it in two and wrap each disk and place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Filling
- Once your apples are cut and placed in a large bowl, add lemon juice to coat Apples. Mix, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, in a smaller bowl and sprinkle over apples to coat generously.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Take out one disk of dough and roll out to 2″ larger than your pie plate. Place into the pan and fill with apples. Adding any remaining sugar mix on top of apples.
- Take out second wrapped disk and roll out to 2″ larger than pan. Take pastry cutter and slice even slices and weave on the top.
- Make an egg wash and brush on top of crust, moderately.
- Place in middle rack of oven on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake for 40 – 50 minutes, checking on it half way through. If the crust or edges are browning to fast, add foil on top if it starts to brown
Jennifer at Making Our Life Matter says
Can I just say that I would really love to share a cup of coffee and a piece of this pie with you? Right now?
cars low preces Jupiter says
i also add hemp seeds, dates and dried apricots to mine and i never toast anything as to get the most nutrition out of all the raw fiber and grains. i do soak over nite in almond or hemp milk and sometimes add a dollop of greek yogurt for extra creamy goodness.
CulinaryLab School says
I usually Make a Lattice-Topped Pie on a lightly floured surface, the role reserved dough out to a ¼-inch thickness. Roll it in a circle, as though preparing a double-crusted pie. Transfer the dough to a small cutting board, baking sheet, or other rimless pans that will fit in my refrigerator.
Sam Roberts says
I usually Make a Lattice-Topped Pie on a lightly floured surface, the roll reserved dough out to a ¼-inch thickness. Roll it in a circle, as though preparing a double-crusted pie. Transfer the dough to a small cutting board, baking sheet, or other rimless pan that will fit in my refrigerator. Details here https://culinarylabschool.com/pro-culinary