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Apple Butter Pie Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 96 reviews

This Apple Butter Pie features a flaky homemade crust filled with a luscious apple butter custard, baked to perfection and topped with cinnamon whipped cream and a swirl of extra apple butter. Perfect for cozy gatherings or holiday dessert tables, this pie combines warm autumn flavors with creamy texture in every slice.

Ingredients

Scale

Pie Crust

  • 3¼ cups all-purpose flour (390g)
  • 1 cup + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold, 311g)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅔ cup ice water (cold, 5.3oz)

Apple Butter Filling

  • 1½ cups apple butter (482g) plus extra for topping
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar (50g)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can)

Cinnamon Whipped Cream Topping

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240ml)
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (15g)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cold Butter: Cut the cold unsalted butter into ½” cubes and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes while you get the other ingredients ready. This ensures the butter stays cold for flaky pie crust.
  2. Ice Water Setup: Add about a cup of water and a handful of ice cubes to a bowl and set it aside to keep your ice water cold for the dough.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a food processor, add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt and pulse once to mix the salt evenly.
  4. Add Butter to Flour: Spread the cold butter cubes around the flour in the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized pieces and has a slightly textured look, similar to wet sand.
  5. Add Ice Water: Measure out ⅔ cup of ice-cold water, excluding the ice cubes, and drizzle it through the food processor chute while pulsing. Leave one tablespoon of water remaining. Continue to pulse until dough just starts to form shaggy crumbles, adding the last tablespoon of water only if the dough looks dry. Avoid overmixing; the dough should be crumbly but hold together when pressed.
  6. Chill Dough: Remove the dough, divide it into two equal portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and flatten into 1” thick disks. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm. Only one disk is used for the pie; the other can be frozen for future use.
  7. Roll Out Dough: After chilling, let the dough rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften slightly. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough evenly, turning a quarter turn every few rolls to maintain a round shape. Roll until about ⅛” thick and 2 inches wider than your pie dish, dusting with flour as needed.
  8. Transfer to Pie Dish: Carefully lift the dough and place it into a pie dish, pressing gently onto the bottom and sides with your fingers. Trim the edges with kitchen shears to leave about a 1” overhang.
  9. Shape Crust Edge: Fold the overhanging edges underneath themselves so the fold meets the pie dish edge, then crimp the edges for a decorative finish.
  10. Par-bake Crust: Freeze the pie crust for 15 minutes, then dock the bottom all over with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill completely with pie weights, dried rice, or beans. Bake in a preheated oven at 375℉ (190℃) for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake another 5 minutes until partially baked. Transfer to a wire rack to cool while preparing the filling.
  11. Lower Oven Temperature: Reduce the oven temperature to 325℉ (163℃) and position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven.
  12. Mix Apple Butter Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the apple butter, eggs, dark brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and vanilla until smooth.
  13. Add Sweetened Condensed Milk: Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, scraping out the can entirely, and whisk together until a smooth batter forms.
  14. Fill Pie Crust: Pour the apple butter batter into the par-baked pie crust, smoothing the surface gently.
  15. Bake Pie: Bake the pie on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Then carefully move it to the lower third of the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the center is set and slightly jiggly but not liquid.
  16. Cool Pie: Remove the pie from the oven to a wire rack and let it cool completely for about three hours. Alternatively, place in the refrigerator to cool faster.
  17. Prepare Cinnamon Whipped Cream: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla on high speed for 1-2 minutes until soft to stiff peaks form.
  18. Top Pie: Spread the cinnamon whipped cream evenly over the cooled pie. Add a few dollops of extra apple butter over the whipped cream and gently swirl with a knife for a decorative finish.
  19. Slice and Serve: Use a sharp knife to cut slices, wiping the blade clean between cuts to ensure neat, clean slices.

Notes

  • Keep butter and water very cold for the flakiest crust.
  • Only use one disc of dough; the other can be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Docking the crust before par-baking prevents bubbling.
  • Do not overmix dough or it will become tough.
  • Make sure pie filling is set but still slightly jiggly before removing from oven to avoid cracking.
  • Cinnamon whipped cream adds a complementary spice; adjust cinnamon amount to taste.
  • Clean knife between slices for clean pie servings.

Keywords: apple butter pie, homemade pie crust, apple dessert, cinnamon whipped cream, fall dessert, baked pie

Find it online: https://todayfoodrecipe.com/apple-butter-pie-recipe/