Apple Pie Filling takes less than 15 minutes to make and has a great homemade flavor.
Tender chunks (or slices) of apples are perfectly sweet-tart simmered in a simple cinnamon sauce. They take just minutes to prep and taste so much better than canned!
They can be used in pies or tarts or replace a can of apple pie filling in any recipe. Scoop it over ice cream, yogurt, or cake for an easy treat.
Homemade is Best (and SO easy!)
I looooove Apple pie filling but not just for filling pie crust! It’s great over anything from yogurt to cake to oatmeal.
- Homemade always tastes 1000x better! Delicious apple flavor with a hint of warm spices.
- The apples come out tender and not soggy.
- Making this apple pie filling is less expensive than canned (and has a homemade flavor).
- Needs just a handful of ingredients.
- Ready in about 10-15 minutes, it’s so easy to make.
The Best Apples for Pie Filling
Much like when baking apple pie, you’ll want apples that stand up well so you don’t end up with applesauce! We think granny smith apples are the best for pie filling because they have a tart flavor which means the filling isn’t overly sweet.
Try any of the following: braeburn, golden delicious, honeycrisp.
Other ingredients needed in this recipe are sugar, water, spices and cornstarch (this makes the sauce portion).
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie Filling
You’ve heard the saying as easy as Apple Pie, this recipe is exactly that!
- Peel and chop apples: apples are peeled and sliced and simply added to a pan with a bit of water, sugar and cinnamon.
- Thicken: once tender, I add a bit of cornstarch to thicken up this apple pie filling. Any of the juices released from the apples make the “saucy” part.
Replace the Can
This easy apple pie filling recipe makes the equivalent of 1 can of apple pie filling and takes just about 10 minutes.
It’s perfect to substitute for a can of apple pie filling (and tastes so much better than the store bought)!
Variations
- Chop the apples or make apple slices instead.
- Swap out white sugar for brown sugar to add a caramel flavor.
- Add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
- I use ground cinnamon but you can use apple pie spice, a pinch of nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice or your favorite warm spice mixture.
How to Freeze Apple Pie Filling
This apple pie filling is delicious and can be used right away. We mainly make it to replace cans of pie filling in recipes, if I am making an actual apple pie from scratch, I don’t pre cook the filling. If you do make this filling you can of course freeze it.
Simply cook as directed and cool. Freeze in a freezer bag. Once ready to use, defrost overnight in the fridge and use as you would from fresh!
Ideas for Apple Pie Filling
We love this on its own or served over ice cream but this easy apple pie filling works perfectly in the recipes below!
- Apple Pie Egg Rolls: If you like the OLD McDonald’s apple pies (the fried ones!) you will LOVE these!!!
- Serve over ice cream, yogurt, or oatmeal.
- Place in a bowl and top with crumble to make a quick apple crisp.
- Wrap in pie pastry (or homemade pie crust) to make apple hand pies.
- Use it to top pancakes or waffles.
- Apple Pie Tacos: Crispy Cinnamon Sugar Shells filled with Warm Apple Pie Filling!
- Apple Pie Roll Ups: Easy baked apple pie roll ups rolled in cinnamon sugar and served warm!
- Apple Pie Dumplings: 2 Ingredient Apple Pie Dumplings! This is the easiest dessert to put together!
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop or slice apples*.
- Melt butter and cinnamon over medium heat. Stir in apples, sugar & water.
- Cover and cook stirring occasionally for 4-6 minutes or until very slightly softened.
- In a small dish combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Add to the pan while stirring and continue to cook until apples are soft (not mushy) and filling is thickened.
- Let bubble 1 minute. Cool.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Pie
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Great recipe. Love it and I freeze for later use.
can you freeze the apple pie filling?
Hi Melissa, yes you can freeze the pie filling.
Wonderful recipe. Thanks for posting it So much better than store bought filling and so easy to make
Can you Freeze these to makenit ahead of time?If so,for how long?
Armor, this filling should last 6-8 months in the freezer. I would let it defrost before using it in a recipe!
This made the best apple pie filling.
If I wanted to make this for bars, should I double to recipe for a 13×9 pan?
You will want to check the recipe you are planning to use and start there. This recipe makes about 2½ cups of apple pie filling.
Amazing recipe. Got given a whole bucket of apples from my neighbour and a quick Google search and I found this.
Firstly I added raisins to my mix as I had some laying around and I used brown sugar.
I also made it in my multi-cooker on the sear/saute setting so it really took no time at all.
It was about triple the recipe for the first batch and it’s made a lovely thick syrup. I’ve popped it in some jars that I had laying around and will freeze it for later.
What apples are the best to use?
I think granny smith apples are the best for this recipe but braeburn, golden delicious, honeycrisp work well too.
can this be frozen?
Rich, yes this can be frozen.
Looks delicious. Wondering if I could put this in an apple pie? I like my apples in pie to be very soft.
Jennie, you this can be used for apple pie. Cook the apples until they are soft and not mushy.
Excellent!!!
can you freeze this?
To freeze, simply cook as directed and cool. Freeze in a freezer bag. Once ready to use, defrost overnight in the fridge and use as you would from fresh!
have you tried to can or preserve this recipe I would like to make a big batch and can them
I have never tried preserving this recipe so maybe another reader can weigh in on that. This recipe does freeze well if you want to try that.
you should never can when using cornstarch as a thickener. it will break down.
thank you so much for the quick answer
Thank you. I was just inches from wasting a ton of apples.
Do you think it might work if you substitute Clear Jel in lieu of the cornstarch?
You want to use a canning starch like clear gel. Cornstarch won’t work for canning. I prefer to have canned so I don’t take up freezer space!
Cook temp needs to be added to the recipe – medium? How soft for the apples – fork firm or tender?
As mentioned in the recipe, we cook this over medium heat until the apples are soft (not mushy) and filling is thickened. Enjoy!
Write me back and tell me what size can or how many ounces is pie filling mix. I need a recipe with 21 ounces. Please
This recipe makes about 28 ounces. I hope that helps!
My go-to apple filling recipe for my cupcakes. Super easy, delicious and doesn’t use too much butter
Hey! Do you chop the apples smaller for the cupcake filling? Cause that’s exactly what I plan on doing with this. I just don’t know how to make it easier to put in the cupcakes if that makes sense 😂
love this recipe. many thanks.
Is it possible to substitute the sugar with a sugar substitute like Stevia? Also… how long would it store in the fridge?
I have never tried this recipe with a sugar-free substitute so I am not sure how it would turn out, but it will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days. I would recommend putting it in an airtight container (or a mason jar if you have one), and storing it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make your pie. Enjoy.
needs to be cooked Lil longer than 7 minutes. Taste really good not too sweet.
I hate store bought pies cause they taste like diabetes in a crust. This recipe is perfect.
can I just freeze the pie filling and make a pie later
Suzanne, yes this can easily be frozen.
How long does this last in freezer?
Hi Kayla, it should last for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
I use the apple pie filling as a topping with ice cream or yogurt.
I want to make this using apples from my own trees. How many cups of apples chopped do I need?
Hi Marsha, it is about 4 cups of apples.