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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Just made this recipe! Came out perfectly!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ami!
It looks great! My question is what would you substitute for the cornstarch? I have an allergy to corn.
I have only made this recipe as written. I would suspect that you can use flour in place of corn starch but I haven’t tried it.
If looking to store in a jar what size would uou use? Pint? Quart?
This makes approximately 2½ cups.
I can cook you almost anything but fail dramatically in the pastry department. I’m becoming a fan of Holly’s site really fast! It’s becoming easier and easier following the EXACT guidelines given. Try the Apple pie filling… it’s scrumptious and delish.. Keep them coming Holly :)
Jeff Sheffield ENGLAND UK
Thank you Jeff! :)
This is really good! Made two batches today. I used brown sugar instead of
white sugar. No more store bought for me My house smells like I’ve been baking all day! Printed out the recipe for future use.
Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Maggie… I agree, it smells amazing while it bakes!
Hi, could this apple filling be canned? I really would like to know, since I have boxes of apples to process and a full freezer, lol!
I haven’t tried canning this recipe so I can’t say for sure.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I just made this filling in the amount of time you say! Oh my is it good! I used macintosh apples! The macintosh didn’t really hold shape! I could see why you would use granny Smith!
Hi Holly! Just found your recipe for Quick Stovetop Apple Pie filling on Pinterest. I’ve been making apple pies for decades, and always dealt with apple soup – yummy, but soupy. We pick apples every year, and I send in half a dozen pies with my husband to his office. I tried your recipe this year, and happy to report that it was not only delicious but no more soup!!! I deleted all my other apple pie pins, and wrote all over the printed version of yours THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WORKS! so I don’t ever go searching for the perfect pie filling. I found it, and this is it! Thanks a bunch for sharing!!
YAY! I’m so glad you loved this one! :) Happy baking!
Wondering if I would be able to freeze this filling in glass canning jars? Is that ok? I freeze left overs in Pyrex dishes with lids. Hmmm help please!
I don’t think I would freeze this in glass jars. You could maybe find freezer jars or even portion it and freeze it in Freezer Ziploc Bags.
Could I freeze the apple filling in Seal@Meal bags. I have one of the and I use it a lot with meat. It sucks all the air out of the bags.
That should work Ginetta!
Veronica, It is safe to use good quality canning jars in the freezer, if you make sure to leave plenty of head space when freezing your items! Head space is the empty area between the top of the contents in your jar, and the top of the lid when it is screwed on with the cap. You need to leave at least an inch and a half to two inches of head space in your jars when freezing them so your contents have plenty of room to expand when changing from liquid to a frozen solid, otherwise the jars could explode due to the pressure build-up of the confined contents that have nowhere to expand! The reason pyrex bowls with lids work well is that their lids are not really secured air tight and if the contents are expanded to the point that they over flow from the base the lid will simply move aside, or slightly lift up and allow the pressure to escape as it isn’t an air-tight seal! I have several Jars in my freezer right now and they work just fine, you just have to be careful about leaving enough head-space, and I admit I have lost a few jars to cracks when I got in a hurry and didn’t pay attention to what I was doing when filling my jars!
Can I use rice flour in this recipe,instead of the usual thickners?
I haven’t tried it with rice flour so I can’t say for sure.
I just made this filling and it was delicious. I did add a teaspoon of vanilla and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. I made my own pie crust. I did not pre-bake the crust, I just added the filling and baked it for an hour. It came out perfect and delicious!
HI Holly,
I have just done your apple pie filling .
I want to make small apple tarts as I find
There is less waste,I just can’t throughout
Any food,
1,how long do I bake it for
2,how long will the filling last in the fridge
3or can I freeze the filling.
Regards Hilda
1. As the filling is already cooked, you’ll just need to cook long enough to ensure your tart pastry is cooked through.
2. This should last 3-4 days in the fridge
3. Yes, this recipe can be frozen.
Enjoy!!
Gotta love this old school classic, great recipe, thanks for sharing.
Simon
Thank you Simon!
Yum to all the dumplings. Thank you
Definitely gonna try this recipe. Sounds perfect and delicious.
I love to make my own pie fillings instead of using a can! I hope you enjoy it too!
What if I don’t have corn starch
Flour can be used as a substitute to corn starch, but you will need to use about 3 times the amount that is recommended. I hope this helps!
Hi. I have a couple of questions, 1) can another apple be used (my family doesn’t like granny smith’s) & if so, what kind? And, 2) how long will this keep in the freezer?
Thanks!
Yes, any apple can be used. You may need to adjust the cooking time so the apples don’t get mushy depending on what variety you use. This should keep 3-4 months in the freezer if it is well sealed.
Should my pie crust be baked before? Or can I just cook it all together?
Yes, your pie crust should be baked ahead of time. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks Holly! Can’t wait to try this filling for a pi day pie!
I have a question…..I peeled some granny smith apples,to make a pie.I got sleepy and decided to put them in the fridge.Will they keep until tomorrow, or do i need to do something to them????
They should be fine. You might like to toss them with a little bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Luv this recipe…made a few times so far but today just doubled the recipe. We especially enjoy these soft apples in thin crêpes…yum yum
thanks for posting.
I love crepes too, I haven’t had them in so long! :)