There are so many variations on apple pie, it’s hard to pin down what makes a “good” one.
Some people like really sweet versions (this apple pie filling goes in that direction) but when I have apple pie I like one that’s a little less sweet and more spicy.
I came up with this version that uses cardamom and ginger, which are two of my favorites.
This article includes affiliate links that will pay a commission if they’re used to purchase something. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Apple Cardamom Single-Crust Pie recipe.
Apple Cardamom Single-Crust Pie
Equipment
- 1 9" pie plate (glass preferred)
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 paring knife or vegetable peeler
- 1 cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- tinfoil for the pie crust (optional)
Ingredients
- 6-7 medium to large apples, peeled and cored
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cardamom
- 1/3 cup water or apple cider
- 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Put the pie crust in the pie pan, then bake it at 400F for 10-12 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Take the crust out when it's ready and put it aside.
- Core and peel the apples, then cut them into large chunks. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the dry ingredients by rubbing it with your hands into the dry mixture. It should be pretty evenly distributed with a grainy texture and no large chunks of butter when it's done.
- Pour the dry mixture over the apples and stir them together to cover the apples.
- Toss the apples with the dry ingredients to cover them. Add the water and stir it into the mix.
- Fill the pie plate with the filling, spreading it out evenly but making a mound in the middle so that it's higher in the center.
- Put the pie in the oven and reduce the temperature to 350F.
- Bake the pie for about 40-45 minutes. If the edge of the crust seems to be browning too quickly, you can wrap the edge with tinfoil to slow the browning process.
- Remove the pie from the oven after 40-45 minutes, or when the apples are cooked through. Test this by sticking a knife into the center to see if the apples are soft or still unbaked in the center.
- Cool the pie on a rack, and cut into 8 servings when it's done cooling.
Comments about this pie.
I really like this pie, but if you’re a fan of super-sweet apple pie, it might not be sugary enough for you.
The spices in this one are really subtle, and you can tell that there’s something different in it, but you might not figure it out until you’ve had a few bites.
I had one taste-tester figure out what the spices were in it, but others were totally clueless and just said that it was good!
I think that if you like chai tea, you’ll like this pie since it has a warm undertone to the flavors the same way that chai does.
Tips for making the apple pie.
When you choose the apples for a pie, choose ones that have a crisp texture and a slightly tart flavor.
They’ll hold up better when they’re baked, because that makes apples soften up a lot. Using an apple variety that’s softer can mean that your pie will end up really mushy.
Cut the apples into chunks, wedges, or slices, whichever you prefer.
The different shapes will bake differently, and the thinner that you cut the apples, the softer they’ll end up.
For this pie I cut the apples into large chunks by cutting the cored and peeled apples in half, then cutting each half into 4 pieces in both directions.
You can make the pieces smaller, or leave the pieces as wedges, but you might have to adjust the baking time up or down depending on how small the pieces are.
You can make extra filling and freeze enough for another pie using freezer bags.
The flour and sugar in this recipe will combine with the liquid in the apples and the water to make the “binder” in the filling. This has a creamy texture, almost like a custard.
If you don’t like that, don’t add any extra flour mixture into the pie, just put the covered apples in and leave out any extra dry mixture.
This is a single-crust pie, and the fruit will bake down as it softens. Click here for a recipe for all-butter pie crust.
If you want to add a top crust you can do that, then cut some holes in the crust to vent the steam as the pie bakes.
Test to make sure the apples are cooked by inserting a tester or a knife into one of the vent holes to make sure the apples are soft all the way through.
For fruit pies, I like to bake the bottom crust before filling the pan with the fruit filling because it makes it a little more resistant to getting soggy.
You can bake the whole thing at once, but I always get better results by baking the bottom crust ahead of time for a little while.
Apple pie is good hot or cold, but if you let it cool off before eating it the filling will hold together better. It can be heated up after cooling and the texture will be better even after reheating.
You can adjust the spices in this to make them stronger or more mild, depending on what you prefer!
