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Apple Pie Filling Recipe

If you have never made homemade apple pie filling you will love this simple recipe! My apple pie filling recipe is great for all kinds of baked goods!

The great news is that this is an easy apple pie filling. You can start making apple pie filling for all of your pies, dump cakes, and other baked goods. This recipe works for with cupcakes, muffins, pretty much anything that calls for canned apple pie filling can have this homemade version swapped in.

If you need some inspiration, fear not, of course we have some recipes that you can use to test out your homemade apple pie filling. Things like Pineapple Dump Cake, Apple Pie Roll Ups, and even Apple Hand Pies with Canned Pie Filling can be made with this tasty recipe.

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Pin showing the finished apple pie filling recipe with title across the top.

Making homemade baked goods is fun, take yours up a notch by making everything from scratch! Homemade pie fillings aren’t actually that difficult to make on your own. Hopefully this recipe will show you how easy it is so you can give it a go, even if you don’t have any experience.

top down view of the finished apple pie filling recipe.

Do you cook apples before putting them in apple pie filling?

Yes! In this recipe we will be cooking the apples as part of the process. It’s not a long process but the apples do need to be cooked a bit so that they soften up and absorb some of the flavors and seasonings!

If you are using canned fillings that is when you wouldn’t have to cook them before putting them in a pie. Since we are starting with raw apples they’ll be a little too crisp if we don’t cook them first.

close up finished apple pie filling recipe.

How do I keep my apple pie from being runny?

Because we are making from scratch filling we will be taking the top advice on how to keep pie filing from being runny: pre cooking the filling!

By cooking the apples before they are baked a lot of the liquid cooks out of them and can be reduced into the syrup of the filling.

Once the liquid cooks out there’s less chance of the filling becoming runny while baking inside of a pie which is just another great reason to make your own easy apple filling at home.

Finished apple pie filling recipe.

What is apple pie filing made of?

Homemade apple pie filing is made from a variety of spices, sugars, and apples of course. Every recipe will be different. My apple pie filling recipe calls for apples, ground cinnamon,  water, cornstarch or arrowroot powder, sugar, and butter.

These are all really easy to grab ingredients which is nice, there’s no stress at the grocery store trying to find special ingredients. It’s also great if you have any allergies to deal with in your house.

You can control what goes into the recipe as well, add a bit more or less cinnamon based on your tastes, etc.

ingredients needed for apple pie filling.

Kitchen essentials for tasty recipes for desserts:

When you head into the kitchen to make some of these great recipes you’ll want to have the best tools on hand.

I like half sheet baking pans that are quality (hello no noisy pops or sloshed cookie dough from twisting), I line my cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. These are great for all kinds of baking and not just cookies! My husband loves them for making biscuits, pizzas, and more!

Of course mixing bowls, a mixerspatula, and some whisks should be on your list if you don’t have ones that you love. I also like to have a set of cooling racks so that my recipes can properly cool before they’re scarfed down by my family!

two bowls of finished apple pie filling.

How to make apple pie filling:

If you are excited for making apple pie filling you are not alone. This recipe is super simple and these step by step instructions will make it even easier! Check out even more useful tips in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

chopping apples.

Peel, core, and slice apples into thin wedges.

butter in a pan

In a medium pot, add the cinnamon and butter. Heat over medium until the butter is completely melted. Stir until well combined.

sauce and apples.

Add 3 tablespoons of water and the sugar. Mix well. Stir in the apples and cook over medium-low for about 10 minutes, cook until the apples are soft but not mushy!

apples in the pot.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch or arrowroot powder and remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Mix into the pot of apples. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.

making cornstarch slurry

Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

finished apple pie filling recipe in a pot

Looking for more delicious apple recipes to try?

If you need some other great ways to use apples in your desserts and recipes we have got you covered. Check out some of these other recipes that our readers are loving! Add them to your list and give them all a try to see which ones are your favorites.

If you need even more inspiration for ways to use your apple pie filing you can’t go wrong with dump cakes! Try out Recipe for Apple Bundt Cake, Caramel Apple Dump Cake, or Instant Pot Apple Spice Cake!

apple pie filling on a plate.

Printable Apple Pie Filling Recipe:

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Apple Pie Filling Recipe

featured image showing apple pie filling recipe

If you have never made homemade apple pie filling you will love this simple recipe! My apple pie filling recipe is great for all kinds of baked goods!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 or 5 medium apples
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons water, divided
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Peel, core, and slice apples into thin wedges.
  2. In a medium pot, add the cinnamon and butter. Heat over medium until the butter is completely melted. Stir until well combined.
  3. Add 3 tablespoons of water and the sugar. Mix well. Stir in the apples and cook over medium-low for about 10 minutes, cook until the apples are soft but not mushy!
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch or arrowroot powder and remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Mix into the pot of apples. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
  5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 1g

I am not a medical expert. These calculations are provided as a courtesy.

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