This delicious Gravenstein apple pie makes the most of the apple's short season. Gravensteins are so good in pies because they're not too sweet and hold their shape well during baking. Brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and apples are folded into a buttery, flaky crust to produce a homey pie you'll want to make again and again.
Easy Gravenstein Apple Pie Recipe
Gravensteins are an early apple and their season is short. They are perfect for pie because they are tart and firm and if you're like me and don't like an overly sweet pie they make for an ideal filling. We're lucky enough to have a Gravenstein apple tree in our backyard and knowing how fleeting they are, we are judicious about how we consume them. (Best: eating straight from the tree. Even better: put into a pie.)
Gravensteins, the apple I once wrote about for NPR, are my favorite for tucking into pie because they have a distinctive flavor and texture that holds up well to baking. You also don't need a lot of sugar - I have given directions for using about ½-3/4 cup of brown sugar depending on how sweet your apples are. Otherwise, this is a very simple, sturdy pie recipe with a bit of spice and not too much else. When apples are in season and this good you don't need to fuss too much with them.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is, in my humble opinion, the very best Gravenstein apple pie recipe! A flaky crust made with your choice of all-purpose or whole-grain flour is the perfect balance to the sweet-tart Gravenstein apples. And you won't need to add much to the apples, just a little brown sugar and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The goal is to let the unique flavor of the apples shine through, and I think I have accomplished that! Here's why you'll love this pie:
- Gravenstein apples. Oh, I dearly love Gravenstein apples! They have been grown in my home county since the 1800s and I have had a special fondness for them my whole life. But it's more than that -- they are just tart enough and very pretty, with pink-green skin, and taste delicious if you're lucky enough to get one sun-warmed and picked fresh from the tree.
- All butter pie crust. My favorite pie crust is an all butter pie crust and I'm sticking to that! The flavor can't be beat, and it tastes so much better than a pie crust made with lard or shortening while still being gorgeously tender and flaky.
- Everything a pie should be. This is a humble, wholesome, wonderful apple pie that's just right for fall or anytime.
What You'll Need for Gravenstein Apple Pie
I've outlined what you need for this Gravenstein apple pie recipe below. The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions are in the recipe card lower down.
Crust
- All-purpose flour - You can make the crust with regular all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Granulated sugar - A little sugar sweetens the crust. You can add more or less sugar to taste.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt.
- Butter - Use cold, unsalted butter for the best results.
- Ice water - Prepare the ice water before you start making the crust so that it's nice and cold before you add it into the dough.
Filling
- Gravenstein apples - Choose firm, ripe apples.
- Spices - I use a combination of ground cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor the pie.
- Salt - A pinch of salt balances the sweetness of the filling.
- Brown sugar - Use either light or dark brown sugar, or swap granulated sugar.
- Butter - A little salted or unsalted butter adds richness.
How to Make Gravenstein Apple Pie
Take a look at how to put this apple pie together in the photos below:
- Whisk flour: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
- Add butter: Cut in the butter with a fork or your hands until the flour is crumbly.
- Add water: Stir in the water a little bit at a time.
- Form a ball: Knead it with your hands until it can form a smooth ball. Divide into two pieces, wrap in plastic, and store in the fridge.
- Make filling: Preheat oven to 425° degrees F. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, then mix lightly through the apples.
- Prep pan: Rub a pie pan with butter and have a baking sheet ready.
- Add dough: Roll out half of the dough and fit it into the prepared pan.
- Add filling: Pile in the apples in the and dot with thin slices of butter. Place top crust on pie, crimp the edges, and cut a few vents in the top.
- Bake: Place pie on a baking sheet, place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned, apples are cooked through, and the filling is bubbling.
Recipe Tips
Pie can feel complicated, but don't worry, it's very doable. Cold ingredients, ripe apples, and a little patience are all it takes to make a beautiful Gravenstein apple pie.
- Use cold butter - Yes, this is a big one! For the flakiest crust, use very cold butter. When the butter mixes in with the flour it will form chunks of butter and flour which in turn steam and melt in the oven, creating those gorgeous flaky layers.
- Ice water - Likewise, make sure the water you use is actually ice water! I prep my ice water first before going on to make the crust so that it's very cold.
- Rest the crust - Keep the crust cold in the fridge until you're ready to roll it out, especially important if your kitchen is warm (this gives the crust a fighting chance of being as flaky as possible). You can make the crust up to 3 days in advance and keep the wrapped discs in the fridge until you make the pie.
- Make it refined sugar free - Use coconut sugar or maple syrup in place of the sugar in the crust and the brown sugar in the filling.
- Use a pie shield - This pie bakes on high heat for almost an hour. If you notice the edges of the crust browning a bit too much, fit a sleeve of tin foil (carefully!) around the perimeter of the crust to protect it from over cooking.
- Try different apples - This is a Gravenstein apple pie, but if you don't have Gravensteins in the backyard like I do, feel free to use another baking apple of your choice (see some suggestions below for what kind of apples are best for baking).
- Other additions - Cinnamon is a classic addition to apple pie, but ginger is nice too, just make sure you don't add too many spices so that they don't overpower the taste of the apples. You could also add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the filling, or the zest of 1 lemon. Or, thinking outside the box, add ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese to the top of the pie. In my college days I made a Moosewood Cookbook recipe that included cheddar - it was a special, different savory touch to the familiar flavors of apple pie.
- Make it gluten free - Use my easy oat flour pie crust to make this Gravenstein apple pie gluten free.
Storage
To store, the pie may be kept, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. Then store it covered with foil in the fridge for an additional 2 days. Pie may be wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost the pie in the fridge before eating.
FAQs
Absolutely. When cooked the flavor of the Gravenstein apple is enhanced and the flesh will hold its shape very well, so you won't have an overly mushy pie.
In addition to Gravenstein, apples that are firm and not too sweet are great for pie. These include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Jonathan or Jonagold, and Braeburn apples, among others.
You may read that you should only do a 50% or less swap of whole wheat flour in baking and pie crusts, but I beg to differ. I often use whole wheat pastry flour exclusively in pie crusts and general baking for its enhanced nutritional qualities. Whole wheat pastry flour has a finer texture than whole wheat flour.
More Apple Recipes
Gravenstein Apple Pie
Ingredients
For Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup ice water
For Filling
- 8 cups Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- ½-¾ cup brown sugar, light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Make Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or your hands until the flour is crumbly and the butter is well integrated.
- Using a fork, stir in the water a little bit at a time (you may not need the entire cup) until the dough holds together. Knead it with your hands until it can form a smooth ball, then divide the ball in half, press each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and rest in the fridge at least a half hour.
Make Pie
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Rub a pie pan with butter and have a baking sheet ready.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and the pinch of salt in a bowl, then mix lightly through the apples.
- Roll out half of the dough and fit it into the prepared pan. Pile in the apples in the pie pan and dot with thin slices of butter. Roll out the other half of the pie crust, place it on top of the apples, crimp the edges, and cut a few vents in the top.
- Place pie on a baking sheet, place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned, apples are cooked through, and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove pie from oven and let it cool thoroughly before serving. I like to wait at least 2-3 hours so the filling will fully set.
Notes
- Use cold butter - Yes, this is a big one! For the flakiest crust, use very cold butter. When the butter mixes in with the flour it will form chunks of butter and flour which in turn steam and melt in the oven, creating those gorgeous flaky layers.
- Ice water - Likewise, make sure the water you use is actually ice water! I prep my ice water first before going on to make the crust so that it's very cold.
- Rest the crust - Keep the crust cold in the fridge until you're ready to roll it out, especially important if your kitchen is warm (this gives the crust a fighting chance of being as flaky as possible). You can make the crust up to 3 days in advance and keep the wrapped discs in the fridge until you make the pie.
- Make it refined sugar free - Use coconut sugar or maple syrup in place of the sugar in the crust and the brown sugar in the filling.
- Use a pie shield - This pie bakes on high heat for almost an hour. If you notice the edges of the crust browning a bit too much, fit a sleeve of tin foil (carefully!) around the perimeter of the crust to protect it from over cooking.
- Try different apples - This is a Gravenstein apple pie, but if you don't have Gravensteins in the backyard like I do, feel free to use another baking apple of your choice (see some suggestions below for what kind of apples are best for baking).
- Other additions - Cinnamon is a classic addition to apple pie, but ginger is nice too, just make sure you don't add too many spices so that they don't overpower the taste of the apples. You could also add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the filling, or the zest of 1 lemon. Or, thinking outside the box, add ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese to the top of the pie. In my college days I made a Moosewood Cookbook recipe that included cheddar - it was a special, different savory touch to the familiar flavors of apple pie.
Jesse S says
Thanks, Nicole! I made my first pie of the season using fresh Gravensteins from a nearby orchard using your recipe. I added 1 Tb lemon juice and 3 Tb flour to keep it from being too runny, and it turned out perfect! Also, I used my own favorite crust recipe but tried substituting 1/2 whole wheat flour, and that worked well too. Made the pie yesterday, and it's already half gone!