Apple Nut Pie

Everybody knows that apple pie is a classic American dessert served not only during special occasions and family festivities but also every other day of the year. Although this will always be a crowd favorite, there’s no reason not to take it up a notch and sprinkle nuts into the mix to make the perfect Apple Nut Pie.

The secret to making the best Apple Nut Pie lies in the two main ingredients: apple and pecans. I personally love to use Granny Smith apples because they’re firm, tart, and easily available. But if this is not your cup of tea, you’re free to use any apple variant you like. Just make sure to pay attention to two factors: taste and texture.

For the taste, I recommend that you choose a combination of apples to achieve a perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavor. Besides Granny Smiths, you can choose Jonagold apples to achieve a zesty taste and combine them with sweet variants like Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, and Gala apples.

In terms of the texture, firmer is better. This will help contain the shape and structure of your pie, so you don’t end up with an applesauce-like texture.

Now, let’s talk about pecans. To achieve the perfectly crunchy, nutty, and buttery pecan flavor, you need to do an extra step to take your baking game to a whole new level: toasting!

Toasting pecans before putting the pie in the oven is important to activate the oils, make the outside crispy, and ramp up the caramel and buttery notes. By doing these extra steps, you can create an Apple Nut Pie that’s to die for.

And once that pie comes out of the oven, top it with some delicious vanilla ice cream or some homemade whip cream and you’ve got a little slice of heaven!

Apple Nut Pie

Do you want to elevate the classic American dessert to all new heights? The Apple Nut Pie combines the perfectly sweet and zesty flavors of Granny Smith apples with the nutty and crunchy texture of the pecans.

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Bakery

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Pie dough for 1 double-crust 9-inch pie (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 large Granny Smith or other firm apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray and line it with wax paper. Coat the wax paper with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter; mix well and spread evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. Roll out the bottom crust and place it in the pie plate, pressing the crust firmly against the nut mixture and the sides of the pie plate; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter; mix well. Add the apples and toss gently to coat. Spoon into the pie crust.
4. Roll out the top crust and place it over the apple mixture. Trim and fold the edges together to seal. Using a knife, cut four 1-inch slits in the top crust. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours, until the crust is golden.
5. Carefully loosen the wax paper around the rim and invert the pie onto a serving plate while still hot. Remove the wax paper and let cool slightly. Slice and serve warm, or let cool completely before serving.

What do you think? Have you tried this recipe? Do you like the addition of pecans?