Best Apple Pie Filling Recipe With Brown Sugar
Homemade Apple Pie Filling is made with fresh apples cooked in a sweet brown sugar sauce with warm cinnamon. This simple, from-scratch recipe can be enjoyed on its own or used to make a quick apple dessert. It’s perfect as a side dish, a topping for ice cream and pancakes, or as a quick treat with a comforting meal. You’ll love this filling made with sliced Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, spices, and butter, all simmered together until thick. It’s the best pie filling and is also great for other desserts and pastries.
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Spoon or spatula
- Large skillet
- Peeler
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 5 cups Apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- ¾ cup packed Brown sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Apple pie spice see notes for a substitute
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Cornstarch or more if needed
- 2 ½ cups Water
- 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the sliced apples.
- Toss the apples to coat them well with the melted butter.
- Add both types of sugar, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt.
- Let it simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes until the apples start to soften.
- In a measuring cup, mix the water, cornstarch, and apple cider vinegar until smooth and without lumps.
- Pour this mixture over the softened apples and stir carefully.
- Let it simmer again until the filling thickens and the apples are tender.
- Allow the filling to cool before using it in your favorite 9-inch pie crust.
Notes
- Mix the cornstarch into the water completely before adding it to the apples to prevent lumps.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture into the apples right away to avoid lumps.
- Slice the apples evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Cut apples into ¼ inch wedges or smaller pieces if you prefer, but keep the sizes similar.
- Adjust the cooking time if your apple slices are much larger or smaller than ¼ inch.