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Apple Butter Pie Recipe

Apple Butter Pie Recipe
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★★★★★

4.9 from 9 reviews

Apple Butter Pie is a luscious, spiced custard pie that combines the rich, smooth flavors of apple butter with warm spices, all nestled in a flaky spelt pie crust. This pie offers a perfect balance of sweet and spice, making it an ideal dessert for fall and holiday gatherings. The custard filling is creamy and comforting, with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, baked to just the right consistency and finished with decorative pastry cut-outs for a festive touch.

Ingredients

Scale

Pie Crust

  • 1 (9-inch) spelt pie crust

Filling

  • 1–¾ cups (470 grams/17 ounces) prepared apple butter
  • 1 cup (226 grams) heavy cream
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup packed (110 grams) brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (Diamond Crystal recommended)
  • Pinch ground cloves

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Pie Dough: Roll out the spelt pie dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it into the sides and bottom. Crimp the edges as desired. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbling during baking. Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the dough.
  2. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and position racks in the middle and lower positions.
  3. Blind Bake the Pie Shell: Remove the chilled pie shell from the freezer. Line it with a round piece of parchment paper, then add pie weights such as dry rice, beans, or lentils, pushing them to the edges. Bake on the lower rack for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then bake for another 5 minutes to dry out the crust. Remove from the oven and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF (163ºC).
  4. Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the apple butter, heavy cream, eggs, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, coarse kosher salt, and ground cloves until fully combined and smooth.
  5. Fill and Bake the Pie: Pour the filling carefully into the blind-baked pie shell, smoothing it into an even layer. Bake on the middle oven rack for 45–55 minutes, or until the pie reaches an internal temperature above 180ºF (82ºC) and the outer edges have puffed up while the center remains slightly wobbly.
  6. Cool and Chill: Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours to allow the custard to fully set and firm up.
  7. Optional Decoration: Use leftover spelt dough to cut out decorative shapes such as fall leaves. Chill these cut-outs and bake them for 15 minutes at 375ºF alongside the pie crust during blind baking. Brush with egg wash and coarse sugar for shine and crunch. After the pie is fully chilled, arrange the decorative shapes on top before serving.

Notes

  • This recipe was tested with Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If using Morton’s kosher salt or fine salt, reduce the quantity by half.
  • The spelt pie crust used here is slightly sweet and cinnamon-flavored, easy to handle, and does not require chilling before rolling. Alternatives include Pâte Sablée, Pâte Sucrée, Biscoff Crumb Crust, or Graham Cracker Crust.
  • The spelt dough recipe makes a bit more dough than needed for the pie shell; use the extra dough for decorative cut-outs like fall leaves.
  • To add shine and texture, brush decorative cut-outs with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.
  • Blind bake pie crust fully before adding filling to prevent sogginess and ensure a crisp crust.
  • Allow the pie to chill thoroughly after baking to develop the best texture and flavor.
  • Recipe is from Everyday Pie, originally published in 2019 with updates to the article and photos.
  • Share your results on Instagram tagging @everydaypie!

Nutrition

Keywords: Apple Butter Pie, Spiced Custard Pie, Fall Pie, Holiday Dessert, Spelt Pie Crust, Autumn Pie Recipes

Find it online: https://ellaeatsdaily.com/apple-butter-pie-recipe/