Best Brown Butter Apple Pie

Brown butter apple pie in a brown pie pan missing a slice.

5 from 7 votes

Best Brown Butter Apple Pie

The apple and brown butter filling is sweet, rich, tangy, and the perfect texture with just the right amount of spice. The brown butter adds a depth of flavor that is worth the extra effort. Everyone will run for more. Trust me! Taste this pie and you will wish you were as amazing.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown butter apple pie

Servings: -8 servings

Author: Elena Davis

Ingredients

1 recipe Ultimate All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

Brown Butter Apple Filling

½ stick butter 4 tablespoons
3 pounds Granny Smith apples 6 to 7, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light-brown sugar
1 vanilla bean seeds scraped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice

Instructions

Make the brown butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is golden brown and fragrant, about 8 minutes; let cool.
Toss together apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine flour, salt, spices, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla-bean seeds in another bowl, breaking up clumps and combining with a fork or fingers. Add browned butter to apples. Stir in flour mixture.
Roll out 1 disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Roll out remaining disk of dough to a 13-inch round.
Rolled-out dough can be refrigerated up to 8 hours. (Be sure to let the 13-inch round sit at room temperature until pliable before topping pie, or it will break.) Place apples in pie shell, brush edges with water, and cover pie with top crust.
Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold top edge over bottom crust to seal, and crimp as desired. Cut steam vents in top crust. Freeze entire pie for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit with rack in lowest position. Brush pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar (if desired). Place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on floor of oven to catch any drips.
Bake pie on lowest rack for 15 minutes at 415 F. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake until well browned, for an additional 45 minutes.
After total bake time of one hour: Tent pie with foil and continue to bake until bubbling through vents, about 20 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4-6 hours. Pie can be made 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.

Notes

For this pie, I recommend Granny Smith apples. Why? They are tart and have the perfect crisp crunch texture.

Nutrition