Apple Butter Pie

Apple butter pie turns its namesake condiment into a caramelized apple-flavored custard filling, dusted with cinnamon and baked in a flaky pie crust. Its texture is seriously similar to pumpkin pie, as if the classic dessert traded pumpkin puree for sweet apple butter.

It’s a delightfully unexpected addition to Thanksgiving desserts, bringing something elevated and untraditional to the table (literally!). Serve every slice with homemade whipped cream and, for anyone feeling especially indulgent, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

Ingredients for Apple Butter Pie

• Apple butter: If you’ve never tried apple butter before, keep in mind that it’s not the same product as applesauce. Applesauce is much looser and not as concentrated in flavor as apple butter. If you use applesauce instead of apple butter, your pie filling will be extremely watery.
• Egg: Pre-beat the egg to break it up so it doesn’t need as much whisking in the filling. Over-whipping the filling can cause the pie to crack after baking.
• Sugar: While we suggest granulated sugar for our apple butter pie recipe, you may use light brown sugar for a slightly deeper, more caramel-y sweetness.
• All-purpose flour: We’ll need only 1 tablespoon of flour to help thicken the filling.
• Evaporated milk: Our recipe for apple butter pie uses evaporated milk, which has had much of the water removed, leaving behind the rich, milky fat for a filling that has a super creamy texture. However, if you want to save a trip to the store, there are many substitutes for evaporated milk.
• Cinnamon: Sweet, warm cinnamon plays with the caramelized apples, baking a true fall dessert. You can use apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon for something more complex.
• Unbaked pie crust: Keep it easy and buy one of the best premade pie crusts from the store, or go the extra mile and whip up your own single pie crust dough.

Directions

Step 1: Whisk the filling

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the apple butter, egg, sugar, all-purpose flour and evaporated milk until well combined.

Step 2: Pour the filling into the pie crust and top with cinnamon

Pour the apple butter filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle the top all over with the cinnamon.

Step 3: Bake

Carefully slide the pie into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°, and bake the pie until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes more.

Step 4: Chill before serving

Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover the pie with storage wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator. Once you’re ready to serve, remove the cover, slice up the pie and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Add more spices: There’s plenty of room to add other fall spices, like ground ginger, cloves or nutmeg. Just taste your apple butter first to see how spiced it already is.
• Decorate the top: Don’t throw away the pie dough scraps! Press an apple or leaf cookie cutter into them, bake the cutouts on a sheet tray and arrange them on top of the baked apple butter pie.
• Try a different fruit butter: Instead of apple butter, you can bake the pie with pumpkin or pear butter if desired.

How to Store Apple Butter Pie

Store apple butter pie covered in the fridge. It can last up to three days, but the pie crust will get a bit soggier as the days go on.

Can you make apple butter pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the apple butter pie recipe ahead of time. Bake the pie the day before serving and let it hang out in the fridge, covered, until you’re ready to slice it up. You could also make the pie crust up to a week in advance and keep it covered tightly in the fridge.

Apple Butter Pie Tips

What is the best apple butter for apple butter pie?

The best apple butter for apple butter pie is a thick apple butter. Keep in mind, not all apple butters have the same consistency and flavor. An apple butter you may buy from the store can be very different from a homemade one or even one purchased from an apple orchard. No matter if you’re using premade or homemade apple butter, make sure it is especially thick, like canned pumpkin puree.

If your apple butter seems loose, pour it into a pan over medium heat and cook it down until the desired thickness is reached, stirring constantly. Let it cool to room temperature before using in the pie.

How do you serve apple butter pie?

Serve apple butter pie just as you would pumpkin pie: cold or at room temperature. It’s lovely with homemade whipped cream (especially if it’s flavored with espresso or maple syrup) and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

Do you need to parbake the pie crust before baking it with the filling?

No, you don’t need to parbake or blind bake the pie crust before adding the filling. The pie bakes for a while—45 minutes or so—during which time the crust should be thoroughly baked and nice and flaky.