Cardamom Apple Pie Classic (Printer-friendly)

Flaky crust filled with tart apples and aromatic cardamom, ideal for cozy indulgence.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pie Dough

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
05 - 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

→ Apple Filling

06 - 6 large tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
15 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Assembly

16 - 1 large egg, beaten
17 - 1 tablespoon whole milk
18 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, mixing just until the dough holds together. Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
02 - In a large bowl, combine sliced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, ground cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss thoroughly until all apples are evenly coated.
03 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a floured work surface, roll out one dough disk to a thickness of approximately 1/8 inch and carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim excess dough from the edges.
04 - Pour the apple filling into the prepared crust, mounding slightly toward the center to account for settling during baking.
05 - Roll out the second dough disk to the same thickness and lay it over the apple filling. Trim excess dough, fold the edges under, and crimp with your fingers or a fork to seal. Cut several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg and milk. Brush this egg wash over the entire top crust. If desired, sprinkle coarse sugar over the surface for added texture and sweetness.
07 - Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until the crust begins to set. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
08 - Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing. This resting period allows the filling to set properly and ensures clean, intact slices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cardamom transforms ordinary apples into something that tastes like autumn captured in a crust.
  • Making the dough from scratch feels intimidating until you realize it's mostly just cold butter and patience.
  • This pie tastes even better the next day when all the spices have settled into every apple slice.
02 -
  • The butter has to stay cold until it hits the oven, or you'll end up with a dense, tough crust instead of the flaky layers you're after—this is the one thing I learned the hard way by rushing.
  • Don't skip the cooling time no matter how hungry you are, because a pie that's still warm will fall apart when you slice it, but after those 2 hours the filling sets up and every slice holds together beautifully.
03 -
  • Use a pie shield or foil to cover the edges if they're browning too quickly, and rotate the pie halfway through baking so it colors evenly.
  • If you want to use raisins or chopped walnuts as suggested in the original notes, toast the walnuts first to bring out their flavor, and soak the raisins in warm water for five minutes so they plump up and distribute their moisture evenly through the filling.
Go Back