Prepare a delicious apple pie filling in advance to grab and bake it. It's so much better than the store-bought canned options.
ingredient
- 1 ½ pounds granny smith apples
- 1 ½ pounds honeycrisp apples, Fuji, or Braeburn
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Prepare the Apples – Peel, core, and cut the apples into ½" thick slices. Alternatively, cut into ½" dice for smaller pastries or to use as a topping.
- Cook the Apple Filling – Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter, then add the apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Saute until apples are tender, but not overly soft and most of the moisture is released, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- For smaller diced apples, this will take about 5 to 7 minutes. Don't heat apples above 185ºF (85ºC), or they will become mushy.
- Thicken the Filling – In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the filling. Continuously stir until the apples are coated with the syrupy glaze, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- To Serve – Use immediately for a topping while still warm. Alternatively, cool completely and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
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