The BEST Homemade Apple Pie Filling! This recipe is perfectly sweet and packed with flavor. It’s one of our favorite ways to use all those fresh fall apples… and guaranteed to take all your favorite apple recipes to the NEXT LEVEL!

There’s no denying it. Homemade is always best! Whether it’s chocolate chip cookies or taco seasoning or anything in between… there’s something about homemade that just hits differently. Because it tastes better!

And this homemade Apple Pie Filling is no exception. It has the most amazing flavor (way better than anything you can buy at the store) and a silky smooth texture that literally melts in your mouth. It’s the perfect filling for pies, cakes, and cobblers… and it’s equally delicious straight from the jar!

Best of all, it’s so very easy to make and it’s ready in 30 minutes or less. Trust me… once you try it, you’ll never go back!

What we love about this recipe

It uses fresh apples, which means you get to choose which kinds!
You can easily adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar
You can adjust the spice level by adding more or less apple pie spice
It’s an easy, fool-proof recipe
It’s ready in 30 minutes or less
The flavor is better than any store-bought pie filling

What you need for this recipe

Apples – My favorite type of apples to use? A combo! I used a combination of Gala and Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced, for a little bit of variety in flavor and texture. You can feel free to substitute any of your favorites!

Lemon juice – Lemon juice serves as an anti-browning agent in this recipe, and is squeezed over the apples once they are peeled and sliced.

Sugar – I used a combination of granulated and brown sugar in this recipe. You can substitute with all granulated sugar if you prefer, which will yield a lighter colored pie filling.

Apple pie spice – Apple pie spice is the obvious spice choice for homemade apple pie filling, and also surprisingly uncommon in most recipes. To me, it makes all the difference!

Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps to thicken the filling while cooking. (*Note: pie filling will thicken more as it cools.)

Butter – Finally a touch of butter gives this pie filling an extra dose of richness, much like topping your sliced apples with pats of butter before adding the top crust.

How to make Apple Pie Filling

Peel & slice the apples – Using a sharp paring knife, peel the apples and slice them into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick). Toss them in lemon juice to prevent browning.

Make the sauce – Prepare the sauce by combining water, sugars, cornstarch, and apple pie spice in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Boil until mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes.

Add the apples & cook – Reduce heat to simmer, stir in the sliced apples and cook until the apples are softened, about 6-8 minutes.

Stir in the butter – Remove from heat, gently stir in the butter, and transfer to glass jars to cool. Once cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe variations

Use any of your favorite varieties of apples
Cut apples into chunks instead of slices
Substitute cinnamon for apple pie spice
Omit butter
Substitute granulated sugar for brown sugar

Storage tips

Homemade Apple Pie Filling can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you don’t plan to use it within 2 weeks, you can also freeze it for up to 4 months.

How to use Apple Pie Filling