Brown Bag Apple Pie
A nostalgic apple pie baked right in a paper bag! You get flaky crust, gooey caramelized apples, and cozy, homemade magic!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 1 9-inch pie pan
- 1 large brown paper bag
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 4-6 tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples sliced into ¼-inch slices. About 3-4 pounds apples
- ⅔ cups packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup room temperature salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Crust
- Prepare the crust by combining 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add ⅓ cup shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with a fork or a pastry cutter until the shortening is the size of small peas.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the 4-6 tablespoons ice water and use a fork to stir the mixture together until it begins to form a dough. Add 1-2 tablespoons of additional water until it's mostly all sticking together. Use your hands to gently knead the dough together and form it into a disk.
- Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the dough into a 12-14 inch circle. Press the dough into the pie pan, being careful not to stretch it too much otherwise it will shrink as it bakes. Trim off the edges with a sharp knife and add any details you would like to the edge.
Filling
- Add 8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples to a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine ⅔ cups packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1 pinch salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the sugar mixture to the apples along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and stir until completely combined and all of the sugar mixture is completely moistened by the apples. Set aside.
Topping
- Combine ½ cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add ½ cup room temperature salted butter to the flour/sugar mixture and use your hands to rub the butter into it until it's fully incorporated.
- Assemble the pie by adding the apple mixture to the crust, arranging the apples so they fill in the crust completely without holes or gaps.
- Crumble the topping evenly over the top of the apples.
- Place the pie inside a large grocery paper bag so the pie does not touch the bag on the sides or on the top. Carefully fold down the open end of the bag and secure it closed with staples or uncoated paperclips, then place the bag on top of a large baking sheet.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour.
- Once completely baked, carefully open the paper bag to avoid the steam that will escape from it. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- In the Refrigerator: Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave for 30–60 seconds.
- In the Freezer: Cool completely, wrap in plastic and foil, and freeze up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Bake frozen pie at 350ºF for 20–30 minutes until heated through. Tent with foil if the edges brown too fast.
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
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