This Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon will become a cozy fall favorite.

Made with a flaky sourdough pie crust dough and filled with crisp apple slices, brown sugar, and cinnamon, each bite bursts with comforting flavors.

Using an active sourdough starter or discard, you’ll achieve a deliciously golden brown crust and a warm, spiced filling that’s perfect for autumn baking.

A close-up of the finished sourdough apple pie with a golden, flaky crust in a ceramic pie dish, surrounded by apples and rustic decor, capturing a cozy autumn feel.

Ruby Ann and I worked together in our cottage kitchen to perfect this sourdough apple pie. Using our experience with sourdough bread and crust, we created a flaky pie crust that complements the tartness of fresh apples. We believe it’s the best sourdough apple pie for family gatherings and cozy nights in.

Why You Will Love This Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon

Golden Brown Crust: The pie crust bakes to a beautiful golden brown, providing the perfect flaky texture.

Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Filling: Fresh Honeycrisp apple slices blend with cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup for a comforting filling.

Versatile Sourdough Recipes: This recipe is a great way to use sourdough discard or active starter, making it adaptable to any baker.

Best Way to Enjoy Fall: This classic apple pie recipe is easy to make and brings out the best of fall flavors.

A slice of sourdough apple pie on a floral plate, with a flaky crust and juicy apple filling, capturing the warmth of homemade pie for fall.

Tips for Making Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon

Chill the Dough: Chilling the pie crust dough after rolling on a lightly floured work surface helps create a flaky pie crust.
Mix Apples Evenly: Toss apple slices, spices, and flour mixture in a large mixing bowl to coat evenly, which provides the best results.
Brush with Egg Yolk: A brush of egg yolk on top of the pie crust adds a rich golden color when baked.
Use Coarse Sugar: For a bakery-style touch, sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the pie crust before baking.
Cover Edges: Use a pie shield to protect the edges of the pie from over-browning for a perfectly golden brown crust.

FAQ on Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie

What’s the best way to get a flaky, golden brown sourdough crust?

Achieving a perfect flaky crust requires cold butter, a lightly floured work surface, and gentle handling of the dough. Chilling the dough before rolling also helps create layers, resulting in that golden, flaky texture.

How can I keep the bottom crust from getting soggy?

Pre-baking the bottom crust for a few minutes and ensuring the apple filling isn’t overly juicy can prevent a soggy bottom. You can also brush the crust with egg wash to create a moisture barrier.

Can I make this recipe with sourdough discard instead of an active starter?

Absolutely! Sourdough discard works wonderfully in this recipe, adding a subtle tang to the crust without requiring an active starter. It’s a great way to use extra sourdough and reduce waste.

What are the best apples for this pie?

A combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith provides a balanced mix of tart and sweet.

The prepared apple pie with a scalloped top crust and cut-out circles, set on a lace tablecloth with red and green apples, dried floral decor, and vintage kitchen tools in the background.

Tools you may need

Sharp Knife: For slicing apples
Large Mixing Bowl: To mix apple filling ingredients
Parchment Paper: To line baking sheets and catch drips
Food Processor: Helpful for mixing cold butter into flour mixture
Pastry Brush: To apply egg wash for a golden top crust
Pie Shield: Protects the edges from over-browning

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Ingredients for a sourdough apple pie laid out on a lace tablecloth, including green and red apples, a lemon, butter, an egg, spices, and vintage kitchen tools.

Ingredients you will need

Sourdough Pie Dough: Use a homemade or pre-made sourdough pie crust for the best results.
Apples: A mix of 8–10 Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples (800g) for balanced flavor and texture.
Granulated Sugar: 3/4 cup for sweetness, with a bit extra for sprinkling on top.
Lemon Juice: 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed juice to brighten the apple filling.
Ground Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon for that classic, warm apple pie spice.
Apple Pie Spice: 1 teaspoon to add extra warmth and depth to the filling.
Ground Cloves: A pinch adds depth to the spiced flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: 2 tablespoons to thicken the apple filling.
Egg Yolk: One, beaten for a glossy egg wash on the crust.
Cold Butter: Cubed and dotted on the filling for extra richness.

An uncooked apple pie filled with spiced apple slices and dotted with butter pieces, ready for the top crust. The setting includes red and green apples, cinnamon sticks, and a vintage egg beater on a lace tablecloth.

How To Make Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Pie Dough

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the sourdough pie dough into two 10–12 inch circles, depending on your pie dish size. Place one crust into a pie dish, pressing it gently along the bottom and up the sides. Wrap the other crust dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes. This helps it hold its shape for a lattice or decorative top.

An unbaked sourdough pie crust pressed into a white pie dish with crimped edges, accompanied by baking tools and wheat stalks on a lace tablecloth.

Step 2: Place Bottom Dough into Pie Dish

Gently press the first crust into the bottom and along the sides of your pie dish, smoothing out any wrinkles. Ensure the dough reaches slightly over the edges to form a good seal later.

Step 3: Prepare the Apple Filling

Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly, placing them in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, flour, lemon juice, apple pie spice, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of ground cloves. Toss the apples until they’re evenly coated in the spices and flour, which helps thicken the filling as it bakes. Use a pinch of salt if your using unsalted butter.

Step 4: Assemble the Pie

Spoon the apple mixture evenly into the prepared crust in the pie dish. Dot the apple filling with small cubes of cold butter to add richness and flavor.

Step 5: Top and Seal the Pie

Take the chilled top crust and carefully lay it over the filling. Trim any excess dough around the edges and seal by crimping or pressing with a fork. Use a sharp knife to cut a few small vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape you can skip this step if your using lattice design. Brush the crust with a beaten egg yolk for a golden, glossy finish, and sprinkle with granulated sugar for extra crunch.

A whole homemade apple pie in a ceramic pie dish with a golden, lattice-like crust. The pie is surrounded by red and green apples, cinnamon sticks, and dried floral decor, all set on a lace tablecloth.

Step 6: Bake the Pie

Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour, rotating halfway through for even baking. After 30 minutes, cover the edges with a pie shield to prevent over-browning. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling.

Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to allow the filling to set.

Enjoy your homemade sourdough apple pie with a warm mug of Mulled Apple Cider or a mug of Pumpkin Spice Latte for the perfect cozy treat!!

A close-up of a slice of homemade sourdough apple pie on a floral plate with a silver fork. The pie has a golden crust and visible apple filling, with green and red apples and cinnamon sticks in the background.

Storage Ideas for Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap in parchment paper and plastic wrap label with date, then freeze for up to 3 months.

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Ingredients

1 sourdough pie dough pre-made or homemade
8 –10 800g apples, a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp (800g)
¾ cup 150g granulated sugar, plus extra for top
2 Tbsp 30g lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp 2g ground cinnamon
1 tsp. 2g Apple Pie Spice Seasoning
1 pinch ground cloves
2 Tbsp 15g all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk 50-55g, beaten for egg wash
2 Tbsp. 28g Cold butter, cubed *we use salted but many bakers advise unsalted use which ever you desire:)
a pinch of salt if your using unsalted butter

How To Make

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pie Dough: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the sourdough pie dough into two 10–12 inch circles. Place one crust into a pie dish, pressing it gently along the bottom and up the sides. Wrap the second crust in plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes to help it hold its shape for the top.
Place Bottom Dough into Pie Dish: Gently press the first crust into the bottom and sides of the pie dish, ensuring the dough reaches slightly over the edges for sealing.
Prepare the Apple Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly, then place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, apple pie spice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and a pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter). Toss the apples until evenly coated in the spices and flour to help thicken the filling.
Assemble the Pie: Spoon the apple filling evenly into the prepared crust in the pie dish. Dot the filling with small cubes of cold butter for extra richness.
Add Top Crust and Seal the Pie: Take the chilled top crust and carefully place it over the filling. Trim any excess dough around the edges and seal by crimping or pressing with a fork. Use a sharp knife to cut a few small vents in the top crust for steam to escape. Brush the top with a beaten egg yolk for a golden finish, and sprinkle with extra sugar for added crunch.
Bake the Pie: Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour, rotating halfway through for even baking. After 30 minutes, cover the edges with a pie shield to prevent over-browning. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Cool and Serve :Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to let the filling set. Enjoy your homemade sourdough apple pie with a cozy drink like mulled cider or a pumpkin spice latte!

Notes

Use Cold Ingredients for the Crust: Cold butter and even chilling the flour can help create a flaky, tender crust. The colder the ingredients, the more defined the flaky layers will be.

Add Lemon Juice to Prevent Browning: Mixing the apple slices with lemon juice not only adds brightness to the flavor but also keeps the apples from browning while you prepare the other ingredients.

Avoid Over-Mixing the Dough: When making the crust, gently combine the ingredients until they just come together. Over-mixing can lead to a tough crust.

Control the Filling’s Juiciness: If your apple filling is overly juicy, add a bit more flour or cornstarch to prevent a runny pie. Thickening the filling helps achieve a sliceable texture once it’s baked.

Choose the Right Apples: For the best flavor and texture, use a mix of sweet and tart apples like Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. This balance prevents the filling from becoming too sweet or mushy.

Cool Completely Before Slicing: It’s tempting to dive right in, but letting the pie cool fully allows the filling to set, giving you clean slices and a beautifully set filling.

Nutrition

Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon

Why You Will Love This Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon

Tips for Making Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie with Cinnamon

FAQ on Homemade Sourdough Apple Pie

What’s the best way to get a flaky, golden brown sourdough crust?

How can I keep the bottom crust from getting soggy?