Apple pie filling can be used in far more than apple pie, you know. Crisps, turnovers, with pancakes, oatmeal…loads of things! That’s why I love to keep a couple of bags in my freezer -ready to go- during the winter months when a warm, gooey apple dessert tastes best.
It’s so simple, you can put up several bags in no time!
Do you visit an apple orchard in the fall? We frequently do. Fresh-picked fruit straight from the tree..yes, please! I also watch for sales at the grocery to stock up. And a couple of times, we have hit the apple jackpot.
My parents have some friends who own an orchard that sells direct to grocery stores. They always have bushels of apples that can’t go to stores due to blemishes. Kindly, they bless friends with these seconds. It was upon receiving more apples than I knew what to do with that I found this recipe.
And I’ve been making it ever since.
Apple Pie Filling
Be sure to start with apples that lend themselves to baking. Our generous apple donors grew Honeycrisp. (As if getting piles of apples isn’t good enough…they were Honeycrisp!!) Some other varieties that work well are: Granny Smith, Cortland, Fuji, Jonagold, and Braeburn. Mixing apple varieties is always yummy, too.
Today, I’m freezing a mix of Honeycrisp, Fuji and a variety called ‘Sweet Tango’.
First, you need to peel your apples. Then, slice them up. Here’s how I do it:
I cut off the ‘cheeks’ of the apples.
Then slice each one into fairly thin slices.
As you slice them up, drop the slices in a bowl of cold water with some lemon juice squeezed in it. Once you collect 4-6 cups of sliced apples, it’s time to mix up your sugar and spice mixture. A little flour is added for thickening, too. Then cut up 2 Tablespoons of cold butter into pretty small pieces. Mix this all together in a gallon sized Ziploc bag.
Then it’s as easy as draining your apples, dumping them into the bag, and mushing it all together.
When I’m doing lots of bags, I usually mix the sugar and spices up directly in the bags and set up a kind of assembly line, draining and adding apples as soon as I’ve got enough for a bag.
To use the apple pie filling, thaw it enough to be able to squeeze every bit of goodness out of the bag. Dump it into your pie shell. Top with another crust, or crumbles. (Or if you’re making an apple crisp, just thaw and dump it into a square baking dish and top with your crisp mixture). Bake as usual.
To make a sweet topping for pancakes or oatmeal or cake..or anything else your heart desires… just heat the filling up in a saucepan. Cook until apples are soft, but not mushy…about 15 minutes.
If you find yourself with an abundance of apples this fall, this is a fantastic way to preserve the goodness. Heck, it’s worth buying extra apples just for this apple pie filling! Then, this winter, you’ll have a quick way to whip up a warm and delicious apple dessert.
You will thank yourself for thinking ahead…
…and while you’re thinking ahead, grab some ice cream to go with your pie!
Ingredients
- 4-6 cups of peeled, sliced apples
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- squeeze of lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Instructions
- As you peel and slice apples, place the slices in a bowl of cold water with a bit of lemon juice (fresh or bottled) squeezed in.
- Mix together sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and butter.
- Put mixture in a labeled, gallon-sized Ziploc bag.
- Drain apples and add to bag.
- Shake to coat with sugar and spice mixture.
- Seal bag, removing as much air as possible.
- Store in freezer.
- To Use:
- Remove bag from freezer and thaw a bit. Dump mixture into pie shell, top with another crust or crumbles. To make apple crisp, thaw and pour everything from bag into a square baking dish and top with crisp mixture. Bake as usual.
What a great idea! I’m just starting to do a lot of freezer meals but hadn’t thought of desserts. I pinned for later, gotta go get some apples!
Elizabeth @ Ellie and Elizabeth recently posted…Cheap Halloween Decor
Great! I hope you like it as much as we do. There’s nothing like a quick, warm dessert on a cold night!
So easy sounding! I used to pick apples years ago but it would still be worth the price to buy some nice fresh apples now that it is apple season now.
I haven’t got apple-picking in a few years, either. But the grocery has such a great variety at really good prices, it’s definitely worth stocking up! We have loads right now.
Yum. Great idea. Apples are my favorite food. 🙂
Barbara recently posted…5 Steps To Become More Disciplined In Your Fitness Routine (Weekly Workouts)
Good choice of a favorite food!
This is brilliant! It’s apple season and there are no shortage of farmer’s markets and local orchards nearby to stock up. Yummy!
Tammy Rome recently posted…Complex Migraine Is Not A Diagnosis!
Thanks for stopping by, Tammy!
Yum. Nice recipe. Looks delicious. I haven’t made apple pie because I’m clueless about crusts, but I make plenty of applesauce, using a variety of apples. I don’t peel the apples, however, but I do use a food mill. Thank you for this colorful (and delicious) post.
Alice, I’ll tell you the truth…I never make my own crusts. I’ve done it, and they never taste as good as the ones from Trader Joes, in my opinion. They are refrigerator crusts, but they are in the freezer section. And they last such a long time!
Oh my goodness, talk about a whole bag of goodness! This time of year, with the leaves turning and the weather cooling down, I find myself going for warm comfort foods likes soups and chowders. And the apple harvest finally brings fresh ones to the stores once again. Such a bunch of yummy.
The last time I made pancakes, I did exactly as you suggest with a couple of apples. It was nice change from using syrup. I think the apple pie filling would be really good with oatmeal as well.
Thanks for sharing the deliciousness!
Isn’t it funny how our tastes change with the seasons like that? I’ve noticed that my craving for stews and all its warm, comforting friends has started. It’s nice to have things like this on hand. I hope you enjoy it!
OMG, this is perfect for me! I love apple crisp but usually don’t have apples when I have the craving. This is so cool, I printed the recipe to have on hand. Thank you!
Martha recently posted…Before Hurricane Matthew Hit South Carolina
Martha, I’m thrilled that you are so excited about this. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Thanks for sharing that wonderful recipe!!! I will be sure to try it out, I love apple pie! And this will save so much time!
Enjoy it! I’m so glad you stopped by. Be blessed–
Susan – thank you so much ! We have a very mature tree that when we bought out house 2 years ago had never produced apples…. but the previous owners had it pruned to make the view better before selling and well, it kicked it into producing apples, but the last 2 year, they were not great – this year however… it has finally started to grow and the fruit is amazing and perfect for apple pie. I have printed and will be making this delicious goodness.
Debbie, I SO want an apple tree in my yard. When we moved to our new home several years ago I checked in to getting one and found the most clever saying when I did a search for the best time to plant apple trees. It said, “The best time to plant an apple tree was 10 years ago. The next best time is today.” 🙂 I still don’t have one. Enjoy yours!!
it looks so yum & time saving for me will surely try
Enjoy!
What a great idea Susan. I never thought of freezing it. I try to make everything I can at once lol. I am going to do this now. My cookie cups came out so amazing you have to try them and let me know how you like them! 🙂
Jennifer Kelly recently posted…10 Reasons Why Everyone Needs A Tribe
Jennifer, I thought about using these apples when I saw your cookie recipe! Thanks for stopping by.
This is such a great idea! Thank you for sharing your recipe and technique. I’ve pinned this for future reference.
Thank you for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
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Thanks, Richella! I hope you love it as much as we do! And thanks, also, for featuring my post. That makes my day!
Apple Pie is my all time favorite dessert, so I should surely make some filling so that I have it whenever the craving starts. Thanks for the suggestion and the recipe.
Enjoy your Honeycrisps…they are so yummy..
Have a great weekend.
Lynn
Thanks for stopping by, Lynn. Hope you enjoy the pie filling as much as we do!
How long and what temperature do you make the pie when you are ready to make it?
Hi Kimberly, You can really use any pie recipe you like. Most that I found recommend baking at 375-400 for 45-55 minutes.