This strawberry apple pie combines the flavors of spring and fall. Ripe, juicy strawberries and tart apples baked inside the best flaky pie crust.
Just one bite of this wickedly delicious strawberry apple pie will make all your dreams come true! Well, maybe not all of them, but it will definitely make your day a lot better.
From the fresh strawberries and apples that are coated in sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest to the golden buttery crust. It's the most perfect blend of flavors and you and your family will love it.
For more strawberry recipes, try Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake and Easy Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Fresh strawberries. This recipe uses fresh, ripe strawberries that releases a ton of juice when they are baked, creating the most delicious pie filling.
- Tart apples. To help balance the sweetness as well as give some texture to this pie, I use Granny Smith apples. You can enjoy this pie from spring until fall.
- Buttery crust. There is nothing better than butter and this dough has just the right amount to make a tender, flaky pie crust.
- Can be made ahead of time. I love make ahead desserts and you can easily make this pie dough in advance and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to bake.
- Easy to make. This pie recipe is not overly complicated and uses basic ingredients that most of us have inside our pantry.
KEY INGREDIENT NOTES
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Fresh strawberries- Use fresh for the best taste. Also, frozen fruits release more juice, more quickly and can make the filling watery and cause the crust to be soggy.
- Granny Smith apples- I use one medium size apple. Peel and core the apple and cut into cubes.
- Butter- Use unsalted butter and make sure it's cold throughout the entire process of mixing the dough.
- Cinnamon- I love the sweet, woodsy flavor this adds to the baked strawberries. They go so well together.
- Lemon juice and zest- Lemon juice really balances the sweetness and it also enhances the natural flavors in this filling.
- All purpose flour- This acts as a thickening agent. Make sure your pie filling is bubbling before you remove it from the oven.
- Egg wash- Mixing together the egg and water and brushing it on top of our pie dough gives the crust a shiny appearance and helps it to brown.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: Prepare butter. Cut butter into small cubes and place inside refrigerator until you're ready to mix dough.
STEP 2: Mix dry ingredients. Add flour, salt and sugar inside food processor. Pulse a couple times to mix everything together.
STEP 3: Add cold butter. Next, add chilled butter to dry ingredients. Pulse until mixture is coarse and begins to form tiny pea size clumps of butter.
STEP 4: Add ice water. Add a little at a time, pulsing and checking dough until it comes together. The dough shouldn't be wet but will hold together when you press it between your fingertips.
STEP 5: Divide dough. Weigh out two (12 oz) balls of dough. Flatten and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill dough for 1 hour.
STEP 6: Roll bottom crust. Leave dough at room temperature for 30 minutes to become more pliable. Lightly flour surface and roll dough into a circle, about ¼" to ½ thickness. Place into a greased 9" pie tin. Trim excess dough from the rim. Chill for 30 minutes.
STEP 7: Prepare filling. In bowl, add flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Toss in sliced strawberries, diced apples, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix until evenly coated.
STEP 8: Fill pie. Add filling to the inside of the pie crust. Add small dollops of butter on top of the fruit.
STEP 9: Bake pie. Place inside a 350 degree oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. If crust begins to get too dark, cover it with foil.
TOP PIE CRUST
For the second ball of dough, roll out to ½" thickness. I found a great Poison apple printable which I printed onto card stock and used as a template for the top of the pie crust.
I used a leaf cutter for the border and an X-acto knife to cut out the stem. After cutting out shapes, chill dough for 30 minutes.
Brush with egg wash and bake separately for 10-12 minutes until deep golden brown.
Once the pie is finished baking, decorate top with Poison Apple and leaves. If you decide not to use the Poison Apple design, I've shared some other decorative ideas below.
DECORATIVE PIE DESIGNS
Here are some ways to use and decorate the top crust of your pie.
- Lattice- Strips of dough are layered over and under creating a basketweave design. It also allows you to see all the fruity goodness beneath the crust.
- Double crust- Cover the entire pie with a top crust. Make small slits in the center of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
- Cut outs- Use a variety of cookie cutters and arrange them on top of the fruit filling. For smaller shapes, bake them separately from your pie so they do not burn and decorate after the pie has finished baking, as I did with the Poison Apple.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use cold ingredients. This is the key to making perfect pie dough. Cold ingredients do not mix well together which allows the butter and flour to remain coarse. Having little bits of butter throughout your dough means flaky crust for you.
- Do not add all the water at once. Slowly pour your ice water into the dough, and check before adding the entire amount. You can always add more but can't take out.
- Do not overmix. Once your dough begins to form clumps, stop and check. If the dough holds together when you pinch it between your fingers, it's ready.
- Let your dough rest. After mixing, refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before rolling. This allows the dough to relax and the butter to get cold again, resulting in a flaky crust when it's baked.
- Chill dough after rolling. Let your dough chill a second time after rolling, around 30 minutes. This will prevent the dough from shrinking when it hits the hot oven.
FAQ
For the best taste, use fresh fruit. Frozen fruit also releases more juice when its heated and can result in a runny filling.
The number one reason why fruit pies are runny is they are underbaked. Any thickener needs time to set up. A good rule is to wait until you see the edges begin to bubble. This is a good indication that your filling is set and thickened.
Granny Smith apples are great for baking because they hold their shape. They are also slightly tart so the pie is not overly sweet. Honeycrisp, Braeburn and McIntosh are also good options.
STORING AND FREEZING
This strawberry apple pie can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Wrap in plastic or store in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.
FREEZING
You can freeze this Poison Apple strawberry pie by wrapping it tight in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 30 days.
Thaw the pie in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 hours. To reheat, place inside a 350 degree toaster oven. Lightly cover it with foil and heat for 10 minutes.
OTHER HALLOWEEN RECIPES TO TRY
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Strawberry Apple Pie
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 8 oz Butter Unsalted, cold and cut into cubes
- 13 oz Flour All purpose
- ¼ cup Sugar White granulated
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Ice Water
Strawberry-Apple Filling
- 4 cups Strawberries Sliced
- 1 each Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and cut into small dice
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- ¼ cup Sugar White granulated
- ⅓ cup Flour All purpose
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon Ground
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Butter Unsalted
Egg Wash
- 1 each Egg Large
- 1 tablespoon Water
Instructions
Pie Dough
- Cut butter into cubes. Place back in the refrigerator to stay cold while you measure other ingredients. In food processor, blend flour, sugar and salt. Add cubed butter and pulse until mixture is coarse with tiny pea-size clumps of butter.
- Slowly add ice water, a little bit at a time. Pulse until combined. Check by pinching dough in between fingers. If it crumbles, add 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together.
- Divide dough into two balls, each weigh roughly 12 oz. Flatten and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Strawberry-Apple Filling
- Add flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt to a bowl. Peel, core and cut apple into a small dice. Slice strawberries. Toss fruit with dry ingredients. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix until evenly coated.
Assembly
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Dust surface with flour and roll dough out to ¼" to ½" thick. Place inside greased 9" pie tin. Trim excess dough off the rim. Refrigerate pie shell for 30 minutes.
- For the top pie crust, roll out to ½" thick. Using Poison Apple template, cut out shape. Punch out leaves with cookie cutter and place pieces onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Chill for 30 minutes. When ready to bake, brush with egg wash.
- Add strawberry-apple filling to the chilled pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until filling is bubbling. Bake pie dough cut outs separately for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove pie from oven and top with Poison Apple cut out and decorate border with leaves. Serve at room temperature.
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