Recipe Roundup

Our 35 Best Apple Pies and Tarts

We've got true Americana here, with lattice tops and all, plus some funky takes on the classic.
Classic doublecrust apple pie in a ceramic pie dish with one slice removed.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi

First things first: Learn how to choose the best apples for apple pie. Second things second, familiarize yourself with our very favorite pie dough. Third things third: Scroll through our best apple pie recipes to find the one that speaks to you.

  • Classic doublecrust apple pie in a ceramic pie dish with one slice removed.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    1/35

    Our Favorite Apple Pie

    Our favorite apple pie is the perfect combination of an all-butter flaky crust and tender, toothsome apples.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    2/35

    Apple Pie Cookies

    These adorable treats are the ultimate mash-up of crisp linzer cookies and apple hand pies. Each flaky cookie crust holds a dollop of cinnamon-flecked apple filling, creating a dessert that screams fall.

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  • Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
    3/35

    Fried Apple Pies

    These fat half-moons of crisp, chewy dough ooze with spiced stewed dried apples. Yes, please.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    4/35

    Latticed Apple and Cranberry Tart

    Rum-soaked currants, a hint of cinnamon, and a flourish of lemon add dimension to the cranberry and apple filling of this tart.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    5/35

    Glazed and Flaky Apple Tart

    If you're the type who prefers desserts that go heavy on the fruit, this apple tart's for you.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    6/35

    Apple and Persimmon Tarte Tatin

    The delicate, earthy sweetness of Fuyu persimmons is a perfect match for apples in this classic French dessert. A quick caramel sauce and easy puff pastry crust give you big payoff for very little fuss.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    7/35

    Goat Cheese, Honey, and Rye Crust Pie

    Okay, so this is more like a cheesecake-y pie topped with apples—not traditional apple pie, but excellent nonetheless.

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  • Photo by Amber Wilson
    8/35

    Bacon-Latticed Apple Pie

    This pie is both sweet and salty. The smoky bacon, mingling with the spiced apples and bourbon crust, is heavenly.

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  • Photo by Charles Masters, Food Styling by Sue Li
    9/35

    Classic Apple Pie

    For deep apple flavor, the fruit in this pie is macerated. The juice is then reduced to a syrup and returned to the filling, along with Chinese five spice powder (a blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns).

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    10/35

    3-Ingredient Caramel Apple Tart

    Store-bought caramel sauce and frozen puff pastry are the secrets to a showstopping Thanksgiving dessert that you can make in under an hour.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    11/35

    BA's Best Deep-Dish Apple Pie

    The key to the richest apple pie filling? Macerate apples in brown sugar, lemon, and spices, then reduce the juices with fresh cider to concentrate the flavors before baking.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    12/35

    Salted Apple Pretzel Pie

    A soft-pretzel crust and a giant salted-pretzel topper take the place of traditional pie dough in this fun twist on apple pie.

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  • Chris Court
    13/35

    Brown Butter Apple Tart

    An easy cookie crust and a fragrant, custardy filling laced with rings of apple set this fall dessert apart from the competition.

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  • Photo by Romulo Yanes
    14/35

    Rum Raisin Apple Pie

    Raisins steeped in dark rum mingle with tart and sweet apples in this updated version of an American favorite. It's a showstopper when paired with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

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  • Photo by Jennifer May
    15/35

    Apple Brioche Tart

    Light and buttery, brioche makes a lovely base for fruit in baked pastries—so why not a tart? You can use any fruit or nut here, but this version, with thin slices of apples and plenty of cinnamon, is a fall favorite. If you like, you can fold the edges of the crust over the fruit, like a galette.

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  • Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    16/35

    Salted-Butter Apple Galette With Maple Whipped Cream

    This laid-back apple galette got a standing ovation during tastings, thanks to its crisp crust and the ideal sweet-salty balance.

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  • Teri Lyn Fisher
    23/35

    Tiny Fried Apple Pies

    Because their delicious apple filling is all sealed up—wrapped in dough like hand pies or campfire pies, but bite-size—these sweet little pies are perfect finger food.

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  • Photo by Paulette Tavormina
    24/35

    Tarte Tatin

    While pie dough is the typical crust used for this tart, we've swapped in store-bought puff pastry for an easier preparation.

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  • Elinor Carucci
    27/35

    Mock Mincemeat Pie

    Old-fashioned mincemeat contained tiny bits of meat and/or beef suet, a type of fat. This modern, meatless version is a great mix of apples, dried fruits, and warming spices.

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  • Knoxy
    28/35

    Gluten-Free Deep-Dish Apple Pie

    What sets this pie apart from your normal apple pie is that you'll use a whopping thirteen apples, which you'll slowly cook down with Vietnamese cinnamon and brown sugar.

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  • Romulo Yanes
    29/35

    Cranberry-Apple Crumble Pie

    It's easy to understand why apple crumble pie is so immensely popular: It packs all the flavor and fragrance of a traditional apple pie underneath a carapace of nutty, buttery, cinnamon-y crumbs.

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  • 30/35

    Apple Pie

    This straightforward pie—no raisins, no spirits, no creamy accompaniments—is a heartland basic.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    31/35

    Christmas Glazed Apple Cake (Weihnachten Gedeckter Apfelkuchen)

    Covered Apple Cake (Gedeckter Apfelkuchen) is one of the cakes you’re sure to find in almost every single bakery across Germany. To make it, you line a springform pan with a sweet short pastry, fill the crust with a chunky cooked apple filling studded with raisins and flavored with cinnamon and lemon, and then use the same crust dough to make a lid for the cake. This version swaps out raisins for fresh cranberries, and lebkuchen spices to add a festive flavor.

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  • Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    32/35

    Vanilla Bean Tarte Tatin

    Don't wait too long before inverting this tart; the caramel will stick if it gets cold.

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  • Pierce Richard
    35/35

    Crispy Braeburn Apple and Almond Sheet Tart

    This French-style tart deserves a sophisticated apple. Our top pick is the Braeburn, which is crisp and sweet-tart with a fruity, almost perfumed flavor. It's a perfect match for the delicate almond filling. The Gala apple makes a nice alternative.

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Becky Hughes is the social media editor for NYT Cooking where she's written about the New York City restaurant scene and the return of the espresso martini. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and food theory from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University. During college, ... Read More
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