Old Fashioned Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe – An Apple Slab Pie With No Bottom Crust
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Old Fashioned Deep Dish Apple Pie recipe is an easy way to make apple pie. This apple slab pie has no bottom crust, instead the apples are layered in a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with one crust layered over top.
If you’re an apple lover, be sure to check out our Grandma’s Famous Apple Crisp recipe.
Old Fashioned Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe
Winner winner, chicken dinner.
If you’re looking for a family-pleasing, mouthwatering, make your house smell divine recipe, look no further than this deep dish apple pie recipe.
It’s originally from my Betty Crocker lime green 1970s recipe box. And I’m telling you, this slab apple pie recipe is timeless. It tastes just as good today as it did 50 years ago.
My oldest jumped up and down in glee when she came home from basketball practice, and that wonderful cinnamon and nutmeg fall aroma hit her nose. She is a huge fan of fruit desserts, and she gave this pie two thumbs up.
An Apple Slab Pie With No Bottom Crust
First off, we need to clear up a few things.
What is apple slab pie?
A slab apple pie is a pie that isn’t made in the traditional 9 inch pie round plate. Instead, this apple pie is baked in another vessel such as a 9 x 9 inch, 9 x 13 inch or even a sheet pan or jelly roll pan. This means apple slab pies are great to serve a crowd of people.
Often times, slab apple pies have no bottom crust either. The apple pie filling is layered in the dish first with just one crust over top.
Another great thing about slab apple pies is that they are “rustic”. This is perfect for those of us who haven’t really conquered the art of making a beautiful pie crust. Instead, the rustic appearance makes it more homey and inviting.
Rustic Deep Dish Apple Pie
You have some options when making rustic deep dish apple pie.
Do you want to make a homemade crust or a store-bought refrigerated crust in the rolled up form?
I honestly do it both ways. When I have a little extra time, the effort involved in making the homemade crust is well worth it. It’s flaky and delicious, and honestly tastes so much better.
However, I also am occasionally short on time, and a rolled up, pre-made pie crust is a life-saver. No judgement from me! You do you, and I’ll do me.
Homemade Apple Slab Pie Ingredient List
Peeled and Sliced Apples
Sugar
Flour
Ground Nutmeg
Ground Cinnamon
Salt
Butter (or margarine)
Crust Ingredients (or substitute one pre-made pie crust)
Shortening
Flour
Salt
Water
How to Make a Deep Dish Apple Pie
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Peel and slice apples. Toss in mixture of sugar, ground nutmeg and cinnamon, salt and flour.
- Pour into a 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Dot with butter.
- Prepare crust (or use a store-bought, rolled up pie crust) by cutting in shortening to flour and salt mixture until small pea-sized pieces form. Add in 2 – 3 Tablespoons of cold water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until a dough forms and comes clean from the side of the bowl.
- Gather dough into ball and kneed gently on a floured surface. Roll out into a 10-inch square.
- Fold it over the rolling pin to move to the top of the deep dish apple pie. Roll under the excess dough just inside the edge of the pan. Make slits in the top of the crust.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, tenting with foil about half way through cooking to prevent over-browning.
For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for rustic slab apple pie, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes About Apple Cobbler with Pie Crust
- You can make your own pie crust for this recipe which is super easy and yummy as can be OR use the store bought pie dough that comes in a roll.
- If you aren’t a fan of nutmeg, it could be omitted.
- The apples get completely cooked; so if you like a firmer bite to your apples in an apple cobbler or apple pie, either cut your apples thicker or do not cook as long.
- The pie crust will get too brown, so be sure to vent with foil about halfway through baking.
- Check out our Amazon store for our favorite kitchen and pantry items.
Homemade Apple Desserts
Grandma’s Sour Cream Apple Squares
Old Fashioned Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 10 - 12 cups apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter (or margarine)
Crust (option to skip and buy pre-made pie crust dough in a roll)
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup shortening (add 1 additional tablespoon)
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mix sugar, flour, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and salt; add peeled and sliced apples and mix together.
- Pour apples in to a 9 x 9 inch square baking dish. Dot the top with butter.
- To prepare crust, combine 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in shortening (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon). A pastry blender, 2 forks or a knife works. Cut into pea sized pieces.
- Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a dough ball forms.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface to make a 10-in square. Fold over rolling pin an place on top of apples.
- Fold the edges of the crust under just inside the edge of the pan. Cut slits into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. To prevent the top from getting too brown, vent with foil half way through baking.
Notes
- You can make your own one-crust pie crust for this recipe which is super easy and yummy as can be OR use the store bought pie dough that comes in a roll.
- If you aren't a fan of nutmeg, it could be omitted.
- The apples get completely cooked; so if you like a firmer bite to your apples in an apple cobbler or apple pie, either cut your apples thicker or do not cook as long.
- The pie crust will get too brown, so be sure to vent with foil about half way through baking.
- Love apples? Try his amazing Apple Crisp recipe from Minnesota.
- Please note that the carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on the products you use. The auto-calculation is an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.