This perfect homemade freezer apple pie filling is easy to make, and super-delicious. Bite after bite of juicy apples are perfectly sweetened and ready to pour into your favorite pie crust. From Fall family feasts to holiday dinners to Summertime picnics, this is the undisputed champion of American desserts. And we’ve just made it easier than ever to prepare!
I’m just gonna say it: Pie is better than cake. Cake may have cornered the market on birthdays and weddings, but as far as desserts go, it’s a show pony. Professional dessert lovers know that a homemade pie is unbeatable.
And the mother of all pies is the old-fashioned, all-American, apple pie. I love it nice and warm, but apple pie is delicious at every temperature. Some like it chilled, straight from the fridge. My hubby’s favorite is kitchen-counter temperature (late at night when everyone is sleeping!)
Whipped cream is the topping of choice for most people, although my friends in New England insist that apple pie isn’t complete without a nice slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
I’ve tried it that way and it’s not bad – but for me there’s nothing better than apple pie à la mode. Warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that’s just starting to melt and drip down the sides… Mmmm…yes, please!
As delicious as apple pie can be, it requires some prep work. But the beauty of this recipe is that it’s designed to let you make the pie filling in advance and freeze it ‘til you need it.
Whether you make your pie crust from scratch or opt for a ready-made frozen pie crust, this is the time-saver you need for the apple pie you love. In about 55 minutes you’ll have 4 batches of pie filling to freeze to use throughout the season.
Special occasion? Holiday dinner? Fun, family treat? Just grab a bag of this make ahead pie filling and you’re halfway done. It’s as close as we may ever come to homemade pie on-demand (a lifelong fantasy of mine).
WHAT KIND OF APPLES ARE BEST FOR APPLE PIE?
There are more than 100 varieties of apples grown commercially in the United States – but don’t let the choices overwhelm you. Fresh apples with a firm texture are the key to a great pie. When choosing your apples, first you need to decide the flavor profile of your pie.
For a sweeter pie, go with Golden Delicious or Braeburn, or Cosmic Crisp.
For a pie that’s more tart, go with Granny Smith, Fuji Crimson Crisp, or Jonathan.
There are so many wonderful options available that it’s hard to go wrong. You could even combine 3-4 different types of apples in the same pie. Just make sure to avoid Red Delicious and Gala apples, which turn a little mushy after baking.
SHOULD I SOAK MY APPLES IN LEMON JUICE OR SALTED WATER?
Once you peel or slice an apple, you’ll notice the insides start to turn brown. This is a natural chemical reaction that occurs when oxygen comes in contact with the enzymes of the fruit. Your apples are still perfectly edible, but visually less appealing. A quick soak of your sliced apples in salted water or lemon juice water prevents the browning and keeps your apple slices looking beautiful. Your water soak can be done with either lemon juice or salted water.
I prefer the salt option because I always have salt on hand, but I don’t always have fresh lemons or lemon juice. I’ve also found that salt works better than lemons at keeping my apples looking pretty. Salt is also much less expensive – and we’re all about saving money!
INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED
This easy-to-make freezer apple pie filling requires a few bags of fresh apples. And the rest of the ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. #BudgetFriendly
It’s made fresh with only natural ingredients. No chemicals, nothing impossible to pronounce. The 8 ingredients you need are pictured below.
HOW TO MAKE FREEZER APPLE PIE FILLING – Step by Step
Create your water soak by adding 8 cups cold water to a large bowl, then add 2 teaspoons salt and stir until salt it is dissolved (OR 8 cups cold water, then add the juice of 1 lemon).
Peel, core and slice all of your apples thinly, adding directly into the salted water. I use an apple peeler corer slicer, which is a HUGE time saver.
Once you’ve added the last apple to the water soak, set aside to soak for at least 5 minutes.
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot add white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until combined.
Add 6 cups water and whisk again until mixed well. Place pot onto stove (uncovered) on medium heat. Bring to a boil, then cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Drain apples using a strainer and gently rinse with tap water.
Add apples to the pot of sugar and spices, and stir with a large spoon (wooden or nylon to prevent scratching the pot). When everything is mixed together, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. You’ll know it’s boiling when you hear the first few plops of liquid between the apples, like bubbling lava. This should take around 5-6 minutes to get to boiling.
As soon as it starts boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-9 minutes or until apples are tender but still firm. Yes, the best way to tell is by tasting a piece. But don’t burn your mouth!
Remove from heat, uncover and let cool for at least 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to help it cool quickly.
Place the apple pie filling in a container of your choice (mason jars, air-tight containers or a large bowl) and refrigerate up to 5 days or place into gallon sized freezer bags to freeze for up to 12 months.
Boom, you’re officially pie-ready!
WATCH MY VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE APPLE PIE FILLING TO FREEZE
———————-🡪 video here
HOW DO I FREEZE APPLE PIE FILLING?
Ladle 5 cups of cooled apple pie filling into each gallon-sized freezer safe bag. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible and freeze flat. Can be stored for up to a year in the freezer. Recipe makes 4 bags. Each bag = 1 pie.
To use, simply thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours and then add to pie crust as usual.
HOW DO I USE THIS FILLING IN A PIE?
Begin to thaw the frozen apple pie filling by placing the bag in the fridge 2 days before making pie. Once thawed, simply squeeze the filling out of the bag. Prep your pie pan by adding your bottom crust into the pan. Squeeze filling into pan and add top crust on top. Brush with 1 beaten egg, and then bake pie in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are bubbling.
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
A silicone pie crust shield will protect the outer ring of your crust from burning. You can also use strips of aluminum foil. Be sure to remove your protective ring for the last 15 minutes of baking.
How to use it in apple crisp: In a lightly greased baking dish pour the filling into 8×8 pan. Top with apple crisp topping then bake as directed. Here is my recipe for the best ever apple crisp.
If you want to can this recipe I recommend not adding the apples after cooking the syrup. Drain the apples then mix them with 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Pack the apples into about 7-8 quart sized jars, pour syrup into jars and use knife to remove air bubbles. Seal and process for 20 minutes in a water bath canner.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH APPLES?
- Dip them into a https://happymoneysaver.com/recipe-delicious-apple-dip/
- Create these easy Campire Apple Crisp Foil Packets
- Bake a yummy Freezer-Friendly Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
- Make this old-fashioned Apple Brown Betty Recipe
- Make a batch of hand-dipped Caramel Apples
- Make Canned Applesauce
The next time you make this freezer apple pie filling, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!
Freezer Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
Water Soak
- 8 cups water
- 2 tsps salt
- …OR…
- 8 cups water
- 1 juice of a lemon
Pie Filling
- 20 cups thinly sliced apples about 20 apples
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar packed down when measuring
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt regular table salt or iodized salt
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 2 dashes ground nutmeg a dash is 1/8 of a teaspoon. 2 dashes is a ¼ teaspoon
- 6 cups water for pie filling
Instructions
Water Soak
- Create your water soak by adding 8 cups cold water to a large bowl, then add 2 teaspoons salt and stir until salt it is dissolved (OR 8 cups cold water, then add the juice of 1 lemon).
- Peel, core and slice all of your apples thinly, adding directly into the salted water. I use an apple peeler corer slicer, which is a HUGE time saver.
- Once you’ve added the last apple to the water soak, set aside to soak for at least 5 minutes.
Pie Filling
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot add white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until combined. Add 6 cups water and whisk again until mixed well. Place pot onto stove (uncovered) on medium heat. Bring to a boil, then cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Drain apples using a strainer and gently rinse with tap water.
- Add apples to the pot of sugar and spices, and stir with a large spoon (wooden or nylon to prevent scratching the pot). When everything is mixed together, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. You’ll know it’s boiling when you hear the first few plops of liquid between the apples, like bubbling lava. This should take around 5-6 minutes to get to boiling.
- As soon as it starts boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-9 minutes or until apples are tender but still firm.
- Remove from heat, uncover and let cool for at least 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to help it cool quickly.
- How to use it in apple crisp: In a lightly greased baking dish pour the filling into 8×8 pan. Top with apple crisp topping then bake as directed. Here is my recipe for the best ever apple crisp.
- If you want to can this recipe I recommend not adding the apples after cooking the syrup. Drain the apples then mix them with 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Pack the apples into about 7-8 quart sized jars, pour syrup into jars and use knife to remove air bubbles. Seal and process for 20 minutes in a water bath canner.
Notes
- A silicone pie crust shield will protect the outer ring of your crust from burning or use strips of aluminum foil. Be sure to remove your protective ring for the last 15 minutes of baking.
- How to use it in apple crisp: In a lightly greased baking dish pour the filling into 8×8 pan. Top with apple crisp topping then bake as directed. Here is my recipe for the best ever apple crisp.
- If you want to can this recipe: I recommend not adding the apples after cooking the syrup. Drain the apples then mix them with 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Pack the apples into about 7-8 quart sized jars, pour syrup into jars and use knife to remove air bubbles. Seal and process for 20 minutes in a water bath canner.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe?
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About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Amelia Wildeman says
I have always wanted to try this and when my neighbor had free apples from her tree, well why not? It’s SO simple and SO much better than canned filling. I will be making this more often!
Susan L Lewis says
This was the best apple pie filling I’ve ever tasted. I followed the directions exactly except I quartered the recipe, and since I was doing a smaller amount I only cooked the apples for 7 minutes. I used the salt bath for the apples ( thank you, I never knew that trick). My only bad comment is that it did not make 5 cups – it made maybe 4 cups of filling. That’s OK for now because we’re going to use it for puggy pies over a campfire. If I make it for a pie I’ll double that amount since I like deep dish pies anyway. Thank you for the recipe!
Karrie says
So happy you love it!!!
marye Rusack. says
I have an apple tree in the property i bought. It must have been left awhile as it’s very wild and the apples are ugly, but delicious. I use this recipe but dice my apples after I remove the bug bites and dings. The bonus is that dicing allows more apple in each bite. I also add powdered apple cider mix with the water. Freezer bags of apple filling give me the time to make turnovers, crisp or many others things in very little time.
Elmo says
I am going to give this a try
CHRISTINA says
How long can the filling last in the fridge. Never was frozen?
Karrie says
It can last 2-3 days, but you might need to heat it back up, and stir it up again well.
Julie says
After thawing there is alot of liquad that needed to be drained.
Cls says
New to making freezer pie filling. This recipe is delicious, I used a little extra that was left over from freezing, and made a apple crisp, it was the best I’ve ever made.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Michele Bittner says
I love the taste and how easy it was to make. The only thing I found, I only had enough filling for maybe four bags. I had to take some out of the three other bags to get four bags. When I make it next time, I’m going to have to increase the apples I used. I used 25 this time. Maybe I’ll go to 35 apples. Thank you so much for letting me use your recipes. They were awesome.
Nan. C says
I made an apple crisp before freezing the apple filling. I used an 9×9 buttered pan 4 cups apple mixture. Crumb mixture of 1 cup flour, 2 cups old fashioned oats, 3/4 cup brown sugar a very light sprinkle of cinnamon & added 1 stick butter melted. One stick butter is a half cup.Crumbled with hands and spread on top. Oven pre heated at 350.* Bake for 40 minutes. I loved everything about this filling. Hope the pies turn out as good!
Gail says
I really like the idea of making a pie filling ahead of time and freezing it, but the amount of water always seems to be too much for the amount of apples. Also the cornstarch seemed like an awful lot. I added less water, and cornstarch to my apples, always seem to have a lot of gooey mess left over that would turn your crust into something inedible after baking. Maybe I’m not measuring correctly. But still love the idea of being able to prep ahead of time for my pies.
Kathy Henderson says
I used 6lb of baked apples and the recipe of spice, sugar, water mixture. It was a little loose looked like gray thickness. P.S. can I still freeze it? Thank you for your help.
Susie says
Yuck. Way too much corn starch. It was like a jelly consistency.
Julie says
2021 Thanksgiving time saver! The pie with Granny Smith apples and a Dutch crumbly topping was delicious even as left-overs. When thawed though, a significant amount of liquid had to be drained.
Trixie says
Found the recipe tastes like canned pie filling
sarah says
mine is really runny… maybe not enough apples…what can i do to thicken up?
Joe Yarama says
this reciept makes no sense
Kathleen says
So I tried this freezer apple pie filling and it turned out great after the cooking process. We were eating spoonful’s of it because it was so delicious. I made a few pastries with it and froze the rest. When I decided to unthaw it and make some pies with it, it sadly did not look very appealing. The base or saucy part congealed and lumpy like gelatin. Not sure way but know it has to do with the cornstarch I think. I still put it into my pie shells and cooked them up hoping the base would go back to normal consistency, however it didn’t 🙁
The pies looked good but the insides look unappealing and congealed still. Tried to eat them, but not a great texture and flavors seem to have faded.
Very disappointed with this turn out as I was planning to make more with my apples from my tree.
So for me I will still make it but never will I freeze it again. Just use right away.
Anne says
Do I boil the mixture for 1 min before I add the apples and then bring to a boil again after adding the apples? That’s what it appears to say in the blog, but doesn’t mention the minute boil before adding the apples and boiling down in the actual recipe? Can you clarify please? Thank you!
Anne says
Oops, sorry. I found it. It says say to do that in both places. Thank you!
Kathy Longcrier says
I tried this for the first time this year because I had so many apples and wanted to do something besides apple butter or apple sauce. It is so yummy and easy we are almost finished with the bags I made. Thank you! I can’t wait for next year’s crop.
I am wondering if you ever used apricots or other fruits for this recipe?
Gail says
I’m thrilled to see this freezer apple pie filling!
But I was in a rush and sliced & froze several bags of apple slices without cooking them (I hadn’t seen this recipe)!
Can you suggest what I can do with the bags of plain frozen apple slices?
Karrie says
Just give them a try in apple crisp or pie – see how they do. If all else fails, you can cook them after thawing and puree them into apple sauce.