Rustic Skillet Apple Pie Recipe
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There’s something magical about the way the smell of apples, cinnamon, and butter fills the kitchen. This rustic skillet apple pie is the kind of dessert that feels like a warm hug—comforting, simple, and brimming with homemade goodness. It’s not fussy, but it’s the star of any gathering, perfect for cozy evenings or holiday celebrations.
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM 8/22/14 TO IMPROVE READER EXPERIENCE.
What I love most about this pie is how it celebrates imperfection. The flaky crust is crimped with love (and maybe a little unevenly), and the golden edges catch just the right amount of caramelization from the cast-iron skillet. The apples stay tender but hold their shape, bursting with sweet and tart notes in every bite.
Have you seen my “Apple Baked Beans” recipe? It’s one of the recipes that we make for our Back-to-School potluck that we participate in every year with our neighborhood kiddos. In addition to the apple baked beans, They request the same dessert every year, this Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie.
We crave apple desserts just like grandma used to make. Our Swedish apple pie, homemade apple pie filling, apple spice cake, Apple Sauce Coffee Cake, and pumpkin apple bread are just a few of our favorite recipes. Just search “apple” on our site and you’ll so so many recipes that we love.
What are the best baking apples?
You want a firmer apple for baking. Softer apples will break down too much and will not let you slice or spoon a decent looking serving.
Plus the texture isn’t as desirable as being able to bite into a loaded slice of skillet apple pie! I often combine apple varieties. A tart Granny Smith goes great with a sweeter Honey Crisp or Braeburn apple. This article lists several options for baking apples.
It’s important to use baking apples because they contain pectin that contributes to the thickness of the filling and is less likely to be watery. They also are firmer so will hold their shape and is less likely to become mushy.
How to Make a Cast Iron Apple Pie
This recipe comes together easily but feels so special, like a little slice of cinnamon brown sugar heaven on a plate. Whether you top it with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or enjoy it as is, this skillet apple pie is bound to become a favorite in your home—just like it is in mine. Let’s dive in!
First, melt the brown sugar and butter together in the bottom of the skillet. Let it cool so you can put the bottom crust down over the caramel without melting the crust or your fingers! If you try and put the crust in the skillet when it’s hot it will practically melt and slide down the sides.
Slice the apples 1/2 inch thick. I don’t measure my cinnamon I just sprinkle away until I’m happy. I always use more cinnamon than the recipe calls for because we love cinnamon.
Lay the first crust down over that warm buttery brown sugar mixture and up the sides.
You need to be gentle but work quickly. Once the crust starts getting warm, you aren’t going to be able to move it around. You can make your own crust or buy one that you roll out in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I don’t judge.
Spoon the apples on top of the pie crust. The pan looks really full but the apples will cook down.
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Put the remaining pie crust over the top and just slide the edges down into the edge of the pan a bit.
Whisk an egg with a small amount of water until foamy. Brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash by combining a beaten egg with a teaspoon of water.
Sprinkle with white sugar, turbinado sugar, or a mix of both. I like the crunch that you get with turbinado sugar.
Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top so steam can escape. Bake.
FAQ’s
Can I make Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this apple pie ahead of time. Once it cools the caramel on the bottom will become hard and difficult to serve. To warm it back up, place the baked pie in a 350ºF oven on a baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bottom is heated through.
Tips to help you make the perfect Cast Iron Apple Pie:
- Put a baking sheet or pan on the rack below your skillet to catch any drips. I had a mess the first time I made this in my oven.
- You can make this pie on the grill! We’ve done it several times so I don’t heat up my kitchen.
- You can make this pie in a Dutch oven or other deep-sided pans. I recommend cast iron, because it retains the heat allowing us to scoop up the delicious caramel under the bottom of the crust.
- Cut apples at least 1/2-inch thick. They cook down and everyone wants a pie loaded with thick apples.
Serving Suggestions
It can be difficult to get a perfectly sliced wedge so we often serve this pie like a cobbler by scooping servings out with a large spoon instead of slicing it. It goes a lot further that way and you can make sure each serving gets a healthy dose of that caramel bottom.
Either way, it’s scrumptious! If you can serve it hot, all the better. My guests are always intrigued when I show up with an Apple pie in a skillet.
How to transport this pie?
When I have to transport this pie, I’ll cover the top with foil and place it in the bottom of a cooler with a towel covering the bottom like a nest and then wrap another towel around the pie. The skillet really holds the heat and the cooler helps keep it warm until it’s time to serve it.
You could also place the skillet on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Rustic Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs granny smith apples peeled, cored & sliced
- 2 lbs braeburn apples or similar cooking apple
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon *or more
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar I use dark but either work
- 2 pie crust homemade or store-bought rolled crust
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp sugar White sugar or turbinado
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, and place a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips from the apple pie.
- Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let the mixture cool while you prepare the apples.
- Peel apples, and cut them into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.
- Place 1 pie crust in the skillet over the brown sugar mixture. Spoon the apple mixture over the bottom pie crust, and top with remaining piecrust. Slide the edges down along the edges a bit.
- Whisk one egg white with a little water until foamy. Brush the top of the pie crust with egg white using a pastry brush; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
- Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Years ago I found this recipe for Skillet Apple Pie in Southern Living SEPTEMBER 2011 and it’s still our most requested dessert.
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I had only one extra pie crust and some Granny Smith apples to use, so I improvised with a crumble topping. DELICIOUS! So glad I found your recipe Julie!
Thank you Brenda! I love your variation. Crumble topping should be my middle name.
When you say store bought crust are you referring to frozen crust or the refrigerated ones you roll out?
I am referring to the refrigerated ones you roll out. Thank you for your comment. I’ll be clarifying this for all of our readers.
@Julie Menghini, thanks for replying so quick. I’m not a pie baker so now I just thought of another ?. lol. 4 pounds of apples looks like it’s going to be too much for the set to hold. Should it be either 2 pounds of one or the other apples? We have granny apples here but not the other one you listed so I got a red apple
It’s hard to measure because of the size of the apples. Just fill the skillet as I did in the picture. I fill it pretty full because they cook down and leave them thicker as you might other apple pies. I always buy as many apples as I could possible need and if I don’t need all of them then I don’t use them.
As recommended by others, add Flour to the apples before cooking. Makes a huge difference.
Thanks for your input Holly. I haven’t tried this but glad that it’s worked for you and others.
I want to make this at camp on my Blackstone. Could I do that? I saw that you said it can be made on a grill. Do you have instructions for that? Looks delicious!
I use a wood charcoal grill that can be covered and used like an oven. I don’t believe open grill such as your Blackstone could capture the heat to create an oven-like environment.
This is my first attempt at a cast iron skillet apple pie and it was fantastic!!! The caramel on the bottom is spectacular! I used a homemade crust. I was hoping to be able to get slices, so I added 2 T flour to apple mixture and it came out perfect! This is a delicious recipe and I don’t need to find another one. Thank you!!
Thank you so much, Julianne! We love this pie too and I’m always asked to bring it when we’re invited somewhere. It may be the biggest reason we get invited LOL!
I had the same issue that someone else mentioned. The butter pooled on top of the brown sugar (when making the caramel), and so I drained the butter off. The caramel looked great after I did that, but ended up sticking to the bottom of the skillet after being baked. It was difficult to cut pretty slices. Just wondered if you could put a pre-made caramel sauce on the bottom of the skillet as opposed to making this mixture and waiting for the sugar to dissolve…? Or do as another person commented and place some parchment on the bottom of the skillet, then place caramel over that. I really liked the way the pie tasted, and it is definitely easy to prepare…would just like to figure out the caramel issue!
Hi Cat. Actually, the butter will rise to the top of the caramel but I don’t drain it off. It will blend back together as it bakes. It’s very difficult to get pretty slices with this pie. I prefer to just use a big spoon and top it with ice cream. No one ever complains that it’s not the perfect slice. I’ve never tried jarred caramel sauce. I bet it would work pretty well.
I didn’t have a 10″ cast iron skillet, so I used a stainless steel one instead, with a deeper lip. The advantage was that I didn’t have to put a drip tray underneath but the disadvantage was I should have a) cooked it longer because stainless steel doesn’t hold heat as well as cast iron and b) let it sit for at least 1.5 hours after baking, so that the juices could congeal. Or perhaps I should have just added corn starch and flour to make up for that. But it’s true what everyone says – the bottom crust miraculously stays intact and that caramel is lovely!!! I also accidentally used white instead of brown sugar for most of the caramel because I wasn’t thinking and it still worked out. I also used all honey crisp apples and cut them slightly larger than 1/2 inch because I wanted them to have heft.
I’m so glad that it worked for you, JC! Thank you for your tips. They are all appreciated. Not everyone has cast iron so your tips are greatly appreciated!
Could I make this in a normal pie pan?
You absolutely can Sara but make sure it’s deep.
I’ve made this Southern Living skillet pie several times, and it’s always a hit! My only change is I add 1 Tbsp. of flour to the apple mixture so it’s not quite so runny. It works beautifully!
It’s the best right, Andrea? Thank you for your tip.
I love this pie! The only problem I have with it is the bottom crust is really hard to get out. My cast iron skillet is well seasoned but it always sticks. Could I melt the brown sugar mixture in something else, put parchment paper in the skillet, pour the mixture on top, then the bottom crust then the rest?
I usually have a real buttery mix in the bottom so it doesn’t stick. It doesn’t cut like a regular pie, however. I’ve never done this but will try it myself. Melt the butter only and add the crust. Mix the brown sugar in with the apples. I don’t know that you’ll want to add the total amount of brown sugar because it would make the filling really sweet. Try 1/2 cup. If you do this, let me know how it comes out. I’ll also put it on my list to do and will update the post. Thanks, Nancy for your comment!