Chai Apple Pie is made with a delicious all-butter pastry dough and filled with fresh apples mixed with a chai spice blend for a flavorful and comforting dessert. This pie is finished with a beautiful lattice crust and it’s perfect for any time of the year. It makes a lovely addition to your holiday dessert table.
You can’t get any more classic than apple pie. For many, it’s a family favorite that’s especially delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’ve taken this classic and added a chai spice blend for a delicious and modern twist. The warm and cozy blend of spices plus fresh orange zest adds a delightful flavor that is perfect for any time of the year.
Why this recipe works
- A delicious twist on classic apple pie.
- Has a lattice crust for a beautiful presentation.
- Packed with tons of flavor.
- Can be made a day in advance.
- Made with your favorite baking apples.
Before you begin
Take out the following baking equipment.
Digital kitchen scale
9-inch pie dish
Rolling pin
Kitchen shears or knife
Large bowl
Silicone spatula
Small bowl
Pastry brush
Baking sheet pan
Read the recipe through from start to finish.
Understanding ingredients
When it comes to baking, it’s essential to select apples that maintain their structure. Some apples are delicious for snacking, but they can become mush when you use them in baked goods. I opt for a mixture of Granny Smith apples and Fuji apples for apple pie to have a nice balance of sweet and tart flavor. However, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and Jonagold are all great options as well.
Cornstarch is the thickening agent for the filling used in this pie. It’s mixed directly into the apples and does not need to be premixed with a liquid. For the cornstarch to serve its purpose, wait until the filling is bubbling before removing your pie from the oven.
Chai spices can include a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. For this pie, I have omitted the allspice. You can alter the ratio of spices to your liking and use the suggested spices as a guideline.
Orange zest also adds a lovely flavor as it pairs well with the apples and the chai spice blend. Use a microplane to zest the orange finely. Avoid zesting the white pith (rind) because this part of the orange is bitter and will affect your filling’s overall flavor.
Turbinado sugar is more coarse than granulated sugar. It will not melt during baking and therefore is used to sprinkle on top of your pie adding a lovely crunchy texture. First, brush your lattice top with egg wash, which acts as a ‘glue,’ and then sprinkle your turbinado sugar.
How to prepare your apples
It’s important to slice your apples at an even thickness to promote even baking. First, peel and core your apples, and then slice to about 1/2-inch thickness. Once the apples are mixed with the rest of the filling ingredients, add them to the chilled pie crust evenly layered with minimal gaps.
How to make a lattice pie crust
Roll the top crust. Roll out your top crust, beginning from the center and rolling outwards, to a circle that is 3 inches larger than your baking dish.
Cut dough into strips. Using a pastry cutter wheel (or sharp knife), cut the dough into strips. The thickness or thinness is a personal preference. For my pie, I chose to cut dough into 3/4-inch thick strips.
Arrange the strips. Gently lay strips parallel to each other over the filled pie allowing for 1/2-inch between each piece. Peel back every other strip halfway and lay a piece of pie dough along the center of the pie perpendicular to the other pieces. Fold the strips back down over the perpendicular strip and fold the other pieces back to the point of the perpendicular strip. Lay another perpendicular strip and repeat the process of threading the strips until a full lattice-top is complete.
Trim and shape the dough. With a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim away excess dough from the strips and roll excess dough from the bottom crust up and over the edge of the pie crust. Pinch dough together with fingertips and crimp the edge of the pie.
How to make an egg wash
An egg wash is a combination of egg and milk (or water) used to brush on a baked good before it goes into the oven. It will give the final product a beautiful shiny, golden brown color.
To make an egg wash, in a small bowl whisk together 50 g (1 large) egg with 14 (1 tablespoon) of milk. Once your pie is ready for the oven, brush the egg wash over the top crust and edges. Any leftover egg wash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also add the leftovers to scrambled eggs.
Tips and takeaways
- Glass heats in a slower, even manner. Using a glass baking dish helps to ensure your bottom crust is evenly baked.
- To prevent a soggy crust, brush your unbaked bottom crust with egg white. Allow it to dry for about 5 minutes before adding the apple filling.
- For a thick lattice crust with minimal gaps, make 1 1/2 times the all-butter pie crust recipe.
- Use two oven baking temperatures. Begin with a high temperature to allow the crust to set and prevent slouching, and then reduce to continue baking.
For more apple desserts, try these recipes…
Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make this Chai Apple Pie. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion a sweet occasion!
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Chai Apple Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 9-inch pie 1x
- Category: Pies
Description
Chai Apple Pie is made with a delicious all-butter pastry dough and filled with fresh apples mixed with a chai spice blend for a comforting dessert. This pie is finished with a beautiful lattice crust. It’s the perfect pie for any time of the year and makes a lovely addition to your holiday dessert table.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 recipe all-butter pie crust
For the filling
- 1040–1300 g (8–10 cups) apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
- 28 g (2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
- 16 g (2 tablespoons) cornstarch
- 4 g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
- 3.5 g (2 teaspoons) ground ginger
- 2 g (1 teaspoon) ground cardamom
- 2.6 g (1 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- 0.5 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground cloves
- 110 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
- 55 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 4 g (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- Zest of half an orange, optional
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
- Egg wash, 50 g (1 large) egg plus 14 g (1 tablespoon) milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/204°C.
For the crust
- Prepare the all-butter crust recipe. Carefully transfer rolled out dough to a 9-inch pie dish. Fit the dough to the bottom and sides of the dish by carefully lowering the dough into the dish and allowing the dough to fall into place. Leave a 1-inch border and trim the rest of the dough using a pair of kitchen shears or a knife. Refrigerate crust while preparing the filling.
For the filling
- In a large bowl, add the sliced apples, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Gently mix with a silicone spatula until thoroughly combined. Add the filling to the chilled crust.
To assemble
- Roll out your top crust, beginning from the center and rolling outwards, to a circle that is 3 inches larger than your baking dish. Using a pastry cutter wheel (or sharp knife), cut the dough into 3/4-inch strips.
- Gently lay strips parallel to each other over the filled pie allowing for 1.5-inches between each piece. Peel back every other strip halfway and lay a piece of pie dough along the center of the pie perpendicular to the other pieces. Fold the strips back down over the perpendicular strip and fold the other pieces back to the point of the perpendicular strip. Lay another perpendicular strip and repeat the process of threading the strips until a full lattice-top is complete.
- With a pair of kitchen shears, trim away excess dough from the strips and roll excess dough from the bottom crust up and over the edge of the pie crust. Pinch dough together with fingertips and crimp the edge of the pie.
- Brush the lattice top with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place pie on a baking sheet pan and bake at 400°F/204°C for 20 min then reduce oven to 375°F/190°C for an additional 40 min or until pie is browned and bubbly.
- Allow pie to completely cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead: The all-butter pie crust can be made up to 3 days in advance. You can bake this pie 1 day in advance, cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and store at room temperature.
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