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    Home » All Desserts » Brown Bag Apple Pie

    Brown Bag Apple Pie

    Published: Nov 16, 2018 · Modified: Jul 12, 2021 by In Fine Taste · This post may contain affiliate links

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    slice of Brown Bag Apple Pie in front of whole pie

    This is is the juiciest apple pie! The topping is crunchy, and the flavor, with a touch of lemon, is delectable! Brown bag apple pie is another recipe from my dear friend Robin who makes all things delicious!  Actually Robin and I made this pie together and had such fun, our husbands were begging for another one!

    fingers making eluded pie crust

    The Crust

    You can use a favorite single pie crust recipe or a ready-made pie crust. Gently lay the pastry into a metal or glass pie pan and crimp the edges. For a dramatic pie crust, try using our method pictured above to create the edge of the pie.

    brown bag apple pie apple prepping photos

    How to make the apple pie filling

    How do I keep the apples from turning brown?

    We like Granny Smith apples best for apple galettes and apple pie recipes with fresh apples. Slice apples put them in a large non-metal mixing bowl with water and a squeeze of lemon juice. As a result, the apples won't turn dark while you're preparing the rest of the pie.

    How to fit all the apples in the crust

    Drain off the water, then cook the sliced apples in the microwave for about three minutes. The apples will shrink a bit and allow you to fit even more apples in the crust.

    Add sugar and spice

    Next, mix the apples with spices, sugar and our secret ingredient — the zest and juice of one lemon. There’s also some flour to thicken the juice. You won't really notice the lemon, but it brightens the flavor of the pie.

    pie crust filled with apple filling

    After tossing the apples and other filling ingredients together, pour the apple mixture into the crust. They should fit into the crust nicely.

    4 process pics for brown bag apple pie

    Oh that crunchy topping!

    Next comes the crumble topping. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives. Then dot the crumble over the apples to create a top crust. As the pie bakes, the crumble topping will melt together to form a a delicious crunchy top crust for your pie. 

    A brown bag?

    When the pie is ready, set in into a grocery-size brown paper bag. You can staple or fold the bag closed. It's important to put your oven rack as low as possible in your oven. Also, make sure your bag isn't touching the pie or sides of the oven anywhere so the paper doesn't burn.

    How do you remove the brown bag from the pie?

    When the pie is done, I think it's easiest to use scissors to remove the bag. Be careful though, it will be hot! Let the pie cool before serving. We love to serve it with Breyer's Natural Vanilla Ice Cream or a glass of cold milk.

    Brown Bag Apple pie on white plate with ice cream and whole pie with missing piece

    Why bake your apple pie in a paper bag?

    A brown paper bag you ask? Well, apparently this is a technique that goes back decades. Cooking a homemade apple pie in the brown bag gives it a juicy, tender apple filling and creates a crunchy top. Yum! we think this is the best apple pie recipe in the world. Let us know if you agree!

    Brown bag apple pie will be on our Thanksgiving table. How about yours? Try this recipe using our favorite homemade pie crust recipe!

    Enjoy!

    Dianna

     

    You May also like these other Tasty Recipes: 

    • Fuji Apple Salad & Vinaigrette
    • Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
    • Ho Ho Cake
    • Fresh Key Lime Pie
    • Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake

     

    Don't forget to pin this recipe for later! You can also follow us on Pinterest here!

    Tried this recipe and loved it? Comment and Rate it! Also send us a picture, WE WANT TO SEE!

    slice of Brown Bag Apple Pie in front of whole pie

    Brown Bag Apple Pie

    A tender, juicy apple pie with a crunchy top crust baked in a brown paper bag.
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    Course: All Desserts
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Additional Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 523kcal
    Author: Dianna--In Fine Taste

    Ingredients

    • 6 medium-large Granny Smith apples
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • juice and zest of 1 lemon
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt

    For Topping

    • ½ cup butter
    • ½ cup flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

    Additional

    • Our favorite pie crust recipe or 1 ready-made pie crust
    • 1 brown paper bag see notes for alternative
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    Instructions

    • Make pie crust according to your recipe, or use a ready-made crust. Roll crust out and fit into pie pan; crimp edges.
    • Peel and core apples. Slice into thin slices and place in large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Cook apples in microwave 3 minutes to shrink.
    • Toss sliced apples with, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and zest, and salt. Pour filling into crust.

    For Topping

    • Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a medium bowl. Add cold butter and cut it in with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
    • Sprinkle topping over apples. If topping clumps together, just separate it and dot over pie.

    To Bake

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Move oven rack to lowest position.
    • Place pie in large brown paper grocery bag. Fold down or staple bag closed. (Make sure your bag doesn't touch oven walls or the pie while it's baking.) Bake 1 hour and 35 minutes. (Temperature may vary so check bag after 1 hour and 30 minutes.)
    • Open bag and continue baking 5 - 10 minutes or until pie is golden. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

    Notes

    Cooking a pie in a brown bag gives you a crunchy crust and a tender, juicy apple filling. Research on using brown paper bags for cooking varies. If you're uncomfortable using a grocery bag, you can use 2 long pieces of parchment paper to form a bag around the pie.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 355mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 42g
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeannine

      November 04, 2020 at 1:55 pm

      Ohhhh my goodness. Yes, this one definitely needs to be at our Thanksgiving!

      Reply

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