Mile High Apple Pie
This Mile High Apple Pie towers with tender spiced apples piled into a flaky golden crust, the ultimate showstopper dessert for holidays and special occasions.
Why This Mile High Apple Pie Is Worth the Height
There is a reason a Mile High Apple Pie turns heads the second it hits the table. It is not just a dessert, it is an event. Five pounds of apples, piled impossibly tall under a golden lattice, baked until the filling bubbles up thick and syrupy. If you have ever wondered how to make a Mile High Apple Pie that actually holds its shape when you slice it, you are in the right place. This is the Mile High Apple Pie recipe I turn to every single Thanksgiving, and it never fails to disappear first.
What makes this different from a regular apple pie is simple: volume and structure. Most apple pies use around 2 pounds of apples. This one uses more than double that, seasoned generously and mounded so high it looks like it might tip over, but it won't, as long as you follow a few key steps.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A sturdy deep dish pie plate is non negotiable for a pie this tall, and a good pastry cutter will save your hands a lot of work when cutting butter into the flour. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
The Secret to a Pie That Actually Stands Tall
The biggest mistake bakers make with a Mile High Apple Pie filling is skipping the resting step. When you toss your apples with sugar and let them sit for 10 minutes, they release juice and soften just slightly, which lets them settle into the crust without leaving a hollow gap under the top layer. Skip this, and you risk a beautiful pie that collapses the moment you cut into it.
Using a mix of apple varieties also matters. Granny Smith apples hold their shape and bring tartness, while Honeycrisp adds natural sweetness and a touch of juiciness. Together they create layers of flavor and texture that a single variety just cannot match.
Chef's Tip: Slice your apples thick, about 1/4 to 1/3 inch. Thin slices break down too much during the long bake and your mountain of filling will shrink dramatically.
Building the Perfect Crust for a Tall Pie
A flaky, sturdy crust is essential when you are asking it to hold up five pounds of fruit. Keeping your butter cold and working quickly is the whole secret. Warm butter melts into the flour instead of staying in distinct pieces, and those little pockets of cold butter are exactly what create flaky layers in the oven.
A few things that help:
- Chill your dough for at least an hour, even overnight if you have time
- Use ice water, not just cold tap water
- Work on a lightly floured, cool surface, and roll quickly
- Don't overwork the dough once it comes together
If you want extra insurance against a soggy bottom crust, you can brush the bottom crust lightly with beaten egg white before adding the filling. It creates a light barrier that helps keep things crisp.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step by step recipe for this Mile High Apple Pie:
Mile High Apple Pie
This Mile High Apple Pie towers with tender spiced apples piled into a flaky golden crust, the ultimate showstopper dessert for holidays and special occasions.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, for the double pie crust, plus extra for rolling
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar, for the crust dough
- 1 tsp salt, divided between crust and filling
- 8 tbsp ice water, very cold, plus more as needed
- 5 lb apples, mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and sliced thick
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, for the filling
- 3/8 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/8 cup all-purpose flour, for thickening the filling
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, freshly grated preferred
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional
Instruction
Make the pie dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea sized pieces of butter.
Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drips.
Make the filling: In a very large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well until every slice is coated and let sit for 10 minutes.
Roll out one disc of dough on a floured surface into a 12 inch circle and fit it into a deep dish 9 inch pie plate, letting the excess hang over the edges.
Pile the apple filling into the crust, mounding it high in the center. It will look overly tall, that is exactly the point.
Roll out the second disc of dough and either lay it whole over the top, cutting slits for steam, or cut into strips for a lattice. Seal and crimp the edges together firmly.
Brush the top crust with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and continue baking for 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent them loosely with foil for the remaining bake time.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 3 to 4 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set.
Equipment
- Deep dish 9 inch pie plate
- Pastry cutter
- Rolling pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Pastry brush
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Make Ahead Tips
Patience is the hardest part of this recipe, but resist the urge to slice into your pie right out of the oven. Give it a full 3 to 4 hours to cool and set. That resting time lets the thickened juices firm up around the apples, so your slice holds its towering shape instead of sliding apart into a puddle on the plate.
This pie is best served slightly warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down the sides. For make ahead planning, you can prepare the dough up to three days in advance, or bake the entire pie the morning of your gathering and let it rest on the counter until dinner.
Chef's Tip: If you are making this for a holiday table, bake it a full day ahead. The flavors deepen overnight and the pie slices even more cleanly the next day.
However you slice it, this Mile High Apple Pie recipe delivers exactly what its name promises: a genuinely towering, deeply spiced, impossible to ignore apple pie that earns its place as the centerpiece of the dessert table.
