Apple slab pie is the ultimate dessert for fall, and it is perfect for feeding a crowd. With a flaky, buttery crust and a generous filling of apples, it comes together with simple ingredients. Whether you’re baking for a holiday gathering or just want to enjoy the flavors of apple season, this sheet pan pie is perfect.
Sheet Pan Apple Pie
An Apple Slab Pie is a classic apple pie that is baked in a sheet pan. It makes a large pie that is perfect for feeding a crowd! We used our all-butter pie crust but you can use a store-bought crust if you prefer.
This pie recipe results in a more shallow, rectangular pie that’s easy to slice and serve.
The dimensions are 10x14x1-inch, which will give you a large, rectangular pie that’s more shallow. However, it is still the epitome of everything we love about this classic American dessert!
Why This Slab Pie Recipe Works
Slab pies are wonderful if you’re baking a pie for a larger crowd. Since they’re baked in a standard quarter baking pan, it makes them super easy to cut and serve.
- Feeds a crowd: No need for tiny slices here—this apple slab pie is big enough to satisfy everyone at the table, with seconds to spare!
- Easy assembly: No fancy pie making skills required—just roll, fill, and bake. It’s practically foolproof, even if your rolling pin skills are a little rusty.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can prep the crust in advance or bake the entire pie a day ahead.
- Apple overload: A mix of apple varieties ensures every bite is packed with flavor and texture, making it anything but boring.
While all our other apple pie recipes are amazing in their own way, this slab apple pie is another great one to add to the mix. It fits nearly any occasion with a large gathering – from holiday parties to summertime barbecues and everything in between.
Ingredients for This Sheet Pan Pie
The pastry crust we use for this apple slab is a variation of our all-butter pie crust recipe. It makes enough for the bottom and top pastry, and bakes into a beautifully golden, flaky and buttery pie crust
Here’s what you’ll need to make this pie (see the recipe card at the bottom of the page for all of the ingredient amounts):
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, sugar, cornstarch
- Pantry Seasonings: cinnamon, cloves, ground nutmeg, salt
- Fridge: Butter, egg white
- Produce: Apples, lemon
You will also need a quarter baking tray and rolling pin. We like to use a mixed variety of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor profile when making this recipe.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions for this recipe:
- Pie crusts: You can use a homemade pie dough or a store-bought pie crust. If you are using a store-bought crust, be sure to thaw it according to the package directions. You can also use puff pastry.
- Crust variations: For a crumble pie, simply omit the top crust and sprinkle a mixture of oats, brown sugar, and butter over the top of the filling before baking. You can also make a lattice pie crust.
- Sugar: You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar in this pie.
- Butter: You can use coconut oil, dairy-free butter, or margarine in place of butter.
Pie Recipes for Days: Variations on Apple Slab Pie
Maple Pecan Apple Slab Pie: Add ½ cup of chopped pecans to the apple filling and drizzle ¼ cup of maple syrup over the top before placing the second crust. When the pie cools, top it with a simple icing made with powdered sugar and apple juice.
Cranberry Orange Apple Slab Pie: Mix in ½ cup of dried cranberries and the zest of one orange into the apple filling.
Caramel Apple Nut Slab Pie: Drizzle ½ cup of caramel sauce over the apple filling and sprinkle ½ cup of chopped walnuts before adding the top crust.
Apple Berry Slab Pie: Fold in 1 cup of mixed berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries) with the apple filling. You will also need to add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch.
Tips for the Best Results
- Let the hot pie rest at room temperature to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
- If your food processor doesn’t fit 14 cups, divide the pie crust in two batches.
- Slice the apples to ¼-inch thickness to help the filling bake evenly.
- Check the pie after 45 minutes. If it’s browning too quickly, cover it with foil.
- Bake the pie until you see the juices bubble up.
- Make sure the filling juices bubble up before removing the pie. This indicates that the filling has thickened properly.
- Lay an aluminum foil covered baking pan on the oven rack beneath to catch any juices that bubble over.
- Should you cook the apple pie filling before putting them in a pie? Nope. They will get soft and tender during the bake time.
- If you want to use flour instead of cornstarch, you will need to use 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Blend it with the sugar and spices before adding it to the apple filling.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this sheet pan apple pie any time of year, but it is especially popular during the outdoor summer gatherings and during the fall and winter months. The warm, comforting flavors of cinnamon and fall fruit are perfect for chilly days, as well as being synonymous with Independence day celebrations.
There you have it, an apple pie perfect for any occasion! In our opinion, it’s best served warm with a scoop of ice cream on top (but aren’t all pies?).
What Kind of Apples Work Best
Choosing the right apples is important. For the best results, opt for baking apples, which hold their shape during cooking (no applesauce here). Mixing a few varieties will also give you a balanced flavor of sweet and tart.
We specifically like a combo of Granny Smith, Gala, and Cosmic Crisp.
Other Apple Recipes
Storage Options
- Store leftover pie covered with aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- To freeze a baked pie: Wrap the cooled pie tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. To defrost, set in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- To freeze an unbaked pie: Store in a freezer proof container or bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then bake according to the instructions in the recipe.
More Recipes We Love
Our Unsweetened Applesauce is perfect to add to baked goods like Apple Muffins and our Salted Caramel Apple Cake.
The combination of peaches, brown butter and bourbon comes together to make The best Peach Pie ever! Brown butter lends the perfect depth of flavor to the peaches, and the bourbon and brown sugar add a hint of sweet molasses.
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Apple Slab Pie
Ingredients
For the Pastry Crust:
- 5 cups 600 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups 4 sticks cold butter, cut into bits
- 1 cup ice water
For the Filling:
- 10 large apples of mixed variety peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 lemon divided
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cut into bits
Optional:
- 1 Egg white (for the top)
- Coarse sugar
Instructions
For the Pastry Crust:
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter bits and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water, then begin pulsing until the dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed.
- Tip the mixture out onto a floured work surface and divide it into two portions. Shape each portion in a flat disk, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or the freezer for 20 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- In a large bowl add the sliced apples, squeeze the juice of ½ of the lemon and toss with the apples.
- In a small bowl add the granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Whisk the mixture together until well combined.
- Toss the sugar mixture with the apples and set aside.
Roll and Fill the Pastry:
- On a lightly floured work surface, unwrap and roll out 1 pastry disk to a 12×16-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to a 10×14-inch sheet pan, pressing to fit into the pan.
- Tip half of the apple mixture into the pastry spreading evenly and distribute the butter bits evenly on top. Add the remaining apple mixture and squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon over the apples.
- Roll out the remaining pastry disk to an 11×15-inch rectangle and transfer to the top of the apple mixture. Trim the edges of the dough, leaving a 1-½ inch overhang around the pie. Fold the overhanging dough under and crimp the edges.
- In a small dish whisk together one egg white with a tablespoon of water and brush on top of the pastry crust. Cut a few slit vents on the top of the crust.
- Place the pie in the oven bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling in the vents, about 55-65 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- If you are using a food processor that holds less than a 14-cup bowl you will need to divide the pastry ingredients and make two separate recipes of the pastry crust, shaping and wrapping each one as it is mixed. The best flavored apple pie will come from combining several varieties of firm apples. We used a combination of 10 large apples: Granny Smith, Gayla, and Cosmic Crisp apples.
- The apples can be peeled, pared and sliced while the pastry is resting.
- Lemon juice or a tablespoon of Fruit Fresh in a water bath with the apples will keep them from discoloring. Remove the apples from the water bath, drain on a kitchen towel before tossing with the sugar and spices.
- A mandoline set on a 1/4-inch thickness will slice the apples to a uniform size and the pie filling will bake evenly.
- Set your timer for 45 minutes, check pie and if it is becoming darker than expected, drape with a sheet of foil.
- When the pie is done, there will be juices bubbling up through the vents, about 55-60 minutes.
James
Sunday 6th of February 2022
This is just delicious. My mother always put a powdered sugar glaze on this and I did the same. Gilding the lily to a degree but nothing wrong with gilding a lily!
Pat Nyswonger
Sunday 6th of February 2022
That sounds delicious, James! So pleased that you enjoyed the pie, thank you so much for your feedback, I will 'gild the lily' on my next slab pie ?