Our best apple pie recipe marries sliced tart apples dusted with sugar and spice, all tucked inside cozy, tender, flaky crust. When baked, the juices from the apples turn into a sweet, syrupy-like glaze over the tender apples, for an outstanding dessert with flavor and texture, your mouth just can’t get enough of.

“American as apple pie,” is really a misnomer. Apple pies get their roots in Europe, centuries before America was on the map. They became popular in the US because they were affordable to make and were a terrific way to preserve food, especially during the winter. In World War II, apple pies became associated with home and coziness; as soldiers claimed they were fighting for “mom and apple pie.”

What makes this our best recipe? We show you, step-by-easy-step, and all the tips and tricks to make an apple pie you’ll be proud to serve. How to perfect the flaky, tender crust. How to thinly slice the apples and mix in just the right amounts of sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, so that when the apples bake to their tender perfection, they’ll be covered with just the right amount of sweet, spicy, syrupy goodness. All this flavor and the variety of textures will make your mouth water and your tongue swoon.

Apple pie is a natural choice to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it’s also perfectly patriotic for a summer holiday or the ending to about any meal. Make one for Sunday dinner, to celebrate an anniversary, or to bring to a potluck, and instantly, the meal becomes more special.

100-Calorie Recipes