It’s fall in Michigan and apples are my favorite fall fruit. My husband, John loves apple pie and today I’m sharing my Mom’s Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie! The really cool part about this pie is that it turns out perfect every time. There’s no need to check it while it’s baking because the secret brown paper bag method ensures that it turns out golden brown and beautifully delicious. You just gotta try it!
My Mom’s Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie has a delicate flaky crust with a sweet cinnamon apple filling.
For the filling: Peel and slice the apples and place them in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Then pour the dry ingredients over the sliced apples.
Combine the dry ingredients with the sliced apples, mixing well. Set aside.
For the crust: cut the vegetable shortening into cubes. Measure flour and salt in a mixing bowl, add the vegetable shortening. Mix thoroughly with hands until shortening is pea-sized. Add the ice water to the flour and shortening mixture and mix until it just forms a ball, do not over mix.
Prepare the pie crust and place in the baking pan. Pour the sugared apples into the pie crust. Then dot little pieces of butter all over the top of the apples.
Prepare the other 1/2 of the pie crust. Cut into 1/2″ strips, twist the dough and make a pretty lattice pattern across the top of the pie.
Place the pie in a large brown paper bag.
Fold the end over and staple the paper bag closed. Place the bag on a large baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for one (1) hour, no checking necessary. The paper bag will bake the pie evenly and golden brown every time. Remove the pie from the oven, cut open the bag and carefully remove the pie.
This delicious pie comes out of the oven all brown and bubbly. Now allow the pie to cool on a rack for about an hour before cutting. Serve it warm by itself (because it’s that good!), with a dollop of sweet whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
There’s my handsome husband, John enjoying his favorite homemade apple pie! This delightful Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie will literally melt in your mouth! The crust is so flaky and the apple filling has the perfect blend of sugar and spices, not to mention your house will smell like a bakery!
We hope you try our Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie and enjoy it as much as we do. If you make it, please snap a picture and tag us on social media @MySweetMission or #MySweetMission. We’d love to see it!
Also, please consider giving this recipe a star rating, sharing it or leaving a comment. Thanks, we really appreciate it!
Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie
Ingredients
Apple filling:
- 8 cups apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, cubed (reserve for assembling the pie)
Flaky pie crust:
- 1 cup vegetable shortening, cold
- 2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water, ice cold
Instructions
Apple filling:
- Peel and slice the apples and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir to coat. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the apples and mix well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Flaky pie crust:
- Cut the vegetable shortening into cubes. Measure flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then add the vegetable shortening. With clean hands mix flour and shortening thoroughly until shortening is pea-sized. Pour the ice water into the flour and shortening mixture and mix just until it forms a ball. Do not over mix.
- Take 1/2 of the dough, knead just a few times, using a rolling pin, roll out to about 1/4" thick.
- Use an 11 1/2" x 2" round deep dish stone pan. For this size, roll out the dough to about a 14" circle, fold the dough in half and place it in the baking dish or pie pan. Unfold the dough and press it evenly into the bottom and sides of the baking dish. Cut around the outside edge with a knife.
- Pour the apple filling into the pie crust. Put little pieces of cold butter evenly over the top of the apples.
- Sprinkle a little more flour on your counter. Take the other 1/2 of the dough, knead it just a few times, roll it out to about 1/4" thick. Cut the dough into 1/2" strips with a butter knife. Twist the dough and place across the pie in one direction, and then place the rest of the strips in the opposite direction, making a lattice design on top.
- Place the pie in a large brown paper bag. Fold the open end over and staple or paper clip the paper bag closed.
- Put the bag on a large baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. No need to check it because the brown paper bag will brown it perfectly.
- Remove the pie from the oven, cut open the bag and carefully remove the pie.
- Allow the pie to cool before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Update: This recipe is also featured on Recipe Lion and in their free eCookbook on page 26. To view all my featured recipes on Recipe Lion click –> HERE!
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Looking for more delicious pie recipes?
Here are a few you might also enjoy!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie
Lemon Supreme Shortbread Pie
Wonderful fall dessert! Never tasted better!
It is a delicious fall dessert and it was fun making it with you!
Looks so yummy! Chuck wants to know how Uncle John stays so fit with all that delicious food!
Thanks Michelle! Tell Chuck it’s difficult, but he does ok. 🙂
Hi, you apple pie is so pretty and I bet real yummy! I saw it on it’s fall y’all.
Julie
Hi Julie. Thanks for stopping by and for the sweet comments about my Apple Pie!
Hugs,
Heather
I have never heard of that tip before! I’m going to have to try that for my next pie.
My name is Katie and I host Fall Into the Holidays, open Saturdays. I would love to have you link up!
Hi Katie. I know, the brown paper bag works great, so glad you want to try it the next time you make a pie! Thank you for the invite to your party! ~Heather
That’s amazing!!
It’s pretty sweet how it bakes perfectly every time! 🙂 ~Heather
This is great. And, I wish I had my Mother or Gram to make it with.
I’m sorry you’ve lost them both. I still have my Mother but no longer have my Grandma to bake with, so I can sympathize with you a little bit. Hope you enjoy the recipe anyways! 😉
Hugs,
Heather
I remember doing this years ago. Thanks for the reminder. Linda
Hi Linda. Thanks for stopping by! I know, it’s a great way to bake apple pies. Have a Sweet Weekend! ~Heather
I’ve heard of this technique but haven’t tried it. Good to know it works, your pie is beautiful:@)
Thanks for the compliments about my Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie. Hope you give it a try and enjoy the recipe, it’s one of our family’s favorites! Hugs, Heather
What a neat trick! Just in time for American Thanksgiving too!
Hello and thank you for stopping by My Sweet Mission. Hope you enjoy my Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie and have a nice weekend. ~Heather
ahha! the secret is the bag! And of course, an awesome recipe to go with it! No more trying to add tinfoil strips for me! Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
You’re welcome, thanks for the party and enjoy brown paper bagging your pies! 🙂 Heather
Can you use store bought pie crust in place of the homemade?
Hi there! Yes, you can use a store bought pie crust but this recipe is for a larger deep dish pan. So, you might want to cut the filling recipe down by about 1/4 or roll out your pie crusts so they are a little larger and fit the larger deep dish round stone. Hope this helps and enjoy the recipe! ~Heather