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This brown bag apple pie is simple, foolproof, and downright delicious! The secret? It bakes right inside a paper bag, keeping the crust golden, the filling perfectly tender, and your oven mess-free.
What Makes This Dessert So Special
- Classic With a Twist: All the cozy flavor of my perfect apple pie, but with a unique shortbread-style topping that melts in your mouth.
- No-fail Baking Method: The brown bag locks in steam and flavor, giving you perfectly tender apples and a crisp, golden crust every time.
- Holiday Perfection: A standout dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering. It’s comforting, nostalgic, and guaranteed to impress!
Brown Bag Apple Pie Ingredients
- Pie Crust: I love using Grandma’s perfect pie crust for this recipe, but an all-butter crust is a great swap if you prefer a richer, flakier base.
- Apples: Granny Smiths are my favorite; they stay crisp and add just the right tartness. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, or Pink Lady also work well.
- Brown Sugar: You can adjust the sweetness to your taste. I usually use ¾ cup, but ½ cup works well too. Light or dark brown sugar can be used, depending on your flavor preference.
How to Make a Brown Bag Apple Pie
Get ready for the easiest apple pie ever! The crust is simple, then you’ll fill it, top it, and pop it in the bag, then let the magic happen!
Crust
- Start the Crust: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare the crust by combining the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with a fork or a pastry cutter until the shortening is the size of small peas.
- Knead the Dough: Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and use a fork to stir the mixture together until it begins to form a dough. Add 1-2 tablespoons of additional water until it’s mostly all sticking together. Use your hands to gently knead the dough together and form it into a disk.
- Roll: Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the dough into a 12-14-inch circle.
- Place in the Pie Dish: Press the dough into the pie pan, being careful not to stretch it too much; otherwise, it will shrink as it bakes. Trim off the edges with a sharp knife and add any details you would like to the edge.
Filling
- Mix the Spices: Add the apples to a large bowl and set aside. Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Toss the Apples: Add the sugar mixture to the apples along with the lemon juice and stir until completely combined and all of the sugar mixture is completely moistened by the apples. Set aside.
Topping
- Make the Topping: Combine the flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter and use your hands to rub it in until fully incorporated.
- Assemble: Assemble the pie by adding the apple mixture to the crust, arranging the apples so they fill in the crust completely without holes or gaps.
- Add the Topping: Crumble the topping evenly over the top of the apples. Place the pie inside a large grocery paper bag so the pie does not touch the bag on the sides or on the top.
- Bake: Carefully fold down the open end of the bag and secure it closed with staples or uncoated paperclips, then place the bag on top of a large baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour. Once completely baked, carefully open the paper bag to avoid the steam that will escape from it. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Alyssa’s Pro Tips
- Bown Bag Concerns: The bag may smell like it’s burning in the first 20–30 minutes. If it’s not touching the oven walls or top, it’s fine. Check only if you smell smoke.
- No Bag? No Problem: Use 2–3 large sheets of parchment paper to make a makeshift bag if you don’t have a grocery bag.
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Brown Bag Apple Pie
A nostalgic apple pie baked right in a paper bag! You get flaky crust, gooey caramelized apples, and cozy, homemade magic!
Equipment
- 1 9-inch pie pan
- 1 large brown paper bag
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 4-6 tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples sliced into ¼-inch slices. About 3-4 pounds apples
- ⅔ cups packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup room temperature salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Crust
- Prepare the crust by combining 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add ⅓ cup shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with a fork or a pastry cutter until the shortening is the size of small peas.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the 4-6 tablespoons ice water and use a fork to stir the mixture together until it begins to form a dough. Add 1-2 tablespoons of additional water until it's mostly all sticking together. Use your hands to gently knead the dough together and form it into a disk.
- Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the dough into a 12-14 inch circle. Press the dough into the pie pan, being careful not to stretch it too much otherwise it will shrink as it bakes. Trim off the edges with a sharp knife and add any details you would like to the edge.
Filling
- Add 8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples to a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine ⅔ cups packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1 pinch salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the sugar mixture to the apples along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and stir until completely combined and all of the sugar mixture is completely moistened by the apples. Set aside.
Topping
- Combine ½ cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add ½ cup room temperature salted butter to the flour/sugar mixture and use your hands to rub the butter into it until it's fully incorporated.
- Assemble the pie by adding the apple mixture to the crust, arranging the apples so they fill in the crust completely without holes or gaps.
- Crumble the topping evenly over the top of the apples.
- Place the pie inside a large grocery paper bag so the pie does not touch the bag on the sides or on the top. Carefully fold down the open end of the bag and secure it closed with staples or uncoated paperclips, then place the bag on top of a large baking sheet.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour.
- Once completely baked, carefully open the paper bag to avoid the steam that will escape from it. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- In the Refrigerator: Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave for 30–60 seconds.
- In the Freezer: Cool completely, wrap in plastic and foil, and freeze up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Bake frozen pie at 350ºF for 20–30 minutes until heated through. Tent with foil if the edges brown too fast.
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 177mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 4gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 424IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
