The Best Apple Pie with a Flaky Cheddar Crust

Are you ready to try the simple, classic, and surprisingly delicious secret ingredient that will make your next homemade apple pie the most memorable one you’ve ever baked? The secret is cheese! This incredible, from-scratch Apple Pie with a savory, flaky, Cheddar Cheese Crust is the ultimate sweet and savory masterpiece. It’s a beloved American classic, particularly in New England and the Midwest, and it is guaranteed to become a new family favorite.

This isn’t just another apple pie recipe; it’s a guide to a perfectly balanced and unbelievably delicious dessert experience. We’ll show you the simple secrets to an incredibly flaky, savory crust and a thick, jammy apple filling that sets up perfectly every time. Forget everything you thought you knew about apple pie—this is the version that will have everyone talking.

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Sweet & Savory Pie

What makes this Apple Pie with a Cheddar Crust so spectacularly delicious is the perfect harmony between sweet, tart, and savory flavors. The from-scratch, all-butter pie crust is infused with a generous amount of extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, which provides a wonderful, salty, and savory flavor that beautifully complements the sweet and tart apple filling. This recipe also uses several foolproof, professional techniques—from using a mix of apples to a two-stage baking method—that guarantee a stunning, delicious, and perfectly baked pie.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	5 hours (includes chilling and cooling)
Active Prep Time	45 minutes
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Servings	8 slices

Your Holiday Baking Game Plan (Make-Ahead Schedule)

The secret to a stress-free holiday is to make as much as you can in advance. This pie is perfect for that!

• Up to 3 Days Ahead: Make the cheddar pie dough, wrap the two discs tightly, and store them in the refrigerator.
• Up to 2 Days Ahead: Prepare the entire apple pie filling. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• 1 Day Before Serving: You can assemble the entire, unbaked pie, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator.
• On Thanksgiving Day: Simply let the assembled pie sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then brush it with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake it fresh!

The Essential Ingredients for This Classic Pie

This recipe is built from two perfect, from-scratch components.

• The Savory Cheddar Cheese Crust: A rich, tender, and incredibly flavorful pâte brisée with a unique twist.
  • Extra-Sharp White Cheddar Cheese: This is the star of the crust! It is crucial to use an extra-sharp cheddar, as its bold, tangy flavor will stand up beautifully and not get lost in the rich, buttery pastry. Using a white cheddar also ensures that your crust has a beautiful, uniform golden color without any orange spots.
  • Cold Unsalted Butter: The absolute key to a flaky crust. It is crucial that your butter is very cold and cut into small pieces.
• The Sweet-Tart Apple Filling:
  • A Mix of Apples: The secret to the best apple pie filling is to use a combination of apples. Using a mix of a firm-tart apple (like Granny Smith) and a firm-sweet apple (like Braeburn, Gala, or Honeycrisp) provides a much more complex flavor and a perfect texture that is both tender and saucy, but not mushy.
  • The Thickener & Spices: A little bit of all-purpose flour is tossed with the apples to help thicken their juices into a beautiful, jammy sauce. A classic and comforting blend of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg provides the perfect warm spice notes.

Step-by-Step to the Best Apple Cheddar Pie

This recipe is a rewarding baking project. Follow these detailed steps for a perfect, show-stopping result.

Part 1: The Savory Cheddar Cheese Crust

Step 1: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, the 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Give it a quick pulse to blend the ingredients.

Step 2: Add the 2 sticks of cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbly sand with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Step 3: Add the 1 cup of grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese and pulse again until the cheese is in small chunks and combined into the mixture.

Step 4: Turn the mixture out into a large bowl. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons of cold water and mix with a rubber spatula until the flour is just moistened. Add another tablespoon of water only if the dough seems too dry.

Step 5: Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball, and then flatten each ball into a disc. Wrap the discs in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Part 2: The Sweet-Tart Apple Filling

In a large bowl, combine the sliced Granny Smith and Braeburn apples, the 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar, the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and the 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Toss everything together until the apples are evenly coated.

Part 3: Assembling and Baking Your Masterpiece Pie

Step 1: Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat your oven to a hot 425°F (220°C).

Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the chilled discs of dough into a 12-inch round. Ease the dough into a 9-inch pie dish.

Step 3: Add the apple filling in an even layer and dot the top with the 2 tablespoons of butter, sliced into pats.

Step 4: In a small bowl, prepare your egg wash by beating the 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the edges of the bottom crust with the egg wash.

Step 5: Roll out the other disc of dough slightly smaller than the first. Place this on top of the pie and press the edges together to seal. Trim the crust so you are left with a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the crust edge under itself and crimp it decoratively.

Step 6: Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash and sprinkle it generously with the 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar. Make several air slits in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape.

Step 7: Place the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Step 8: After 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue to bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling, which will take another 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes longer.

Step 9 (The Most Important Step!): Let the pie cool for at least 3 hours before slicing. This crucial step allows the hot, jammy filling to cool down and set up properly, which is the secret to a perfect, clean slice.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Make-Ahead: As outlined in our “Game Plan” above, this is the perfect dessert to make in stages over a few days to make your holiday baking completely stress-free. You can even assemble the entire unbaked pie a day in advance.
• Storage: Store the finished, cooled pie, covered loosely, at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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Enjoy a True American Classic!

You’ve just created a truly special, from-scratch dessert that is a wonderful taste of American culinary tradition. This classic Apple Pie with a Cheddar Cheese Crust is a perfect harmony of sweet, tart, and savory. It’s a rewarding baking project that is guaranteed to be a massive hit and a new, much-requested family favorite.

We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is ready to try this delicious sweet and savory combination!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)