This apple cheddar pie combines a buttery cheddar cheese pie crust and a sweet gooey cinnamon apple filling. The cheddar pie crust is extra flaky and each slice is mostly sweet, a little savory, and perfectly satisfying. If you’re craving an upgrade to traditional apple pie, this recipe is definitely it!
What Is Apple Cheddar Pie?
There’s one thing our apple pies have been missing and it’s cheese.
I feel like you’re either going to love this idea or loathe this idea. Adding cheddar cheese to apple pie is nothing new or groundbreaking, but there’s many who haven’t heard of this dessert and/or are reluctant to try. Well as it turns out, the combination of cheese and apple pie is totally underrated! A little salty, a little sweet, a lot of satisfaction. Today we’re adding sharp cheddar cheese to my beloved all butter pie crust, then filling it with a luscious apple pie filling that’s sprinkled with… you guessed it… cheese.
Will you just look at this cheesy buttery flaky perfection? This holiday season is basically screaming for APPLE CHEDDAR!
This Apple Cheddar Pie Is:
- Like regular apple pie, but totally enhanced
- Mostly sweet, a little savory
- Extra buttery and mega flaky
- Filled with gooey cinnamon apples
- For cheese lovers!
Let’s Start With the Cheddar Pie Crust
Watch the video tutorial in my all butter pie crust post. We’re doing the same thing here, just adding cheese.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour, sugar, + salt. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use a food processor for this step. I always like to make pie crust by hand with a pastry cutter so I don’t over-mix it, which quickly leads to a tough texture.
- Add ice water. 2 Tablespoons at a time, slowly mix ice water into the butter/flour mixture. Use only as much ice water as you need until the dough begins to clump.
- Slowly mix in freshly shredded cheese. When I say freshly shredded, I mean cheese you shred yourself with a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese is much drier than freshly shredded, which can negatively affect the overall texture of the crust. I use a blend of white cheddar and regular sharp cheddar cheese. It’s INCREDIBLE.
- Bring the dough into a ball, then cut in half.
- Chill the dough. Flatten the dough into 2 discs. Wrap each half and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days; or freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend making the pie dough the night before so it’s ready.
This pie dough yields 2 crusts: 1 for the bottom of the pie and 1 for the top.
Look at all these flaky layers! This is after we cut the dough in half. ↓ ↓
How to Roll Out Pie Dough
After you chill the pie dough, roll out 1 disc. Keep a small bowl of flour nearby to keep your work surface, rolling pin, and hands lightly floured, which helps prevent the pie dough from sticking. When rolling pie dough out, always start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough as you go. If the pie dough feels too warm or the butter is melting, stop. Lift it up, place on a baking sheet, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before continuing.
Cheddar Apple Pie Filling
It’s finally time to fill our pie! This apple pie filling is the same exact filling I use for my classic apple pie recipe. However, I skipped the lemon juice since it didn’t pair very well with the cheddar. (I usually add lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.) I love that there’s no pre-cooking involved. Simply mix the apple pie filling ingredients together and fill your pie.
Here are my tips for the best apple pie filling:
- Use a mix of tart and sweet apples, such as 3–4 Granny Smith apples and 3 Fuji apples.Here is a complete list ofthe best apples for baking.
- Slice apples into 1/4-inch slices, so the apples aren’t thin and flimsy
- Add flour to bind the apples together
- Layer and tuck the apples into the crust tightly so there’s no spacious air pockets
How to Braid + Lattice Pie Crust
We have a 2nd cheddar pie crust to use and you can top this pie however you’d like! Use my pie crust designs page for inspiration. Here I decided on a traditional lattice topping with some regular strips, some braided strips, and crimped edges. Let me teach you how to do all 3:
- Video Tutorial: Lattice Pie Crust
- Video Tutorial: How to Braid Pie Crust
- Video Tutorial: How to Crimp and Flute Pie Crust
I crimped the edges of the pie crust with a fork and used an apple cookie cutter for some cute shapes on top. 🙂 Have fun with this part and get creative. You could also skip the top pie crust and use the topping from my beloved apple crumble pie. YUM!
Baker’s Tip: No matter how you decorate your top pie crust, I recommend chilling the entire pie in the refrigerator or freezer as your oven preheats. The colder the pie dough, the more likely it will hold its beautiful shape in the oven. I do this with every single pie I bake, including the one in these photos!
Filled with thick apples, each slice of this apple cheddar pie is perfectly satisfying. I’m confident this dessert will draw a crowd at your holiday table this year!
Plenty More Pies
*This recipe is part of my annual Sally’s Pie Week. Find more pie inspiration there or in my roundup of favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes!
Apple Cheddar Pie
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.6 from 13 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: one 9-inch pie
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Save Recipe
Description
This apple cheddar pie combines a buttery cheddar cheese pie crust and a sweet gooey cinnamon apple filling. The pie dough must chill for 2 hours before assembling. Review recipe instructions and notes before beginning and use your favorite cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
Cheddar Pie Crust
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed()
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1/2 cup (120ml) ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly shredded cheddar cheese*
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Apple Pie Filling
- 8 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (10 cups, or 1250g, total)*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour()
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon each: ground allspice, ground cloves, & ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese*
Instructions
- Make the pie crust: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter on top. Using a pastry cutter, food processor, or 2 forks (pastry cutter is ideal, see post above), cut the butter into the dry ingredients until all flour is coated. You’re looking for pea-sized bits of flour-coated butter. A few larger bits of butter is OK.
- Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 2 Tablespoons (30ml) at a time, and stir after each addition. Stop adding water when the dough comes together easily and begins to form large clumps. The dough will feel moist and a little sticky, but not overly wet. Do not add any more water than you need to. I always use about 1/2 cup (120ml) of ice water. Using a silicone spatula, carefully fold in the cheese. Avoid overworking the dough.
- Place pie dough on a lightly floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Using your hands, flatten each half into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup cheese together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as you roll out the pie crust.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Smooth out the edges with your fingers if you notice cracks. Keeping your work surface, rolling pin, and hands lightly floured makes rolling out easier. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. You can watch me do this at the :43 mark in my praline pumpkin pie video. (Also, for a nice thick edge, I usually don’t trim the overhanging dough from the edges of the crust. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. You can do this before or after you add the top pie crust.)
- Spoon the filling into the crust.
- Roll out the 2nd pie crust just like you rolled out the bottom pie crust. You can simply lay the pie crust on top of the filling to make a double crust pie (slit a few holes in the top for air vents) or you can create a pretty pie crust design on top like a lattice pie crust and/or a braided pie crust. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers. (Review my how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial if you need extra help with this step.) Brush the pie crust with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. This adds a lovely sweet crunch.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). As the oven preheats, place your pie in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it cold. The colder the pie dough, the more likely it will hold its beautiful shape.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30–35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
- Cool for at least 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: A couple ways to make ahead of time! Make the pie 1 day in advance; after it cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared fillings can also be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Box Grater | Glass Mixing Bowl | Pastry Cutter | Silicone Spatula | Rolling Pin|9-inch Pie Dish | Apple Cookie Cutter | Pastry Brush|Pie Crust Shield
- Cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is often dry, so I highly recommend shredding a block of cheese yourself at home—it’s fresher and a little more moist. Use your favorite cheddar cheese. I love white cheddar cheese in this pie or a combination of white cheddar and extra sharp regular cheddar cheese. You can substitute other cheeses if desired, but avoid soft or crumbly cheeses.
- Apples: For best taste, I recommend a mix of sweet and tart apples, such as 4 Granny Smith apples and 4 Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Pink Lady apples.
