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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Treats

    Apple Pie with Sweet Cookie Crust

    Updated: Jul 6, 2024 · Published: Jan 25, 2018 · by Jan Nunes

    An apple pie with a sugar coated top crust on a wire cooling rack with red apples and text overlay.

    Apple Pie with Sweet Cookie Crust is filled with semi-sweet apples and topped with a sweet crust with sparkling white sugar.

    If you love the all-American apple pie but want to shake things up a little, you will love this version with a mix of sweet and tart apples and a top crust made with homemade sugar cookies overlapped to make a pretty and sweet crust.

    An apple pie with a sugar coated top crust on a wire cooling rack with red apples.
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    This version of the iconic American dessert has a few creative ways that make this timeless treat taste even better. We start with a regular bottom crust and then totally rethink the top crust by using homemade sugar cookie dough.

    This could be the perfect apple pie and is definitely one that’ll bring a smile to everyone’s face and have them asking for seconds.

    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients Notes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • My Top Tip
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Equipment
    • Make-Ahead & Storage
    • More Great Pie & Pastry Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    About This Recipe

    My twist on the American classic apple pie is that I use less sugar in the filling and I top the pie with a sweet cookie crust. You get a little tartness from the apples balanced with the sweetness of the top crust. I also use a frozen pie shell or refrigerated pie crust for the bottom crust to save time and pull this pie together quickly.

    Close view of the sugar cookie crust on an apple pie.

    For this apple pie, I like to use a Gala, Jonathan, or Honeycrisp apple because their baking time is about 15 minutes less than a harder and denser apple like the Granny Smith.

    But, if you like a bit more tartness to the filling go ahead and use Grannies. Just cook them a bit after peeling and cutting but before you sweeten and spice the filling.

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredients Notes

    Here's what you need to make this apple pie:

    Bottom Crust:

    • 9” Pie Crust - (not shown) You will need a single pie crust that is frozen, refrigerated, or homemade.
    The ingredients for apple pie filling, clockwise from top right: fresh apples, ground nutmeg, instant tapioca, ground cinnamon, and white granulated sugar.

    Filling:

    • Fresh Apples - I like to use sweet/tart apples like Gala, Jonathan, or Honeycrisp for this apple pie. You will need at least 6 cups of sliced apples for a regular-sized pie and 8 cups for a deep-dish pie.
    • White Granulated Sugar - Just simple white sugar will sweeten the filling perfectly.
    • Instant Tapioca - I use instant tapioca to thicken the juices of the apples as the pie bakes.
    • Cinnamon - Cinnamon is the classic warm baking spice for an apple pie.
    • Nutmeg - Freshly Grated is best to add an extra layer of flavor to the filling.
    Sweet Cookie Crust Ingredients, clockwise from top right: White granulated sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream, salt, sifted flour, a large egg, and salted butter.

    Sweet Cookie Crust:

    • Salted Butter - This cookie crust has butter for a rich flavor. I prefer salted butter because I generally have it in the fridge.
    • White Granulated Sugar - White sugar has the right moisture content for the crust. Do not substitute.
    • Large Egg - You must use a large egg for this recipe. Do not substitute an extra-large or a medium.
    • Vanilla Extract - You can use real vanilla extract or imitation. The flavor will still be great!
    • Heavy Cream - A little heavy cream will make the crust come together easily.
    • All-Purpose Flour - For an accurate measurement for this recipe, be sure to sift the flour before measuring. You will then sift the measured flour with salt which helps this dough mix quickly.
    • Salt - A little salt makes sweet things seem a little sweeter.
    Pastry Wash ingredients, clockwise from top: large egg and heavy cream. Also, sparkling sugar to top the pie.

    For the Pastry Wash:

    • Large Egg
    • Milk or Cream

    I like a heavy pastry wash of 1 whole egg beaten with a little cream for this pie. This wash gives the pie a nice golden color and helps the sparkling sugar stick to the cookie crust. Check out my Pastry Washes Comparison Chart to learn more about various pastry washes and how they improve baked goods.

    You will also need sugar to sprinkle over the cookie crust. My favorite is:

    • White Sparkling Decorative Sugar

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Process Photo 1 - A single pie crust has been eased into a pie pan that is sitting on a baking sheet.

    Preheat and Prepare Pie Pan. Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C. Remove frozen pie crust from freezer and thaw or ease a refrigerated or homemade pie crust into a 9" pie pan. Place lined pie pan on a baking sheet.

    Process Photo 2 - The cookie crust dough has been mixed in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

    Make the Cookie Crust. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and milk and beat well. Sift together flour and salt and add to the creamed mixture. Stir just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Set cookie dough aside.

    Process Photo 3 - Apples, sugar, spices, and instant tapioca, are mixed in a large bowl to make the apple pie filling.

    Make the Apple Filling. Peel, core, and cut apples. In a large bowl mix together the apples, sugar, instant tapioca, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let the filling stand for 15 minutes to allow the juices to thicken. While the filling thickens, make the cookie crust and the pastry wash.

    Process Photo 4 - An egg and heavy cream are beaten with a fork to make a pastry wash.

    Make Pastry Wash. In a small bowl whisk together or beat with a fork, the egg and cream to make the pastry wash. Set aside for later.

    Process Photo 5 - The cookie crust is rolled out on a floured surface and cut with a decorative cutter.

    Cut the Cookie Crust. Roll out sweet cookie crust ¼ inch thick and cut with a decorative cutter. My favorite is a 2-inch scalloped round biscuit/cookie cutter. Starting at the pie’s edge, arrange the cookies on top of apples decoratively. Scraps can be rerolled and cut as needed.

    Process Photo 6a - The pie shel is filled with the apple filling.
    Process Photo 6b - The edge of the bottom crust is folded up over the filling and brushed with the pastry wash.

    Fill Pie. Place the pie shell on a baking sheet. Spoon the apple filling into bottom crust pressing well into the pan. Mound the apple filling in the center and taper to the sides of the pan.

    Fold the edges of the crust up and over the filling and brush with the pastry wash.

    Process Photo 7 - The cookie crust is added to the top of the pie, brushed with an egg pastry wash, and sprinkled with sparkling white sugar.

    Add Top Crust and Pastry Wash. Starting at the pie’s edge, arrange cookies on top of the apples overlapping slightly and decoratively.

    Brush cookie crust with pastry wash and sprinkle generously with white sparkling sugar.

    Bake. Cover the pie completely with a tent of aluminum foil and bake the pie for 60 to 75 minutes or until the apples are tender when pierced by a fork or toothpick.

    Remove the aluminum tent and continue to bake for an additional 10 to 14 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown.

    Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

    An apple pie with a sugar coated top crust on a wire cooling rack with red apples.

    Serve and enjoy plain, with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

    My Top Tip

    ♡ My very best tip for this pie is to add a few blackberries to the pie filling as stated below. Blackberries make this pie extra special!

    A slice of apple-blackberry pie with a cookie crust on a white plate.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Substitute Milk or Half and Half. Instead of heavy cream, you can use milk or half and half when making the cookie dough crust.
    • Add Blackberries. You can add up to 1 cup of blackberries for a delicious twist.
    • Substitute All-Purpose Flour. Instead of instant tapioca, you can use 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour mixed into the apples to thicken the filling
    • Substitute Cardamom. Instead of cinnamon, you can use cardamon in the filling.
    • Substitute Coriander. If you add blackberries to the pie, reduce the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon of ground coriander to the filling.

    Equipment

    I prefer to use a stand mixer to make the sweet cookie dough. However, you can use a hand mixer or beat the ingredients by hand.

    Make-Ahead & Storage

    Cover the pie in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If desired, reheat slices of the pie gently in the oven or microwave.

    An apple pie with a sugar coated top crust on a wire cooling rack with red apples.

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    ♡ Did you love this Apple Pie with Sweet Cookie Crust? Please leave us a star rating and a comment below!

    📖 Recipe

    An apple pie with a sugar coated top crust on a wire cooling rack with red apples.

    Apple Pie with Sweet Cookie Crust

    5 from 2 votes
    By: Jan Nunes
    Apple Pie with Sweet Cookie Crust is filled with sweet-tart apples and topped with a sweet crust with sparkling white sugar.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 40 minutes minutes
    Cook Time ~ 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 8 Servings
    Calories ~ 623kcal
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    Ingredients
     

    Bottom Crust:

    • 1 9” Pie Crust , Frozen, Refrigerated, or Single Homemade Pie Crust

    Filling:

    • 6 to 8 Cups Apples, Peeled, Sliced, and Cut, Gala, Jonathan, or Honeycrisp
    • ½ Cup Sugar
    • 3 Tablespoons Instant Tapioca
    • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon, or Cardamom
    • ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg, Freshly Grated

    Sweet Cookie Crust:

    • ½ Cup Salted Butter
    • ¾ Cup White Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Large Egg
    • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
    • 2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, Sifted
    • 1 Teaspoon Salt

    Pastry Wash:

    • 1 Large Egg
    • 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
    • 2 Tablespoons White Sparkling Decorative Sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat and Prepare Pie Pan. Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C. Remove frozen pie crust from freezer and thaw or ease a refrigerated or homemade pie crust into a 9" pie pan. Place pastry lined pie pan on a baking sheet.
      1 9” Pie Crust
    • Make the Cookie Crust. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and cream and beat well.
      Sift together flour and salt and add to the creamed mixture. Stir, slowly, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Set cookie dough aside.
      ½ Cup Salted Butter, ¾ Cup White Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream, 2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 Teaspoon Salt
    • Make the Apple Filling. Peel, core, and cut apples. In a large bowl mix together apples, sugar, instant tapioca, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
      6 to 8 Cups Apples, Peeled, Sliced, and Cut, ½ Cup Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Instant Tapioca, 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon, ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
    • Make Pastry Wash. In a small bowl whisk together or beat with a fork, the egg and cream to make the pastry wash.
      1 Large Egg, 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
    • Cut Cookie Crust. Roll out sweet cookie crust ¼ inch thick and cut with a decorative cutter. My favorite is a 2-inch scalloped round biscuit/cookie cutter and I cut out 19 circles.
    • Fill the Pie. Spoon the apple filling into bottom crust pressing well into the pan. Mound apples in the center and taper to the sides of the pan.
      Fold the edge of the pastry over the filling and brush it with the pastry wash.
    • Add Top Crust and Pastry Wash. Starting at the pie’s edge, arrange cookies on top of the apples overlapping slightly and decoratively.
      Brush cookie crust with pastry wash and sprinkle generously with white sparkling sugar.
      2 Tablespoons White Sparkling Decorative Sugar
    • Bake. Cover the pie completely with a tent of aluminum foil and bake the pie for 60 to 75 minutes or until the apples are tender when pierced by a fork or toothpick.
      Remove the aluminum tent and continue to bake for an additional 10 to 14 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown.
      Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

    Notes

    My very best tip for this pie is to add a few blackberries to the pie filling as stated below. Blackberries make this pie extra special!
    I prefer to use a stand mixer to make the sweet cookie dough. However, you can use a hand mixer or beat the ingredients by hand.
    Cover the pie in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If desired, reheat slices of the pie gently in the oven or microwave.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 9.6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2.9mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

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    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

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