This sour cream apple pie has been one of my family’s favorites for decades!! Literally, decades! I make it for all the holidays, summer bbq’s, and often for Sunday suppers.
Why is this pie so special? Sour cream brings a creamy, slightly tangy bite to the sweetness of the apples, giving you a twist on the classic apple pie. The creamy filling is generously spiced with all the right warm delicious spices and gently sweetened for balance. Then there’s the topping! It’s a delicious, nutty, cinnamony brown sugar streusel. The whole combo is really out of this world!
Sour Cream Apple Pie
This recipe comes from an old friend. The first time I had it was summer. Honestly, it was love at first bite. It became one of my signature desserts and I’ve made it, literally for decades. My family loves this more than I can even tell you. Not trying to oversell it, but, to quote Jack Friday, (holy cow I bet most of you are too young to know what I’m talking about!!!) “Just the facts, Ma’am. Just the facts!”
This pie is best served cold. That makes it absolutely perfect for making ahead for the holidays, and wonderful for warm-weather events. I’m telling you it’s a year-round winner!
Try my mini apple pies, apple dump cake, and apple bread next.
Let’s bake this! I’m sure your whole family will love this pie too!
Sour Cream Apple Pie Video Tutorial
Check out my web story here.
Recipe Notes
- Sour Cream: I use full-fat sour cream in this recipe. I love the creamy richness it adds.
- Foil: While not an ingredient, the foil does serve to protect. The streusel and pie crust can over brown without it.
- Apples: The star of the pie, apples come in a ton of varieties. Here’s a list of the best ones to choose for pie. I opt for granny smith since they hold their shape in baking and give you a strong apple flavor even when cooked.
- Blind Baking: This is also known as prebaking. This is done to keep the crust crispy. Without doing this, the moisture from the custard will produce a soggy crust. To blind bake, poke the bottom of the crust with a fork (so it doesn’t puff up during baking), place a piece of parchment paper loosely over the crust, then line the crust with pie weight or dried beans. Bake as instructed in the recipe below, remove the parchment paper, pie weight, or beans.
How to Store and Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store it in the fridge (fully cooled!) for up to five days. Normal apple pies can also sit at room temp for a little while, but since this pie contains dairy, only store it in cool temps!
- Can You Freeze This? Yes. It needs to be baked first. Once baked, it’ll last up to eight months in the freezer. That said, the texture of the pie is far better served fresh, not frozen.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Since this pie is best served cold, it’s perfect for making a few days before you need it and storing it in the fridge.
Serving Recommendations
Hot coffee, tea, a tall glass of milk are perfect with this. If you want an adult beverage apple overload my apple martini or apple pie moonshine is both homemade, both lip-smackingly good — you’ll be in an autumnal apple mood in no time!
How To Make
- Press your pie crust into a deep-dish pan. Prick the crust with a fork and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Fill with pie weights or beans. Bake.
- Combine all sour cream apple pie filling ingredients except apples in a large mixing bowl and stir until they are well mixed.
- Add apples and toss until filling is evenly distributed.
- Pour into the cooled crust.
- Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and mix well. Blend in butter until the mixture is crumbly.
- Toss in the walnuts until coated.
- Sprinkle crumble topping over the filling. Bake.
More Fruit Pie Recipes
Sour Cream Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust unbaked
Filling:
- 1 2/3 cups sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds (about 6 apples) granny smith apples peeled and sliced 1/4 to 1/2 thick
Topping:
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
Instructions
- Prebake the crust. Press your pie crust into a 9" deep dish pan. Prick the crust with a fork and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the pie pan from the fridge, and loosely cover the top with foil or parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Set crust aside and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the filling. Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients except apples in a large mixing bowl and stir until they are well mixed. Add apples (2 pounds) and toss until filling is evenly distributed. Pour into the cooled crust.
- Prepare the topping. Combine flour (1/2 cup), sugar (1/3 cup brown sugar & 1/3 sugar), and cinnamon (1 tablespoon) in a medium bowl and mix well. Blend in butter (1/2 cup) using 2 knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly. Toss in the walnuts (1 cup) until coated. Sprinkle crumble topping over the filling.
- Bake. Place pie on a cookie sheet and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven, loosely covered for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until about 10-15 minutes until the filling is set, slightly puffed, and lightly golden.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Sour Cream: I use full-fat sour cream in this recipe. I love the creamy richness it adds.
- Foil: While not an ingredient, the foil does serve to protect. The streusel and pie crust can over brown without it.
- Apples: The star of the pie, apples come in a ton of varieties. Here's a list of the best ones to choose for pie. I opt for granny smith since they hold their shape in baking and give you a strong apple flavor even when cooked.
- Blind Baking: This is also known as prebaking. This is done to keep the crust crispy. Without doing this, the moisture from the custard will produce a soggy crust. To blind bake, poke the bottom of the crust with a fork (so it doesn't puff up during baking), place a piece of parchment paper loosely over the crust, then line the crust with pie weight or dried beans. Bake as instructed in the recipe below, remove the parchment paper, pie weight, or beans.
Nutrition
I almost ate 3 slices!! This is fantastic!
LOL, me too, Toni! I’m glad you enjoyed!
This sounds freaking amazing! I will definitely be giving this a try later in the year when the weather cools down. Omg I can’t wait!
I hope you love it as much as we do, Marianne! <3
The classic. Yum!
Yummy indeed. Hope you give this recipe a try, Belle! ?