Easy Homemade Apple Pie Filling

5 from 3 votes

Easy Homemade Apple Pie Filling

Homemade apple pie filling is simple and easy to whip up, and tastes thousands of times better than store bought filling! Use it in your holiday pies, on top of waffles and pancakes, add into cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, or as filling for cakes and cupcakes. It's so versatile.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: German

Servings: cups

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

5 pounds apples peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup brown sugar packed
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of ½ a lemon
1 cup apple cider
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoon butter

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, apple slices, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground cardamom and freshly grated nutmeg. Toss the apples thoroughly in the spiced sugar mixture until well-coated; let macerate in the bowl for 10 minutes.
Dump the apples and the accumulated juices into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Pour in ¾ cup apple cider, and begin cooking the apples down until softened for 15 minutes.
Once softened, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing together the cornstarch and remaining apple cider in a small bowl with a fork until smooth, stir into the apple mixture, and let thicken.
Add the kosher salt and vanilla, stir, and turn off the heat. Stir in the unsalted butter, and let the apple pie filling cool for 5 minutes before canning, or let it cool completely before storing or using in a recipe. See notes for the different ways to store your apple pie filling.

Video

Notes

How to Can Apple Pie Filling

Prepare your water bath canner.
Sterilize seven pint size mason jars or 4 quart size jars and lids in boiling water, then reduce to a simmer while you're making the pie filling.
Ladle the hot apple pie filling, using a wide canning funnel, into the hot jars leaving about 1 inch headspace.
Remove any air bubbles with a butter knife or tapping gently on a kitchen towel on the counter, then wipe any filling off the rim and the jar. If you don't, you'll end up messing with your seal.
Center lid on the jar and screw on band until fit is fingertip tight. What's fingertip tight? It's basically as tight as you'd screw the lid back onto a jar of jam or mayo or something.
Process the jars in your water bath canner for 25 minutes.
Carefully remove the jars and let them completely cool on a cooling rack.
Check the lids for seal after 24 hours, they should not pop or flex when pushed.

How to Store Apple Pie Filling

Apple pie filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

You can also freeze it in an airtight container, mason jar, or zip top freezer bag, just leave a half inch headspace (empty space) to allow for expanding when it freezes.

Nutrition