Easy, flavorful spiced apple pie filling — ideal for cakes, cookies, danishes, or scooping by the spoonful.
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Apple Pie Filling
If you came home from apple picking with more fruit than you can eat, this spiced apple pie filling is a great solution. It’s straightforward to make (peeling the apples takes the longest), stores well, and is warmly spiced for fall baking. Use it as a filling for pies, cakes, cookies, and danishes — or enjoy it plain with a spoon.
Ingredients for homemade apple pie filling
- Apples: Choose a baking apple you like. Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Jonathan, or Braeburn all work well.
- Lemon juice: Fresh or bottled — prevents browning and brightens the apple flavor.
- Butter: Adds richness; salted or unsalted works.
- Ground cinnamon: For classic warm spice.
- Apple pie spice: A blended spice gives the filling its traditional flavor; use cinnamon alone if needed.
- Light brown sugar: Sweetens and adds a hint of molasses; swap dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
- Corn starch: Thickens the filling. If unavailable, use twice the amount of all-purpose flour as a substitute.
How to make homemade apple pie filling
Below is a concise overview of the method. The full recipe with measurements is included further down.
- Choose and rinse your baking apples, then peel and core them.
- Dice the apples into roughly 1″ cubes.
- In a saucepan, combine the diced apples with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and butter. Stir to coat.
- Heat the mixture over medium until it reaches a gentle simmer, and cook 5–10 minutes until the apples soften slightly, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk corn starch with water to make a slurry, then slowly stir it into the simmering apples. Cook until the filling thickens, then remove from heat.
- Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (up to 1 week) or freeze for longer storage (up to 3 months).
Homemade Apple Pie Filling — Q&A
What type of apples should I use?
Use any baking apple you prefer. Pink Lady and Granny Smith are common choices; Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Jonathan, and Braeburn also work well. Choose based on sweetness and texture you like.
How to store apple pie filling
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. For longer storage, freeze in a sealed container for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes — feel free to double, triple, or scale the recipe as needed. Using gram measurements helps for accurate scaling.
Tools and ingredients
Simple kitchen tools are all you need: a good knife, cutting board, saucepan, and a small bowl for the corn starch slurry. A kitchen scale makes measuring easier when scaling the recipe.
Other recipes you might enjoy
- Apple Pie Bars
- Apple Pie Cheesecake Cookies
- Chai Apple Crumb Cake
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see your results and hear your feedback. Please leave a comment and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 600 g apples* (*after peeling & coring — ~840 g before)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 125 g light brown sugar (⅓ cup)
- 1 tbsp apple pie spice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Rinse the apples, peel, core, and dice into roughly 1″ squares.
- Place the diced apples in a large saucepan with the lemon juice, brown sugar, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and butter. Stir to coat the apples evenly.
- Set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk the corn starch with the water to make a smooth slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the apple mixture while stirring. Continue stirring until the filling thickens, then remove from heat.
- Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Use as a filling or enjoy on its own.
Notes
Notes: Measurements are given in grams and common volume equivalents. Use a kitchen scale for best results when scaling the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 3 cups — Calories: 378 kcal — Carbohydrates: 79 g — Protein: 1 g — Fat: 9 g — Fiber: 7 g — Sugar: 62 g
Please note that the nutrition facts are estimates and can vary depending on ingredient brands and substitutions.