Flaky crusts, spiced fillings, and just the right balance of sweet and tart—these apple pies are pure comfort in every bite.
Each one brings something different to the table, from caramel-drizzled layers to rustic crumbles and buttery lattices. It’s not about tradition or trend—it’s about what your taste buds crave most. And these 15 pies absolutely deliver.
1. Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie
Nothing beats the OG of pie perfection – the double-crust classic that’s been making mouths water since colonial times. Two layers of buttery, flaky goodness sandwich a mountain of cinnamon-kissed apple slices swimming in their own sweet juices.
The beauty lies in its simplicity: tart Granny Smiths mixed with sweeter varieties create the perfect balance. No fancy tricks, no wild ingredients – just pure apple magic that bursts with flavor when fork meets filling.
2. Dutch Apple Pie With Crumb Topping
Forget the top crust – Dutch apple pie throws caution to the wind with a rebellious streusel topping that’ll make your taste buds do the happy dance. Buttery nuggets of brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon create a crumbly mountain range atop tender apple valleys.
What makes this pie extraordinary is the textural contrast between the crunchy top and soft, spiced apples below. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of sweet and tart with that signature crumb-in-your-lap experience that somehow makes it taste even better.
3. Salted Caramel Apple Pie
Holy mother of desserts! Salted caramel apple pie is what happens when a traditional favorite gets a sexy makeover. Imagine buttery caramel sauce spiked with sea salt weaving through tender apple slices like liquid gold – it’s practically pie pornography.
The genius lies in the salt flakes that cut through the sweetness, creating flavor fireworks in your mouth. Bakers often drizzle extra caramel on top of the lattice crust, letting it pool in the corners like little treasures waiting to be discovered.
4. Deep Dish Apple Pie
Skyscraper of sweetness! Deep dish apple pie doesn’t mess around with dainty portions – it’s the heavyweight champion of the pie world. Standing tall at 2-3 inches high, this monster packs in roughly twice the apples of its standard cousins.
The genius comes from the slow-baked, caramelized layers of fruit that develop complex flavors as they cook down. A sturdy crust contains the apple avalanche without getting soggy, thanks to special techniques like partial pre-cooking of the filling.
5. French Apple Tart
Ooh la la! The French apple tart is what happens when apple pie goes to finishing school in Paris. Forget rustic charm – this sophisticated cousin features paper-thin apple slices arranged in hypnotic spirals or perfect concentric circles that would make geometry teachers weep with joy.
Built on a buttery shortcrust foundation and often glazed with apricot jam, this tart is all about elegant restraint. The filling skips heavy spices to let the natural apple flavor shine through, sometimes with just a whisper of vanilla or a splash of Calvados apple brandy.
6. Sour Cream Apple Pie
Scandalous yet scrumptious! Sour cream apple pie sounds like a dairy disaster but tastes like a slice of heaven. The tangy custard base transforms the entire experience, creating a creamy wonderland where apple chunks float like sweet islands.
Most versions feature a streusel topping that adds crunchy contrast to the silky filling below. The magic happens during baking when the sour cream mixture sets into a velvety texture that’s neither too loose nor too firm – pie perfection in pudding form.
7. Apple Crumble Pie
Can’t decide between apple pie and apple crumble? Refuse to choose! This hybrid hero delivers the best of both worlds with a traditional bottom crust and a recklessly generous mountain of buttery crumble on top.
The filling typically features extra-thick apple slices swimming in cinnamon-sugar glory, creating hearty texture that stands up to the substantial topping. Smart bakers add nuts to the crumble – walnuts or pecans bring extra crunch and a flavor dimension that’ll make your eyes roll back in delight.
8. Cheddar-Crust Apple Pie
“Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze!” This old New England saying explains why cheese-crusted apple pie has survived centuries of changing tastes. Sharp cheddar mixed directly into the pastry creates a savory-sweet masterpiece that’ll blow your mind.
The genius lies in how the cheese transforms into tiny pockets of salty goodness throughout the flaky crust. Some bakers go further by layering thin cheddar slices between the filling and top crust, creating a melty middle layer that’ll make you question everything you thought you knew about dessert.
9. Swedish Apple Pie
Lazy bakers, rejoice! Swedish apple pie throws conventional wisdom out the window by completely ditching the bottom crust. Instead, a magic mixture of butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and nuts gets poured over heaped apples, creating a self-forming top crust that’s part cookie, part cake.
During baking, this miraculous concoction sinks partially into the fruit while forming a crackly lid on top. The result? A dessert that serves itself – just scoop it out like apple crisp but with a more substantial topping that satisfies serious pie cravings.
10. Maple Bourbon Apple Pie
Boozy brilliance in a pie tin! Maple bourbon apple pie takes adult desserts to new heights by spiking traditional filling with Kentucky’s finest. The bourbon doesn’t just add kick – it creates complex caramel notes that dance perfectly with real maple syrup’s woodsy sweetness.
Smart bakers use multiple apple varieties for texture contrast, then macerate them in the bourbon mixture before baking. This infuses every slice with barrel-aged goodness while the alcohol cooks off, leaving just the flavor behind.
11. Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Pie without the plate! These genius bars transform everything you love about apple pie into portable, hand-held form – perfect for picnics, potlucks, or straight-up snack attacks. A shortbread-like bottom supports layers of cinnamon-spiced apples and buttery streusel.
The game-changer comes after baking, when rivers of homemade caramel sauce get drizzled over the still-warm surface, seeping into every nook and cranny. Cut into squares, these bars deliver all the flavor of traditional pie with none of the fussy serving requirements or soggy-bottom concerns.
12. Rustic Apple Galette
Perfectionist? Not this pie! The rustic galette is the free-spirited bohemian of the apple pie world – no tin required, no precise crimping needed. Just a single round of pastry folded casually around a pile of sliced apples, creating a laid-back dessert that’s impossible to mess up.
The beauty lies in its artistic imperfection and exposed filling that caramelizes at the edges during baking. French in origin but thoroughly democratic in execution, this style embraces the “perfectly imperfect” aesthetic that makes homemade desserts so charming.
13. Mini Mason Jar Apple Pies
Portion control? Adorable presentation? Individual mason jar apple pies deliver both with Instagram-worthy cuteness that’ll make your guests squeal with delight. These single-serving wonders feature layers of crust and filling baked directly in glass jars.
The genius is in the ratio – more crust per bite than traditional pie, creating perfect texture balance in every spoonful. Some bakers add a surprise layer of cream cheese or custard at the bottom for an extra flavor dimension that elevates the whole experience.
14. Brown Bag Apple Pie
Sounds like a lunch disaster, tastes like a miracle! Brown bag apple pie gets its quirky name from the unusual baking method – the entire pie gets placed inside a regular paper grocery bag, then baked low and slow to perfection.
This old-school technique creates steam inside the bag, preventing the crust from burning while allowing the filling to cook thoroughly. The result? A perfectly golden crust with tender, fully-cooked apples every single time, even for novice bakers.
15. Bacon Lattice Apple Pie
Meat in dessert?! Bacon lattice apple pie laughs at convention while creating flavor combinations that’ll blow your mind. Salty, smoky bacon strips replace traditional pastry in the lattice top, creating a sweet-savory masterpiece that defies categorization.
The magic happens as the bacon renders during baking, infusing the apple filling with subtle smokiness while creating a perfectly crisp top. Smart bakers par-cook the bacon first to prevent greasiness, then weave it over apples tossed with extra cinnamon and black pepper to stand up to the bold topping.