This apple pie recipe was passed to me from a friend a few years back. I thought grating the apples was an interesting way to make an apple pie and I had not heard of it before. Fast-forward a few years later and I actually found a similar recipe in a vintage cookbook. Maybe this pie has been forgotten over the years or it is not seen as often in cookbooks because it has the extra step of grating the apples.
I have an electric grater so it only took about five minutes to peel and grate the apples. I also tried chopping the apples with an electric chopper and I think you can probably substitute that technique if you don’t have a grater but just be careful not to chop the apples too finely.
You can also use an old-fashioned box grater, as the writer of this recipe had intended, but just be sure to grate on the coarse side of the grater.
I think you will find that it is an interesting texture for an apple pie and will enjoy the results. In addition to grating the apples, this recipe has other instructions more indicative of caking making because you cream the butter with a mixer and then add the sugar and eggs and beat again. Once the apples are added, it makes a thick batter.
There are two things that you should be aware of when making this pie. If the apples produce a lot of juice, drain them before adding them to the batter. If you pour off the juice after adding the apples to the batter, you will lose a lot of the spice flavor.
The second thing to be aware of is that you will need to cover the crust edges for baking so that it doesn’t get too brown. Aluminum foil around the edges usually works best, or use a pie ring that covers the crust well.
I hope you enjoy this vintage apple pie recipe!
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 pie crust
- 4 cups apples, peeled and grated (about 5 medium apples)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Cut off any overhanging crust and crimp the edges.
- In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons evenly in the bottom of the crust and set the rest aside.
- Grate the apples and add the lemon juice and stir.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until mixed well and the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.
- Pour the apples into the crust and spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
- Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
I have made this pie with both gala and golden delicious apples with good results.
The purpose of putting some of the sugar mixture into the bottom of the pie crust is to absorb some of the liquid that forms when sugar and fruit are mixed together.