Easy brown bag apple pie with a delicious crumb topping and flaky pie crust. The brown bag helps seal in all of the delicious flavors and leaves you with the best apple pie you’ve ever tried.
Apple Pie in a Brown Paper Bag
This is one of those recipes that I have to make every fall. It takes a little more time to whip up, but it’s oh so worth it. The crust is crispy, the filling is caramelized and the crumb topping is golden and buttery. If I’m looking for a quicker apple dessert, usually I’ll make an easy apple crisp or apple dump cake.
This brown bag apple pie is so easy and is absolutely delicious. My friend Nicole first brought it to my home last year for Thanksgiving dinner and I knew I needed to get the recipe to share with you. It comes from her grandma and tastes like the most wonderful homemade apple dessert.
Anyone can learn to make this recipe. It’s pretty simple (as far as pie making goes) and turns out amazing every time! We drizzled a little salted caramel and added homemade ice cream on top. Seriously divine and the crumble topping is amazing.
Why Bake Apple Pie In A Paper Bag?
Using this brown bag method really does make this the best apple pie you’ve ever tried. Below are a few reasons why:
- It helps seal in all the yummy juices and flavors.
- The filling gets caramelized and tender, while the crumble toppings gets golden.
- The pie crust doesn’t over bake and has the perfect crispy and flaky texture.
Best Apples for Pie
You honestly can use any type of apple when making this recipe. My favorites to use are granny smith and honey crisp because of their sweet taste and crisp texture. However there are plenty of others that would work too. You can even mix multiple varieties if you’d like.
How to Make Apple Pie in a Bag
- CRUST. Make the dough for the pie crust (or use store-bought pie dough), then press the dough into the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie pan. Do not roll it out.
- FILLING. To make the apple pie filling, mix together the sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. You can use regular sugar or brown sugar. I like to do 1/2 and 1/2. Gently toss the mixture with the sliced apples, then let them sit for about 10 minutes. Then pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.
- CRUMBLE. Add flour, butter and sugar to a bowl and use your fingers (or a fork) to mix together until crumbly. Then sprinkle the mixture on top of the apple filling.
- BAKE. Place the pie in a brown paper bag and staple it shut. Then bake the pie in the oven at 350°F for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and slit the bag open with a knife. Then transfer to a cooling rack.
Baking Tips
- Size of pie dish. I used a 9″ pie dish. If your pie dish is bigger, you may need to add more filling and make a little more dough to cover the whole dish.
- Don’t roll out the pie dough. Pat the dough into the bottom and sides of the dish with your fingers. If you need to smooth it out, you can use the back of a hot metal spoon to gently push down and smooth out the surface.
- Keeping the bag from burning. Since the oven is at a lower heat, the paper bag won’t burn as it cooks. When you place it on the rack, just make sure it’s not touching the heating element (or else it could burn that way). You can also place the bag on a baking sheet.
- No peeking! The beauty of the brown bag method is that it helps seal in all those delicious juices and flavors. As tempting as it can be, don’t open the bag while the pie is cooking. Let it work it’s magic!
More Apple Desserts:
Brown Bag Apple Pie
Equipment
- 1 pie dish
- 1 paper grocery bag
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 Tablespoons cold milk
Filling:
- 4 cups sliced apples
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or brown sugar, could do 1/2 each)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Filling
- Combine sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Toss lightly with sliced apples. Let sit 10 minutes for sugar mixture to melt onto the apples and then pour into the unbaked pie shell.
Crust
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, oil and milk. Mix until well blended. Pat mixture in bottom and side of a 9″ pie pan. Do not roll out. (To smooth it out, use the back of a hot metal spoon and gently push down to smooth evenly.) Set Aside.
Crumb Topping
- Combine flour, butter and sugar. Mix together with fingers or a fork, until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie. You’ll want to bake soon before the butter mixture softens too much.
Bake
- Place pie in brown paper bag and staple shut. Bake at 350°F for 1 1/2 hours. (If oven bakes hot, reduce to 325 degrees. No peeking.) Slit the bag open with sharp knife. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool completely so it thickens (about 4 hours).
- Serve the pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel on top if desired.
I made this many times way back in the sixties. THE best apple pie ever!
Love it! It really is the best! :)
I’ve made this pie for over 30 years and ALWAYS get told it’s the best apple pie people have ever had. It’s the perfect combination of easy and delicious. Also, I’ve never seen this recipe since I found it in a cookbook in 1990.
This comment just made my day! I’m so happy it’s always a hit! :)
Do you make the slit in the bag before baking?
Nope! Place the pie in the bag and then staple shut and bake for 1.5 hours (no peeking). Then slit the bag open and remove the pie from the oven to cool for about 4 hours.
Can this pie be baked in a Reynolds oven bag?
I’m not sure! I’ve never heard of anyone using a Reynolds oven bag for pie. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
Absolutely amazing! A no-roll crust and the smell of the bag baking had me skeptical, but upon opening the bag, I found a perfectly baked pie! …and it got rave reviews from all who ate it! Your recipe yielded a tender flaky crust, perfectly cooked apples, and a sweet crumb topping! I can’t wait to make it again! …and eat it again! (Side note: I did add some vanilla to the apples, so I added a little cornstarch to absorb the liquid, otherwise followed your recipe to a T.) Excellent recipe – Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pie! Thank you for your comment and review Jenny. :)
This is such a cool method! I am so glad I tried it. The pie baked up so beautifully and it was like unwrapping a yummy present when it came out of the oven!