Brown bag apple pie is the secret to a foolproof flaky crust and tender apple filling, topped with a perfect golden streusel. All baked inside a bag for less mess!

A slice of brown paper bag apple pie on a plate with a scoop of ice cream and a fresh red apple in background.

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Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie Recipe

This brown bag apple pie was introduced to me by my friend Nicole at a Thanksgiving dinner. It’s her grandma’s recipe, and it quickly became my favorite fall apple dessert. The crust turns out crisp, the apple pie filling caramelizes as it bakes, and the buttery crumble topping gets golden and delicious.

This pie is popular across the Midwest, particularly in Wisconsin, but anyone can learn to make it at home. If you’re an apple pie fan, you’ll also love my Dutch apple pie, apple cranberry pie and apple pie cheesecake.

Why This Apple Pie in a Bag Works

  • This simple brown bag method seals in all the juices and flavor so the apples turn out tender and caramelized.
  • Using a paper bag ensures the crust stays just right, crisp on the outside and perfectly flaky inside.

Recipe Ingredients

Apple pie filling in unbaked pie crust for paper bag apple pie.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Apples: I like to use a mix of tart and sweet apples (like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp) for the best balance of flavor.
  • Warm spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg bring out cozy fall flavors in the filling. You can also add a pinch of allspice or cloves if you like a spicier apple pie.
  • Sugar: Both the filling and crumb topping use granulated sugar to sweeten and help caramelize the apples as they bake.
  • Flour: Flour thickens the apple filling so it’s not too runny and also creates that buttery crumb topping.
  • Pie crust: This is an oil-based crust made with flour, sugar, salt, oil, and milk. It’s quick to mix together and you simply pat it into the pan, there is no rolling required. My easy pie crust or 3-ingredient all butter pie crust work, too.
  • Crumb topping: A simple mix of flour, softened butter, and sugar that bakes into a streusel topping with a buttery crunch.

How to Make Brown Bag Apple Pie

The process of making brown bag apple pie in a four step photo collage from making the apple filling to placing in a paper bag.
  1. Assemble 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-inch pie pan. Do not roll it out.
  2. Apple pie filling. To make the apple 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.
  3. Combine crumble topping. 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.
  4. 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.
Brown bag apple pie in a white baking dish.

Baking Tips

  • 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!
  • Serve with a drizzle of salted caramel and homemade ice cream on top.
A slice of apple pie baked in a brown paper bag served on a plate with ice cream.

Looking for more apple dessert recipes? Try this easy apple cake, apple crisp, apple crumble recipe and easy apple dump cake, too!

More Apple Dessert Recipes

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A slice of brown bag apple pie on a plate with a scoop of ice cream.

Brown Bag Apple Pie

5 from 25 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 16
Brown bag apple pie is the secret to a foolproof flaky crust and tender apple filling, topped with a perfect golden streusel. All baked inside a bag for less mess!
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Video

Equipment

  • 1 pie dish
  • 1 paper grocery bag

Ingredients 

Crust

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 Tablespoons cold milk

Filling

  • ½ cup granulated sugar , or brown sugar (could also do 1/2 each)
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 cups sliced apples

Crumb Topping

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup salted butter , softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar

Optional toppings: Vanilla ice cream and/or Caramel sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Crust

  • Make crust. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup oil, and 2 Tablespoons milk until well combined. Pat mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch 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.)

Filling

  • Apple pie filling. In another medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Toss lightly with 4 cups sliced apples. Let sit 10 minutes for sugar mixture to melt onto the apples. Pour into the unbaked pie shell.

Crumb Topping

  • Combine topping. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup salted butter, and 1/2 cup sugar with your fingers or a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie. You’ll want to bake soon before the butter mixture softens too much.
  • Bake pie. Place pie in brown paper bag and staple shut. Bake 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 let cool completely so it thickens, about 4 hours.
  • Serve. Serve the pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel on top, if desired.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Pie size: If you are using a bigger pie dish, you may need to add more apples in filling. You may also need to make a little more dough to cover the entire dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 192mg, Potassium: 56mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 197IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Recipe FAQs

What are the best apples for apple pie?

You honestly can use any type of apple when making this recipe. My favorites to use are granny smith and honeycrisp because of their sweet taste and crisp texture. However there are plenty of others that would work too, such as Braeburn, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or Jonathan.

How thick should I slice my apples?

The best way to ensure your pie cooks evenly is to evenly slice your apples 1/4-inch thick.

What if I don’t have a 9-inch pie dish?

No biggie. If your pie dish is bigger, you may need to add more filling and make a little more dough to cover the whole dish.

How to store brown bag apple pie?

Let the pie cool completely, then cover it loosely with foil or plastic wrap. It will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For the best texture, warm slices in the oven or microwave before serving.