There's a version of apple pie everyone grew up with — the one that shows up at every holiday table, made from a recipe nobody's allowed to change. This isn't that pie. Browned butter and a splash of bourbon turn a familiar classic into something richer, bolder, and worth passing around the table this Thanksgiving. Grandma might raise an eyebrow. She'll still ask for seconds.
Serves 8 | Makes one 9-inch pie
INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6-8 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
- 6 large apples (a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith), peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the crumble topping:
- ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
- Make the crust: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt together, then cut in cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Form into a disc, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
- Brown the butter: In a light-colored saucepan, melt the ½ cup butter over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and let cool slightly.
- Make the filling: Toss the sliced apples with the browned butter, brown sugar, bourbon, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice until evenly coated.
- Roll out the chilled dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, trimming and crimping the edges. Pour in the apple filling.
- Make the crumble: Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and sea salt, then stir in melted butter until clumpy. Scatter evenly over the filling.
- Bake at 375°F for 50-60 minutes, tenting with foil halfway through if the crumble browns too quickly, until the filling bubbles and the topping is golden.
- Cool at least 2 hours before slicing — the reward for waiting is a filling that actually holds together.
A note from the kitchen: The bourbon and browned butter are what set this apart from the pie your grandmother made — deeper, a little boozy, and worth the extra step. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream while it's still just barely warm.