Homemade Apple Pie — The Irish Baker Abroad Recipe

If you have ever wondered how to make a proper homemade apple pie, Chris from The Irish Baker Abroad has you covered. This is a classic recipe that relies on simple ingredients, good technique, and the kind of honest baking that makes your kitchen smell like heaven. No shortcuts, no gimmicks — just a beautifully golden, crisp-crusted pie with a perfectly spiced apple filling, finished with a scattering of Demerara sugar and served with warm custard.

Whether you are planning a trip to Ireland and want to bring a taste of Irish baking home with you, or you simply want a foolproof apple pie recipe you can trust, this one delivers every time. Chris walks through every step clearly in his video, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced bakers alike.

What Makes This Homemade Apple Pie Special

This is not your standard apple pie. Chris uses a clever technique of grating frozen butter directly into the flour, which creates an incredibly flaky, short pastry without the fuss of traditional rubbing-in. If you have ever struggled with getting your pastry right — too tough, too crumbly, too sticky — this method is a revelation. The frozen butter creates little pockets of fat throughout the dough that melt during baking, producing layers of crisp, buttery pastry.

The apple filling is gently simmered beforehand with cinnamon and cornflour, giving it a thickened, jammy texture that holds together beautifully when sliced. This is a critical step that many recipes skip — by cooking the filling first, you avoid the dreaded gap between the fruit and the crust that plagues so many apple pies. No soggy bottoms here.

The finishing touch of Demerara sugar sprinkled over the top crust adds a satisfying crunch and a gorgeous golden shimmer. Served warm with a generous pour of custard, this is comfort baking at its very best.

A Taste of Ireland in Every Bite

Apple pie holds a special place in Irish baking. Unlike the towering double-crust pies common in American baking, Irish apple pies tend to be made in shallow tart tins with a delicate shortcrust pastry. The filling is simpler too — apples, sugar, a touch of spice — letting the fruit do the talking. In many Irish households, apple tart (as it is more commonly called) is the default Sunday dessert, served after the roast with a jug of custard on the table.

Chris brings this tradition to life in his video. Born and raised in Ireland but now baking abroad, he carries these flavours with him. His approach is unpretentious and practical — the kind of recipe that gets passed down through families, scribbled on the back of an envelope, and baked from memory after a while.

If you are visiting Ireland, you will find apple tart on menus across the country — from country house hotels to local cafés. It is one of those dishes that tells you something real about Irish food culture: simple ingredients, done well, with no need to complicate things. Whether you try it in a cosy B&B in Kerry or bake it yourself at home using Chris’s recipe, the result is the same — pure, honest comfort food that never goes out of style.

Homemade Apple Pie — Full Recipe

Ingredients

For the Apple Filling:

• 800g Elstar apples, peeled and cubed (Bramley or Granny Smith work well too)
• 100g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Pastry:

• 350g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 200g frozen salted butter
• 50–70ml cold water

For Finishing:

• Demerara sugar, for sprinkling
• Custard, for serving

Method

Step 1 — Prepare the Apple Filling

Place the cubed apples into a pot. Add the granulated sugar, cornflour, and cinnamon, then mix well with a wooden spoon. Gently simmer over a low heat for a few minutes until the juices thicken and the apples soften slightly — you want them to retain some bite, not turn to mush. Transfer the filling onto a plate and spread it out to cool. This step is important: if the filling goes into the pastry hot, it will melt the butter in the dough and you will lose that flaky texture.

Step 2 — Make the Pastry

Add the plain flour and sugar to a large bowl. Take the butter straight from the freezer and, using a box grater, grate it directly into the flour. This is the secret to Chris’s pastry — grating frozen butter means you get perfectly even distribution without overworking the dough. Using your fingertips, quickly rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work fast to keep everything cold.

Add the cold water gradually, a splash at a time, mixing first with a spoon and then bringing it together by hand. Stop as soon as the dough forms a ball — overworking it will make the pastry tough. Divide into two portions: roughly two-thirds for the base and one-third for the top.

Step 3 — Assemble the Pie

Roll out the larger piece of dough on a lightly floured surface and carefully line a fluted tart tin, pressing gently into the edges. Trim any excess pastry from around the rim and combine it with the smaller portion. Pop this back in the fridge to stay cold while you fill the base.

Spoon the cooled apple filling evenly into the pastry case. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little water to help the lid stick. Roll out the remaining pastry for the top, lay it over the filling, and press the edges firmly to seal. Trim neatly by rolling a rolling pin across the top of the tin.

Cut a small cross in the centre of the lid to let steam escape during baking. Brush the top with water and sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar — this gives the crust its signature crunch and golden colour.

Step 4 — Bake

Place the pie into a preheated oven at 180–200°C (350–400°F) and bake for 45–60 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling through the steam vent. The kitchen will smell incredible — that is how you know it is nearly ready.

Allow the pie to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This lets the filling set slightly so it holds its shape when cut.

Serving

Slice and serve warm with a generous drizzle of custard. Some prefer cream or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but custard is the traditional Irish way. This pie also keeps well overnight and reheats beautifully the next day — if there is any left.

Watch the Full Video

More Irish Recipes and Food Guides

If you enjoyed this recipe, you will love exploring more of Ireland’s food scene. From traditional bakeries in small towns to award-winning restaurants in Dublin and Galway, Irish food is having a moment — and it is one of the best reasons to plan a visit.

• Start Here — Planning Your Trip to Ireland
• 7-Day Ireland Itinerary
• 14-Day Ireland Road Trip

Recipe courtesy of Chris from The Irish Baker Abroad. Be sure to subscribe to his channel for more brilliant Irish baking recipes.

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