Apple Pie with Leaf Cutouts Using Store Bought Crust

A golden-brown baked pie near a textured napkin, apples, and burgundy oven mitts.

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Apple Pie with Leaf Cutouts Using Store Bought Crust

Skip the scratch-made pastry stress and bake a stunning, bakery-quality apple pie with zero fuss! This easy recipe combines store-bought Pillsbury pie crusts and a towering, sweet-tart filling of 10 apples. Using a leaf cookie cutters set to blanket the top creates a gorgeous, rustic, Pinterest-ready masterpiece that tastes even better than it looks.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple pie, leaf pie crust, leaf pie dough, pie

Servings: slices

Calories: 493cal

Author: Amy Desrosiers

Cost: $8

Equipment

9" pie dish To bake pie
large mixing bowl You'll need a roomy bowl to toss all 10 apple wedges easily
R&M International 4-Piece Leaves Cookie Stamper Set (2-Inch) For cutting and stamping your gorgeous leaf crust
pastry brush Crucial for brushing that egg wash on for a golden finish
baking sheet Placed underneath the pie plate to catch any bubbling fruit juices
Aluminum foil For tenting the pie halfway through baking
wire cooling rack To cool pie

Ingredients

10 whole tart apples cored and cut into wedges
14.1 ounces pre-made pie crusts One box 2 crusts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsps. butter cubed
1 egg whisked

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Let your Pillsbury pie crust pouches sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes so they unroll smoothly without cracking.
Unroll your first pie crust and gently press it firmly against the bottom and sides of a standard 9-inch glass pie plate; flute (crimp) edges and set aside.
In a massive mixing bowl, combine your 10 cored and sliced apple wedges. Add the fresh lemon juice, white sugar, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Toss everything together thoroughly until all the apple slices are evenly coated in the sweet, spiced mixture.
Spoon the apples tightly into your crust-lined pie plate. Tip: Pack them down gently to minimize air pockets. Dot the top of the apples with your 3 tablespoons of cubed butter.
Unroll your second pie crust onto a lightly floured clean surface.
Use your favorite seasonal cookie cutters (such as leaves, stars, or apple shapes) to cut out cute dough shapes.
Layer or arrange these cutout shapes overlapping each other directly on top of the mound of apples, ensuring there are still small natural gaps for steam to vent. Alternatively, you can place a solid top crust down, cut a few center shapes out of it, and scatter extra cutout shapes around the fluted edges!
Using a pastry brush, gently brush your whisked egg over the top crust and cutouts. This gives the pie an incredible glossy, golden finish.
Place your pie onto a baking sheet (to catch any bubbling juices) and bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). To prevent your pretty cookie cutouts and crust edges from burning, loosely tent the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are fork-tender and the juices are bubbling thick.
As tempting as it is to cut into a hot pie, let it cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. This allows the flour and natural apple starches to cool and set the filling so your slices hold the shape.

Notes

Nutritional values may vary and are meant to be a guide.

Baker's Note: Using 10 whole apples creates a gorgeous, high-domed bakery look. Don't worry if the apple mountain looks too tall at first—Granny Smiths will shrink down slightly as they roast and soften in the oven!

Nutrition