Easy Apple Pie for Pi Day: A Delicious 3.14 Tradition

Pi Day is March 14, or 3.14, which is the perfect excuse to make a pie! This Easy apple pie is the perfect recipe.

And since I love pie, I couldn’t let Pi Day go by without baking one. This easy apple pie is one of my favorites. It’s made with Granny Smith apples, a creamy sour cream filling, and a simple cinnamon crumb topping.

It’s the kind of apple pie that gets people asking, “What makes this so good?”

I call it my Special Apple Pie for a reason.

Years ago, my husband and I used to order a pie similar to this when we were dating. I’ve been making my own version ever since, and every time I serve it, someone takes a bite and says, “It’s special!”

And I agree.

Why you’ll love this apple pie

The filling is a little different from a traditional apple pie. The apples are coated in a sweet, creamy sour cream mixture with vanilla, then baked in a pie crust until tender.

The crumb topping adds brown sugar, cinnamon, and buttery goodness to the top.

It’s simple, cozy, and delicious.

And while it’s especially fun to make for Pi Day, you certainly don’t need to wait until March 14. This is an apple pie you’ll want to make all year.

Easy Apple Pie Ingredients

For the apple filling

8 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1 pie crust

For the crumb topping

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

How to make Easy Apple Pie

Prepare the apples

Peel, core, and slice the apples.

If you’re preparing the apples ahead of time, place them in a large bowl of cold water with the juice of a lemon. This helps keep them from browning.

An apple peeler and corer makes quick work of this step and is one of my favorite little kitchen helpers.

Prepare the pie crust

Place the pie crust in a pie plate and chill it in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

A homemade pie crust is always great, but when you want to keep things easy, a refrigerated pie crust works just fine.

Make the apple filling

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and egg.

Add the sliced apples and stir until they are completely coated in the creamy mixture.

Pour the apple filling into the chilled pie crust.

Bake the pie

Bake for 25 minutes.

While the pie is baking, make the crumb topping by combining the brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon until crumbly.

Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples.

Return the pie to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

If the topping begins to brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F for the final part of baking.

Let the pie cool before slicing so the filling has time to set.

A few tips for making this apple pie

Use Granny Smith apples. Their tart flavor works really well with the sweet, creamy filling.

Keep the pie crust cold. Chilling the crust before filling it helps keep it from becoming too soft.

Don’t worry if the topping isn’t perfect. It’s supposed to be a crumbly, buttery topping. In the original version of this pie, my butter was too soft, so I piped it onto the pie instead. I still prefer it crumbled over the top.

Watch the apples near the end of baking. Some of the apple pieces on top can get quite dark, so lowering the oven temperature toward the end can help.

The perfect pie for Pi Day

There’s something especially fun about making an actual pie for Pi Day.

3.14 gives us a pretty good reason to celebrate with a slice of pie, and I’m always happy to have a reason to bake one.

But this apple pie isn’t just for Pi Day. It’s perfect for Sunday dinner, holidays, family gatherings, or anytime you want a homemade dessert that feels a little special.

Serve it warm, let everyone grab a fork, and enjoy.

Because really, is there ever a bad time for apple pie?

I don’t think so.

pie recipes, apple recipes, and desserts