Apple Slab Pie
This Apple Slab Pie stacks a flaky, buttery crust with sweet cinnamon apples and a simple glaze, all baked in one sheet pan to feed a crowd with ease.
Why This Apple Slab Pie Is My Favorite Fall Dessert
There is something magical about pulling a golden, bubbling slab pie out of the oven when the whole house already smells like cinnamon and baked apples. This Apple Slab Pie takes everything you love about a classic apple pie, the flaky crust, the tender spiced fruit, the sweet glaze, and stretches it across a full sheet pan so you get more crust, more filling, and more servings out of one bake. It is one of the easiest fall pies recipes easy enough for a weeknight, yet impressive enough for a holiday table.
If you have ever made apple and pie crust recipes for a small gathering only to run out of dessert in ten minutes, this one solves that problem for good.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A sturdy rimmed baking sheet keeps the juices contained, a good pastry cutter makes quick work of cold butter, and using a mix of tart and sweet apples gives you the best texture and flavor in every bite.
The Secret to a Flaky, Sturdy Crust
Unlike a round pie, a slab pie crust needs to hold its shape across a much larger surface, so keeping the butter cold is essential. Cold butter creates steam pockets as it bakes, which is what gives you those flaky, buttery layers instead of a dense, tough crust.
A few tips that make a real difference:
- Cube your butter and chill it again briefly before mixing it into the flour
- Use ice water, not just cold tap water, to keep the dough temperature down
- Do not overwork the dough. A few visible streaks of butter are a good thing
Chef's Tip: If your kitchen is warm, chill your mixing bowl and flour for 15 minutes before you start. It sounds fussy, but it genuinely helps the dough come together smoother.
Choosing and Prepping the Apples
This recipe with pie filling really shines when you use a blend of apple varieties. Granny Smith apples hold their shape and add a bright tartness, while Honeycrisp or Braeburn bring natural sweetness and a softer bite once baked. Together they create that ideal balance you want in any great homemade apple dessert.
Slicing the apples thin and even, about a quarter inch, helps them cook through at the same rate as the crust bakes, so you avoid the dreaded gap between a fully baked top crust and undercooked fruit underneath.
The cornstarch in the filling is doing important work too. It thickens the natural apple juices as they release in the oven, so your slices hold together instead of sliding apart when you cut into the pie.
Assembling Your Slab Pie
Think of this less like a traditional pie and more like a giant apple crisp with pie crust on both the top and bottom. Rolling the dough into large rectangles takes a little patience, but working in sections and rotating the dough as you go makes it manageable, even for beginner bakers.
Once your bottom crust is pressed into the pan and your filling is spread evenly, laying that top crust on and crimping the edges is genuinely satisfying. Do not skip the vents on top. They let steam escape and keep your crust crisp instead of soggy.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step by step recipe:
Apple Slab Pie
This Apple Slab Pie stacks a flaky, buttery crust with sweet cinnamon apples and a simple glaze, all baked in one sheet pan to feed a crowd with ease.
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar, for the crust
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 2 cups unsalted butter, cold, cubed (4 sticks)
- 3/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed
- 5 lb apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Granny Smith and Honeycrisp blend recommended)
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/8 cup granulated sugar, for the filling
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3/8 cup cornstarch, helps thicken the filling
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for the glaze
- 2 tbsp milk, for the glaze, plus more to thin
Instruction
Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Drizzle in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, cornstarch, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt until evenly coated. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 13x18 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll the first disk of dough into a large rectangle slightly bigger than your baking sheet. Carefully transfer it into the pan, pressing it up the sides to form a small lip.
Spread the apple filling evenly over the crust, including any juices left in the bowl.
Roll out the second disk of dough into a matching rectangle and lay it over the apples. Trim the edges, then crimp or fold the top and bottom crusts together to seal.
Cut several small slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Brush the entire top with the beaten egg for a golden finish.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the slits. Tent loosely with foil if the crust browns too quickly.
Let the slab pie cool for at least 45 minutes on a wire rack before slicing, so the filling has time to set.
Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth, adding more milk a teaspoon at a time to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the cooled pie before slicing into squares.
Equipment
- 13x18 inch rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Rolling pin
- Large mixing bowls
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Make-Ahead Tips
Once your slab pie is out of the oven, patience really pays off. Letting it cool for at least 45 minutes allows the filling to set properly, so your slices come out clean rather than runny. The powdered sugar glaze drizzled on top adds just the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the warm spice of the apples.
This dessert also travels beautifully, which makes it one of the best options among fall pies recipes easy enough to bring to a potluck or holiday gathering. Simply cut it into squares, arrange them on a platter, and you have a crowd-friendly dessert with zero plates or forks needed for serving.
For longer storage, keep leftovers covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five. You can also freeze the fully assembled, unbaked pie for up to two months and bake it straight from frozen when a craving strikes.
Chef's Tip: For an extra special touch, serve warm squares with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. The contrast of warm spiced apples and cold cream is what dessert dreams are made of.
