Follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to make this super easy Grated Apple Pie. All you need are about 4 of your favorite apples, just a couple of more ingredients, and you’re all done. Grate the apples by hand, or speed it up even more by placing the apples, skins and all, in your food processor. It’s so easy. Printable recipe included.
Grated Apple Pie Recipe
Sylvia and her husband Fred, are two of my “Auction Buddies,” at the auction house I visit each weekend. They often sit across the aisle from my left, or back behind me most of the time.
Going to the auction has become more of a social thing than anything else. I’ve made a good number of friends, most of whom use to listen to me on the radio a few years back. Some I knew before I started going, other’s I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since I started. We all seem to end up buying “a little something” just about each night. We just can’t seem to help it. (Smile)
Most of us arrive early, which gives us time to “socialize” a bit before the auction gets underway.
I’m the one that usually comes in late, since most of my Friday’s find me out on the road with my older brother delivering cookers, or picking up another load from the shop. Friends in front of me hold my seat if I’m not there, but then again, it’s got my number on it, and most folks just know to leave it open for me. Rank has it’s privileges you know. Or maybe it’s just because I’m older than some of them.
Thankfully, I’m surrounded with lots of ladies that cook the same way I do. I call on them often with questions, or just asking for advice or memories of various dishes that I’ll be preparing for Taste of Southern. They all claim they’re not much of a cook, but I know better. They’re just being kind to an old country boy trying to save some recipes on the Internet.
It hardly ever fails, that sometime during the night, one of the ladies will ask me what I’ve been cooking this week. They seem eager to hear of my latest cooking adventure, and try to get me to reveal the new recipe I’m preparing for Taste of Southern before it appears online on the following Monday. I’m always eager to share what I’ve been working on.
Recently, Sylvia asked me if I’d ever tried a Grated Apple Pie. I had to admit that I hadn’t, and when she started telling me about it, it pretty interesting. I asked her if she’d be willing to share the recipe.
I also asked if she would be willing to “write it out by hand,” so I could add it to my collection. Sylvia said she would make me a copy of what she had, which as I recall, was already a hand written recipe by someone else.
Much to my delight, the following weekend, Sylvia handed me an envelope that contained not one, but THREE handwritten recipes. One of those was for the Grated Apple Pie you see here.
I thanked her for taking the time and effort to write the recipes out, and I’m delighted to share one with you here. I’ll work on the others later. Thank You Sylvia.
Grated Apple Pie is just as it sounds. The apples are grated instead of sliced, which probably helps the pie to cook more evenly than a regular apple pie. The ingredients are similar, and the pie was a breeze to make, even making my own crust from scratch.
Sylvia says she uses her food processor to grate the apples. The apples do not have to be peeled, just grated. Everything else is pretty much tossed into a bowl and mixed together.
According to Sylvia, the recipe will make enough filling for one deep dish crust, or two of the nine inch pie crusts. It was just enough to fill my one crust. And, it doesn’t have a top crust.
I have to “show the ladies up,” by making my own crusts from scratch. Like my Mama did in her later years, most of them have turned to using the store bought crusts instead of making them from scratch any more. I’m not sure why, but it does give me a little something to “brag about,” when I’m telling them about my recipe. (Smile)
So, if you’re all set to grate some apples, grab a couple of your favorites and let’s get in the kitchen. If you’re ready, I’m all set, so… Let’s Get Cooking!
Grated Apple Pie: You’ll need these ingredients. Use your favorite apples of choice.
A variety of apples will be best. A couple of Granny Smith’s will add a little tartness if desired. I had these Golden Delicious and Red Delicious Apples on hand, so that’s what I’m using. Sylvia likes the Gala Apples best she says.
Wash the apples under cold running water, then grate them, skins and all.
I’m using my all-purpose hand grater, but Sylvia says she likes to just place her sliced and cored apples in the food processor. Either way, grating the apples for this recipe will be pretty quick and easy. Just watch your fingers if you’re doing it like me.
You’ll need three cups of grated apples.
You might be able to see the juice that came from the apples around the edge of the plate. I scooped the apples into a large mixing bowl, leaving all the extra juice in the plate. Sylvia didn’t say if she did this or not, but I know it’s going to create even more juice once the sugar is added and I don’t think I’ll need all that in the pie.
Melt your stick of butter and let it cool a bit before adding it to the apples. I started melting mine in a small sauce pan before I started grating the apples.
Gently stir the butter into the apples to fully coat them.
Sprinkle the flour over the apples.
Add a dash of salt. That would be about 2 easy shakes from a salt shaker.
Add the Cinnamon.
I’m reading more and more lately about how Cinnamon is good for your health. It can help all kinds of things that might be wrong with you. Or, so they say. Do you use it this way?
Add the beaten Egg.
I always crack the egg open into a small container, then beat it gently with a fork. By using a separate dish, it’s easier to pick out any egg shells that might end up with the egg after breaking it open.
Gently stir the egg into the mixture.
Finally, add the Sugar. Stir gently again until everything is combined.
I made pie crust dough earlier today. You can certainly use a ready made crust if you like. The choice is yours.
I’m not sure why folks these days shy away from making pie crusts. The more you make, the easier it gets, so I hope you’ll give it a try. I’ve got a full step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for making pie crusts here on Taste of Southern. You can view the steps by clicking HERE.
The first few you make might be a bit daunting, but you’ll soon find yourself making pie crusts in just a matter of minutes. You can make enough dough for two crusts in one mixing, then divide the dough, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it a day ahead of time. You can even freeze the dough until needed.
PLUS, you’ll get the great satisfaction of being able to say, “I made the crust myself – from scratch.” How cool is that?
I buttered my dish, rolled out the dough, then added it to the pie plate.
It really doesn’t matter if your dough breaks or cracks, you can pinch off a piece of extra dough hanging over the sides and use it to patch up any tears. Then, just crimp up the edges and you’ll be ready to add the filling.
Add the filling to the pie crust.
If you have a lot of liquid from the apples, drain most of it off before adding the filling to the crust. Too much liquid will keep your pie from setting up properly as it bakes.
Place the pie in a preheated oven, set at 350F degrees.
The pie will need to bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until it starts to get golden brown on the top and begins to firm up a bit.
I placed mine in the oven and let it bake for about 15 minutes. Then, I used a pie shield to protect the outer edges of the crust while the pie continued to bake for about 45 more minutes. I removed the shield from the pie, and let the outer crust brown for about 10 more minutes, keeping a close watch on it so it wouldn’t burn.
I use an aluminum pie crust shield that I purchased at an area kitchen supply store. You could just as easily fold a strip or two of aluminum foil and place it gently around the edges of the pie crust to keep it from burning. I’ve done that many times myself.
I also placed the pie on a cookie sheet in case it decided to boil over the edges, but I didn’t see any of that when I removed the pie. Better safe than sorry though. Right?
When the crust is lightly browned, remove the pie from the oven. Place it on a wire rack and let it cool completely before serving.
I did sprinkle the top of the pie with some sugar after removing the pie shield. You might see a few large grains of it on top of the pie in the above photo.
Now, look at that crust. Doesn’t that just say “Made from Scratch” to you? Just saying. (Smile)
Enjoy!
Note: Serve it up with some whipped topping, or add a big old scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream if you like. Either way, you’re bound to enjoy this quick and easy apple pie.
Thank you Sylvia, for sharing the recipe, and for taking the time to write it out by hand for me. I greatly appreciate it.
