Classic Apple Pie for the Fourth of July
What’s more American than apple pie on the Fourth of July? Whether you’re firing up the grill, heading to a picnic, or just enjoying a lazy summer afternoon with family, a homemade apple pie brings a nostalgic sweetness to the celebration.
Golden and flaky on the outside, warm and spiced on the inside—this classic dessert never goes out of style. Made with fresh apples, a touch of cinnamon, and just the right amount of sugar, each slice is a reminder of tradition, comfort, and togetherness.
For a festive twist, top your pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, or use star-shaped cutouts for your top crust to give it a patriotic flair. Serve it warm, and don’t be surprised when it disappears before the fireworks start!
This Fourth of July, let apple pie be the grand finale to your feast. It’s simple, heartfelt, and always a crowd-pleaser—just like the holiday itself.
Happy Independence Day, and may your celebration be filled with flavor, freedom, and good old-fashioned fun. 🇺🇸✨
Classic Apple Pie for the Fourth of July
Ingredients
Pie Crust Ingredients:
- 5 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour 753g. I highly recommend Gold Medal, White Lily or King Arthur flours.
- 432 g Crisco
- 2.25 teaspoons salt
- 8 Tablespoons ice cold Vodka
- 7 Tablespoons ice water
Sauce for apples Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 ounces apple juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Apples Ingredients:
- 5 Medium Granny Smith apples peeled cored and sliced thin
- 4 Medium red apples NOT red delicious peeled cored and sliced thin
- 1/2 stick butter
- 4 ounces apple juice
- Juice from 2 lemons
Instructions
Pie Crust Directions:
- In a large bowl with a tight fitting lid, mix the dry ingredients well.
- Add the Crisco.
- Using your hands, work the ingredients until it resembles corn meal.
- Add the vodka then water. Give one quick stir.
- Secure the lid on the bowl and shake until you hear and feel it thumping. The ingredients have now pulled together.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Keep covered until ready to use.
- Flour the surface you are using.
- Roll out half of the dough to about 13” round.
- Gently roll dough on the rolling pin.
- Now unroll in pie pan starting at one end.
- Continue to make a nice edge on pie pan.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Now roll out other half of pie dough.
- At this point you can make a solid top, lattice or cut out a design for top of pie. I chose Stars for this pie.
- Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate until ready to use.
Sauce Directions
- Mix dry ingredients in a large skillet.
- Add butter and apple juice.
- Stir until the butter is melted and ingredients mixed well.
- Continue to stir until mixture thickens.
- Remove from the heat and place mixture in a small bowl to cool.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix well.
Apples Direction:
- Squeeze lemon juice over apple slices in a large bowl.
- Add apple slices, butter and apple juice to large skillet.
- Cover and simmer over low to medium heat.
- Cook only long enough to cook slightly. Apples need to remain slightly crispy.
- Remove from heat and place apples in large bowl without the liquid.
- Pour prepared sauce over the apples and mix well.
- Once mixture is mostly cooled you are ready to put together the pie.
Pie Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Remove pie crust and stars from the refrigerator
- Mix 1 Tablespoon of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of flour together well.
- Spread this sugar/flour mixture evenly into the bottom of the pie crust. This prevents the bottom crust from getting soggy.
- Once oven has reached 375F, spoon the apples evenly into the bottom of crust.
- Pour the sauce over the apples. Do not overfill. There may be some sauce left.
- Now place the Stars randomly over the apples.
- Melt 1/4 stick of butter and brush the Stars liberally.
- Sprinkle with Raw sugar.
- Place in middle of oven rack and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until nicely browned
- Remove pie to a cooling rack and allow to cool a minimum of 3 hours before slicing.
Video
Notes
For more Pie Recipes follow this link to Pinterest.
For more of my Pie Recipes follow this link: https://darlenestable.com/category/pie/
