As soon as the leaves start to turn and the air becomes crisp, we can't help but shift our attention from grilling and jump into serious Fall baking mode. There may be no better aroma than apple pie freshly baking in the oven. Apple Pie is warm, comforting and not as hard to make from scratch as many may think.

When certain flavors are brought together, they marry and blend into something that as a whole may be surprisingly different and significantly more flavorful than they were as individual ingredients. Apple pie is one of those dishes.

History of Apple Pie

English apple pie recipes date back to 1381 (Medieval times). It was common for apple pie recipes from this time peroid to list key ingredients such as good apples, good spices, figs, pears and raisins.

European settlers brought the first recipes for apple pie (as well as the first apples) to America. Apples are not native to America and the first apple seeds were transported by the Pilgrims in 1620 and some of the earliest recorded plantings first occurred in New Jersey beginning in 1632. The migration of apples moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and then later to Ohio. These were delivered by the hand of John Chapman, better known as the legendary Johnny Appleseed. Today there are more than 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the US.

Traditional Dutch apple pie comes in two varieties, a crumb or a lattice style top. Recipes for both are unique in that they usually call for flavorings such as cinnamon and lemon juice. These two ingredients are not added for flavor as much as they are added for texture. Dutch apple pies often include ingredients not found in many American versions of apple pie such as icing and raisins.  

Secrets to a Great Apple Pie

In our opinion there are two secrets to a great apple pie – the perfect blend of seasoning and choosing the right apples.

Apple Pie Spice, or Apple Pie Seasoning as it is sometimes called, is a delightful mixture of sweet spices made in many versions. Because the quality of our Apple Pie Spice is so potent (we freshly grind several of the ingredients in small weekly batches) you only need to use approximately 2 teaspoons of Apple Pie Spice per 9" pie.

You can’t just use any bushel of apples and expect a spectacular apple pie to be the outcome. The best apples for baking apple pie are acidic and crisp – for best results use either a single type of apple or a mixture of  these – Bramley, Empire, Granny Smith or Northern Spy.  

Flavor Profile

Apple Pie Spice is one of our signature baking spice blends and it doesn’t disappoint. Delicious and rich in spicy cinnamon flavor, the allspice provides a warm, gentle flavor, the nutmeg adds a savory note, the ginger casts hints of lemony pungency and then it’s all married together with a sophisticated complexity from the cardamom.

The Baker’s Must Have Spice Blends

Two of the most common spice mixes in American kitchens are Apple Pie Spice and Pumpkin Pie Spice. The combination of spices that make up each of these blends is so common (because they are so perfectly balanced) when baking with apples and pumpkin that these blends are frequently packaged and sold next to the “regular” spices in the baking aisle of the supermarket. Recipes frequently call for them without much explanation of what each spice blend is. In the last several years another flavorful baking spice blend that is popping up all over the place is Chai Baking Spice Blend.

Where Else to Use It

While the sweet spicy combination of Apple Pie Spice is most often used to season apple pie and other apple-based desserts, such as cobblers, dumplings, fritters and tarts, it's also delicious in just about any recipe that calls for cinnamon and nutmeg. We also like it topping our oatmeal, in waffle or pancake batter, sprinkled on French toast, added to crumbled toppings on spice cakes, and even in BBQ mops and sauces.

While Apple Pie Spice is generally used in sweet recipes such as our Baked Apple Cider Donuts and Apple Pie Fries, it can also play a surprising starring role in savory dishes like Butternut Squash and Apple Soup and Apple Cider Sweet Potatoes.

What’s In It

Hand blended with korintje cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger root and cardamom.

Our Apple Pie Spice is superior to store bought brands because it’s blended in small batches and uses several freshly ground spices (we grind our spices several times a week for maximum flavor).

Related Blog Posts

15 Apples We Love Down to Our Cores
What’s the Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice
The Best Fruit and Vegetable Seasonings
Spice Cabinet 101: Cinnamon

Nutritional Information
Serving Size 1 Teaspoon, Amount Per Serving: Calories 6, Fat Cal. 1.8, Total Fat 0.2g (0% DV), Sat. Fat 0.1g (1% DV), Trans Fat 0g (0% DV), Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 0.7g (0% DV), Total Carb. 1.5g (1% DV), Dietary Fiber 0.9g (4% DV), Sugars 0.1g, Protein 0.1g (0%DV), Vitamin A (0.1% DV), Vitamin C (0.9% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Iron (3.2% DV), Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.