This applesauce custard pie is a unique and wonderfully flavorful pie that is perfect for Fall. Serve it warm or cold and enjoy with some caramel sauce or scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Fresh apples can get rather expensive depending on where you are or what time of the year it is. One thing that's usually affordable though, is applesauce.
It's so cheap you can often find it in dollar stores or even get it for free if you're signed up for your state's WIC program. It's also got a great shelf life, so it's something worth keeping on hand for snacking.
This old fashioned applesauce pie recipe is an older one for sure, but that doesn't mean it can't compete with other "more modern" pie flavors. With all the great taste of your favorite apple pie recipe in a smoother textured bite, it's no wonder why we love this pie in Autumn and year round.
Check out these other apple pie favorites like Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust, Easy Butterscotch Apple Pie, Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling, and Apple Pie Bites.
Why This Recipe Works
- It bakes like magic. Made with real applesauce and a few other ingredients, the pie filling bakes into a great custard-like consistency.
- It is novice-friendly. Baking pies from scratch can feel daunting or scary, but this is one of the easiest baked pie recipes you'll ever find.
- Simple ingredients. Made with basic pantry staple ingredients, this recipe comes together easily and cheaply so it can fit conveniently into your meal plan and budget.
🥘 Ingredients
Eggs- You will need eggs for the binding agent and to create that custard-like texture.
Sugar- For sweetness, use some granualted sugar. This will also help the consistency of the pie to thicken.
Butter- Used for richness and flavor.
Applesauce- This is the base of the pie filling, so it's very important. Make sure to use plain flavored sweetened applesauce, or see notes below on different types of applesauce that you can use.
Cinnamon- For added warmth and spice, use ground cinnamon.
Flour- This is the thickening agent needed to keep the pie filling from being too runny.
Vanilla- For a flavor enhancer.
Lemon juice- Adding freshness to the pie.
Pie crust shell- You can use a store-bought pie crust or make your own pie crust if desired. I recommend regular pastry crust pie shells and not graham cracker style crusts, as those will not hold up well to the filling and baking.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make applesauce custard pie with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll your pie crust into a pie plate and crimp the edges. Poke multiple times with the prongs of a fork along the sides and bottom of the crust.
Bake in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes and remove. Let cool before use.
After the crust has cooled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, add your stick of butter.
Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds and cool slightly (until no longer hot).
Add in the applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice.
Whisk together until well mixed.
In another bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
Whisk together until blended.
Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the applesauce mixture.
Stir together to combine.
Pour the applesauce filling into the prebaked pie crust.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a knife can be inserted into it and come out clean (clear liquid is okay!)
Let the pie cool for about 1 hour to set before slicing.
I recommend chilling the pie in the fridge after it has cooled for 2 hours before serving.
Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, or caramel sauce.
🍴 Recipe Tips
When you add the filling to the pie crust, it will look a bit like a wet pumpkin pie filling, and once baked, it comes out cracked. As the pie cools, more cracks will appear, but this is okay. This is a sign that the pie filling is settling and not going to run a mess over the plates when you go to serve it!
Once baked, the filling will jiggle, and it will solidify as it cools and sets. Test the filling with a knife to see if it is done. The knife may come out shiny and wet, but shouldn't have clumps of pie on it. If it does, bake for another 5 minutes.
💭 FAQs
Yes, apple butter and apple sauce can be interchanged within this recipe and the results should be the same or similar. If you feel your apple pie filling is a bit too dry before baking, you can add in up to 3 tablespoons of apple juice to help dilute the mixture.
You can use any applesauce of your choice! This includes the berry flavored ones, cinnamon ones, sweetened, or unsweetened. Simply adjust ingredients to accommodate the flavors (cinnamon should be omitted if using cinnamon flavored applesauce, and lemon juice should be omitted if using unsweetened applesauce).
Either one is totally fine! I like serving mine either at room temperature or slightly chilled because the texture is great but serving your applesauce pie warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce is an incredibly tasty experience.
More great apple recipes to try
- No Bake Apple Donuts
- Apple Cider Donut Muffins
- Simple Apple Nachos Recipe
- Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
📖 Recipe
Applesauce Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 2 large Eggs ($0.16)
- 1 cup Granulated sugar ($0.22)
- ½ cup Butter, melted ($0.75)
- 1 cup Sweetened plain flavor applesauce ($0.44)
- 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon ($0.20)
- 2 Tablespoons All purpose flour ($0.01)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract ($0.04)
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice (unless the applesauce is tart) ($0.48)
- 1 9-inch Pie shell, thawed ($3.12)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roll your pie crust into a pie plate and crimp the edges. Poke multiple times with the prongs of a fork along the sides and bottom of the crust.
- Bake in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes and remove. Let cool before use.
- After the crust has cooled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your stick of butter.
- Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds and cool slightly (until no longer hot).
- Add in the applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whisk together until well mixed.
- In another bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Whisk together until well mixed.
- Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the applesauce mixture. Stir together to combine.
- Pour the applesauce filling into the prebaked pie crust.
- Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a knife can be inserted into it and come out clean (clear liquid is okay!)
- Let the pie cool for about 1 hour to set before slicing. I recommend chilling the pie in the fridge after it has cooled for 2 hours before serving.
- Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, or caramel sauce.
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