How to Cut Apples for Apple Pie in 3 Simple Steps

Sweet-tart crisp apples in warm spices surrounded by a flaky, buttery crust is the ultimate way to end any fall meal. We're talking about good old-fashioned apple pie, of course. If you're new at making an apple pie from scratch, you'll want to learn how to cut apples for pie. That's right, preparing apples is an important part of the process of a successful bake.

Before you start slicing apples for pie, start with the right apple. Certain varieties, such as Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Jonagold (sweet), Cortland, Granny Smith, and Jonathan (tart), hold up best during cooking. (Want to make sure you choose the best apples for your pie? Learn about the different types of apples here.) Once you've got your fresh apples ready, proceed with the following steps for the easiest way to peel apples for your favorite apple pie recipe.

Step 1: Clean and Peel Apples

Rinse the apples with water and scrub with a produce brush ($17, Walmart). To peel, use a vegetable peeler ($11, Target) or paring knife; start at the stem end and circle around to the blossom end. Cut the apple into four pieces through the stem and blossom ends.

Step 2: Remove the Core

Remove the core and seeds, stem, and blossom ends, then slice each quarter as desired. If you don't want to cut the apples into wedges, use an apple corer ($15, Bed Bath & Beyond) to remove the core while keeping the apple intact.

Step 3: Slice Apples as Desired

After slicing the apple into quarters and removing the core, slice the apples as desired for your pie. You can dice each quarter crosswise for slightly bigger apple chunks, or you can slice the quarters lengthwise for thin apple slices. If you're not quite ready to assemble your pie just yet, freeze the apple slices for later.

Preparing the apples is just the first step. If you don't have a go-to piecrust recipe already, or want some tips on making the perfect piecrust, we've got you covered. If you haven't decided on which apple pie recipe to bake yet, give one of our best apple pie and tart recipes a try. We have classic apple pie recipes, plus a few new twists. Caramel apple pie, anyone?