This recipe for vanilla pudding apple cream pie combines a classic vanilla pudding pie with a thick apple sauce filling. It’s a different but really delicious pie, great for fall and the holidays.
Apples and vanilla go great together and so I dreamt up this double filling pie. The crust is a classic pie crust, buttery and flaky. Homemade vanilla pudding is sweet but mild and the slightly acidic applesauce, loaded with cinnamon, complements it nicely.
I top it with whipped cream, because you need whipped cream on a pie. The silky smooth layers just blend together. And give a perfect balance of sweet, tart and milky.
More apple dessert recipes to explore
- Apple cider cake with maple mascarpone (A stunning layer cake made with apples cider and layers of fluffy mascarpone.)
- Apple hand pies with puff pastry (A really quick dessert with puff pastry and a juicy filling.)
- Soft apple oatmeal cookies (Very chewy and packed with so much flavor.)
- Caramelized apple yogurt parfaits (this is a no bake jar dessert that you can make ahead. It’s lighter but still delicious.)
Recipe
Vanilla pudding apple cream pie
A dreamy pie that combines flaky crust with layers of vanilla pudding, applesauce filling and whipped cream. Recipe makes one 9-inch (23-cm) pie.
Ingredients
Pie crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter very cold or frozen
- 1/4 cup ice-cold water plus more if needed
- 1 large egg beaten
Vanilla pudding
- 2 cups whole milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dark rum optional
Applesauce filling
- 2 pounds apples peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Whipped cream
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream cold
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make pie crust
- In your food processor (or large bowl), combine flour, sugar and salt. Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter atop the flour mixture. Pulse mixture for a second or two, just until the butter is evenly mixed with the flour and the mixture resembles crumbs.
- Add 1/4 cup of water and mix it in. This will lightly moisten the mixture. Keep adding it tablespoon by tablespoon, quickly pulsing or mixing between each addition, just until the dough comes together (it should stick together when you pinch it).
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Bring it together with your hands, knead just until it forms a shape, form it into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour or overnight.
- To bake the crust, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly butter a 9-inch pie dish. Set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough from the middle outwards in all directions, forming a large 13-inch (33-cm) circle. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of your pie dish. Trim the dough around the dish, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch (almost 4 cm) overhang.
- Tuck the overhand under itself all around. Brush the edge with the beaten egg. Lightly brush a piece of parchment paper with oil and nestle it into the pie crust. Pour over dried (or baking) beans or pie weights to blind bake the crust.
- Transfer to the oven, bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven, lower the temperature to 300°F (150°C), carefully remove the parchment and beans from the pie. Bake for another 20 minutes, until the shell is golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
Make vanilla pudding
- In a medium heatproof bowl, mix egg yolks with sugar. In another bowl, combine flour and cornstarch. Whisk it into the egg yolks until smooth, set aside.
- In a saucepan bring milk just to boiling (right when milk begins to foam up). Remove from heat and slowly add to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
- Pour this mixture into a clean medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it begins to boil, whisk for another 30-60 seconds just until it becomes thick. Remove form heat and whisk in the vanilla paste and rum (if using).
- Pour into a clean glass bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature before using or store in the refrigerator overnight.
Make applesauce filling
- In a medium pot combine chopped apples with 1/2 cup (120 ml) water. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon and cover the pot with lid. Simmer on medium heat and add more water as needed, to prevent sticking, until the apples are falling apart, about 15 minutes.
- Puree the apples with an immersion blender (or use a food processor). Taste to see if you want more sugar or cinnamon.
- In a small bowl mix cream with cornstarch. Add to the applesauce and bring it to a boil while mixing constantly (to prevent sticking). Cook for 1-2 minutes until the applesauce thickens (you want it to be like thick yogurt). Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Assemble pie
- First fill the crust with apple puffing in an even layer. Top with applesauce filling.
- Make whipped cream by combining cream and sugar in a large bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk). Whisk on medium speed until medium peeks form.
- Spread whipped cream atop the applesauce filling in an even layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more, allowing the layers to stick together.
Notes
Keep the pie covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, although it tastes best on the first and second day.
This pie has all of my favorite things – I must try it! I just stumbled upon your blog and it is really lovely, I am a huge fan of your photography and recipes 🙂
Thanks so much Annie! Happy to have you here.
“First fill the crust with apple puffing in an even layer. Top with applesauce filling.” Is the first sentence supposed to say “vanilla pudding” instead of “apple puffing?”
That’s a horrible typo! And you’re right Elle, it’s vanilla pudding first, then applesauce filling.