This homemade apple pie filling tastes much better than store-bought cans, and it’s much healthier too! It makes the best pies, and it's also perfect for eating with ice cream, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles… Or even just plain with a spoon! The filling will keep for at least five days if stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Add the diced apple to a 5-quart slow cooker, and toss with the lemon juice.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a medium pot until smooth and the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken and has reduced by a third. Pour the mixture over the apples, and toss until all of the apples are coated.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid, and cook the apples on HIGH heat for 3 ½ hours, gently stirring after every hour, or until the apples are extremely tender. Cool completely to room temperature in the slow cooker before transferring to airtight containers and refrigerating.
Notes
IMPORTANT APPLE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I use Fuji apples the most because they have a fantastic naturally sweet flavor and a great texture. I’ve tried this filling with Jazz and Honeycrisp apples, and they also work well. Gala and Red Delicious should work too.If you prefer Granny Smith apples, you may need to add additional pure maple syrup to compensate for the missing sweetness (and then decrease the water by an equal amount to compensate for the added liquid volume!). A blend of half red and half green apples would taste great as well.I dice the apples into 1" cubes. Measure your apples by cups or grams — not by "medium" apples! Not all "medium" apples are the exact same size.I do not peel my apples (the skin completely softens during the long cook time!), but you're welcome to peel yours first, if you prefer.SLOW COOKER NOTES: This is the 5-quart slow cooker that I used. Any 5-, 6-, or 7-quart slow cooker should work, although the cooking times may vary slightly with the larger sizes.I haven’t tried make this in an instant pot, so I’m not personally sure about whether that would work. If you’d like to experiment on your own, I’d love to hear how it goes! (The first thing I’d try would be to use the “slow cooker” setting — and just make sure your instant pot can hold at least 5 quarts [20 cups] of liquid volume first!)SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey, agave, coconut sugar, or light brown sugar may all be substituted for the pure maple syrup.REGULAR OVEN METHOD: If you don't have a slow cooker, then you can bake this in the oven instead! In Step 1, add the apples to a large bowl instead of a slow cooker. Follow Step 1 and 2. After Step 2, transfer the mixture to a 2-quart Dutch oven with a lid or a 9x13" cake pan. Cover the pan with the lid (if using a Dutch oven) or with foil (if using a cake pan). Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir, and if the apples aren’t completely soft and tender, then bake for another 15-20 minutes more or until they’re fully soft and tender when pierced with a fork.STOVETOP METHOD: Use a very large soup pot (one that holds 10-12 cups) to prepare it on the stove. After adding the apples, cover the top and let them simmer over low heat for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the apples towards the bottom of the pot from burning, or until the apples are extremely tender.HOW TO STORE: Store this apple pie filling in airtight containers in the refrigerator. It should last at least five days, if not closer to a week or more!HOW TO USE THIS FILLING TO MAKE A PIE: Here is my apple pie recipe that uses this as the filling!{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.