This Swiss Apple Pie is generously filled with sweet and tart apples and topped with the easiest crust ever. You’ll whip it up in just one bowl in a matter of minutes—simply mix, pour it over the apples, spread it out, and pop it in the oven. This crust has a lovely cakey texture, almost like a tender cookie, making every bite simply irresistible. Perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Apple pie has that wonderful way of feeling homey, cozy, and full of nostalgia, doesn’t it? While we all know that homemade apple pie is the absolute best, it can seem like a daunting task. But guess what? You absolutely can make it from scratch, and this is probably the EASIEST pie recipe you’ll ever come across! Seriously, the most time-consuming part is peeling and cutting the apples—and if you have kids, let them join in on the fun!
The crust? It takes less than 5 minutes to whip up—are you surprised? This recipe was shared with my mom by one of her coworkers, and it quickly became a family favorite. I’ve added a little twist to the filling with some lemon zest and vanilla extract for an extra burst of flavor. And the crust? It’s a delightful surprise! In my opinion, it tastes and feels way better than a traditional apple pie—light, crisp, and just a tad cakey in those thicker layers. You’re going to love it!
Video of How To Make a Swiss Apple Pie
What Apples Are Best for Apple Pie?
When it comes to baking, my go-to apples are Granny Smith—those tart green beauties! They’re firm and hold up wonderfully in the oven, so you won’t end up with mushy pie filling.
Just a heads up, they can be quite tart, so you might need to sweeten things up a bit. That’s why I love using a mix of apples. Combining Granny Smith with Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn gives you a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness, along with a fantastic texture for your pie. Happy baking!
Ingredients
(Scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe card with all the measurements.)
Apple Filling Ingredients
- apples
- Apples are the star of the show!
- cinnamon sugar
- Cinnamon and apples are a match made in heaven! Cinnamon sugar is just a simple blend of sugar and ground cinnamon. I like to mix in the cinnamon to taste, so you can adjust it just how you like it.
- Remember, the sweetness of your filling depends on your taste and the type of apples you’re using. For tart apples, feel free to add a little more sugar, and for sweeter varieties, you can dial it back.
- lemon zest and juice
- Lemon juice is a must—it helps keep your apples from turning brown while adding a nice tartness. And don’t forget the lemon zest! It brings a burst of fresh lemon flavor that makes everything even more delicious.
- vanilla extract
- A splash of vanilla extract adds an extra layer of flavor to the filling, making it simply irresistible!
Crust/Batter Ingredients
- butter
- We’re using melted butter for this recipe, which means you don’t have to wait for it to come to room temperature—how convenient is that? 😊
- granulated sugar
- egg
- The egg binds everything together, helping to create the right structure.
- all purpose flour
- Flour provides the essential structure. It gives the crust a lovely, light texture that’s easy to work with.
- vanilla extract
- Adding vanilla extract to your delicious crust brings a warm, inviting flavor that enhances the overall taste. It’s the little touch that takes your pie to the next level
What Pie Plate or Baking Dish Should You Use?
For this recipe, I recommend using a deep dish pie plate. This way, you can pile on a generous, thick layer of apples for that deliciously satisfying filling. If you opt for a shallower baking dish, just remember to use fewer apples than what’s listed in the recipe. Overfilling can lead to bubbling juices during baking, which might spill over and create a smoky mess in your oven! So, make sure to leave a little room at the top for the crust and to keep all those tasty apple juices inside the pie.
If you’re in the mood for a larger serving, you can also use a 13 x 9-inch baking dish—just double the recipe for a delightful crowd-pleaser!
How To Make Swiss Apple Pie
- Preheat the Oven
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While it warms up, grease your pie plate with butter.
- Bonus Tip: Use the paper wrapper from the butter you just melted—just rub the buttery side on the plate. It’s a smart and economical way to make sure everything’s well-greased!
- Prepare the Apples
- Peel and slice your apples, then sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. The amount of apples is really up to you, depending on their size and your pie plate. Just make sure to fill the plate generously with those delicious apple slices!
- If you prefer a sweeter pie, feel free to add extra cinnamon sugar (which is simply a mix of ground cinnamon and sugar). Give everything a good mix and spread the apples evenly in the plate.
- Make the Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted and slightly cooled butter, sugar, and egg until the mixture is nice and smooth. Next, add the flour and whisk again until everything is fully combined and the flour is incorporated.
- Combine and Bake
- Pour the batter over the apples, smoothing it out as best as you can. Pop it in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the top crust is golden brown. Your kitchen is about to smell amazing!
Serving the Pie
For the most delicious experience, serve your Swiss Apple Pie while it’s still warm, topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. The creamy ice cream melts slightly over the warm pie, creating a delightful contrast that you won't want to miss!
This pie is just as fantastic the next day, making it a perfect treat to enjoy with your morning coffee or as a sweet addition to your lunchbox. You can even warm up a slice in the microwave or the oven for that just-baked taste again.
Delicious Apple Recipes to Try Next
Apple Cranberry Pie
If you have a little extra time, try this classic Apple Pie with a delightful twist—adding cranberries! The tartness of the cranberries perfectly complements the sweetness of the apples for a truly delicious dessert.
Homemade Applesauce
Whip up a batch of homemade applesauce for a cozy, comforting snack. It’s easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought.
Apple Cookies
These apple cookies are simple, satisfying, and a great way to enjoy the flavors of fall in a quick treat.
Apple Pie Cookies
Get the best of both worlds with these Apple Pie Cookies! They deliver the comforting flavors of apple pie in a perfectly portable cookie form—just one bite and you’ll be hooked!
Apple Bulochki
Indulge in these delightful Apple Bulochki—sweet yeast bread filled with a scrumptious apple filling. They’re a wonderful treat for breakfast or dessert!
Swiss Apple Pie
Craving homemade apple pie? Try this easy Swiss apple pie recipe, featuring a cakey crust and a generous filling of sweet and tart apples.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 (9 inch) pie 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 6-8 apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
- 1-3 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar (depending on how sweet you want the filling)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice (each)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crust
- ¾ cup butter (melted and cooled (plus ½ Tablespoon butter for greasing the pie plate))
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with softened butter. You can use a regular size or a deep dish pie plate. (If you use the deep dish pie plate, you will use more apples and bake the pie longer.)
- Peel and slice the apples, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Fill up the pie plate almost to the top with apples. Mix it all together and even the apples out in the pie plate.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter, sugar and egg until smooth. Add the flour and whisk again until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the apples and smooth it out as much as you can.
- Bake in the preheated 350 degrees oven for 45-50 minutes, until the apples are baked through completely and the top crust is golden brown.
This recipe was first published on November 4, 2015, and it has continued to be a favorite over the years! I’ve since added a video and clarified the instructions to make it even easier to follow, but the original recipe remains the same.
My mom has made this recipe since I was a kid, but she never knew what it was called so she called apple crisp—my husband and I had several arguments about what apple crisp actually is until mom admitted that apple crisp was something completely different than this! Shattered my world 😂. But thank you for telling me the true name to my family’s favored apple dessert!
That is so fun! Thanks for sharing, Brittany:).
Love this recipe. So easy and fast to put together. Comes out so delicious
This is definitely my kind of baking…slice, mix and put together.. what an awesome recipe… so easy to make and very delicious
Isn't it great?! Love simple recipes for baking:).
Great recipe, just wonder if it possible to reduce butter/substitute?
I haven't tested this recipe with less butter or butter substitutions, so I can't say if it will work out. I'm pretty sure the result will be different, since it's a significant ingredient in this recipe.
how can i make cinnamon sugar ?
Mix ground cinnamon and sugar together and that is cinnamon sugar.
Thank you......😋
Can I use prunes instead? I know the level of sugar may vary. Also how well in advance can this be?
This is a family favorite now!! ❤️ We absolutely love it. I love how light and delicious it tastes and so easy to make. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
I was wondering can I use bundt pan ?
No, I would not recommend it, Ira.
I am wondering if I'm doing something wrong, since 3/4 cup of butter is a stick and a half...a LOT of butter. The butter bubbled over the top and just the burning butter in general set off the smoke alarm. Help? 🙂
Hi Lily,
The 3/4 cup of butter was supposed to be mixed into a batter, along with sugar, salt, egg and flour.
It's possible that you used a large amount of apples, which produce liquid as they cook down, which may have bubbled over the top. If you used a shallow pie plate, not a deep dish pie plate, it may have been too full of apples.
If you mixed the melted butter into the batter, it shouldn't have bubbled over.
I hope it works out for you next time.
Hi Olga,
I just made this recipe and it turned out absolutely delicious! And it was so easy to make. In contrary to others, I had plenty of batter to spread over the apples and loved the addition of lemon and vanilla to the apples. Thank you for this and many other wonderful recipes! God bless
Thank you for this recipe! I loved how darn easy it was to throw together, and my family loved the taste. We’ve never had this type of pie before, and now I’m thrilled to have such an easy and well-received recipe to use in the future.
I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed the Apple Pie, Lesley. I love easy recipes like this one too.
Do you think this would work if I made a peach pie filling?
I think it would taste great!
Love this recipe!😋 made this pie already two time, only second time I add some cranberries, turn yummy! Thank you Olga for your awesome web site.
That's great! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the pie. I usually make it only with apples, but during cranberry season, I love adding them to the pie too.
Made this pie! It is amazing, everyone loved it! I used a healthier flour but it was still amazing! Love it.
That's awesome, Zhanna. So happy to hear that you enjoyed this Apple Pie.