Apple season has come and gone, but I felt like making apple pie and wanted to see if it would work in my 6-inch cast iron skillet. I’m not sure what took me so long. A 6-inch skillet is the perfect size. The process of making this pie is kind of relaxing, plus there are benefits to baking in cast iron. And don’t worry. If you like the idea but don’t have a 6-inch skillet, you can make this in a 9-inch.
Rundown of the Steps
Here’s a quick rundown of the steps for making a skillet apple pie.
- Roll and shape two dough circles and keep them chilled.
- Slice apples and toss in a bowl with some spices.
- Melt butter and sugar in a 6-inch skillet, then pour most of the hot sugar mixture over the apples, leaving some behind in the skillet.
- Press a circle of dough into the hot buttery sugar, then add apple mixture.
- Cover apples with second dough circle, then brush with cream and bake.
Shaping Dough Circles
The crafty part of this recipe is rolling and shaping the dough to fit the skillet. Store bought dough works just fine, but I used some buttermilk pie crust dough that I’d made ahead of time. My circles were not the neatest, but I had a beautiful dough and didn’t want to overwork it.
Bottom Crust Cooks Faster
One of the benefits of making fruit pies in a cast iron skillet is you should not get a soggy crust. The bottom layer of dough begins baking in the hot buttery cast iron before you even put it in the oven. I didn’t bother to build up the sides on this because the dough was already melding with the pan when I set it in.
Pick Your Apples
A second benefit to a small skillet apple pie is that the bake time is shorter so the apples shouldn’t get mushy. That is, if you don’t want them to be. Some varieties such as Golden Delicious are flavorful but do get quite soft. My go-to mix is Granny Smith plus whatever apples are on sale, but I made this pie with a big Fuji and a HoneyCrisp. The rule I never break is I always mix different kinds of apples. Here it is with the top crust. I didn’t try to seal it tightly because I didn’t feel like getting burned.
Serving Cast Iron Skillet Pie
Skillet apple pie holds together remarkably well. I’m curious if it would slices as neatly with less sugar, so I’ll have to test that and report back. If you bake, cool and chill, it holds together so well you can pop it out of the pan and freeze it.
9-Inch Cast Iron Skillet Pie
Don’t own a 6-inch cast iron skillet? If you want to make a full size pie in a 9 or 10-inch skillet, just use double the crust (two rolls from a roll and bake pack) and triple the other ingredients.
Recipe
6-Inch Skillet Apple Pie
An easy recipe for apple pie you bake in a 6-inch cast iron skillet.
Ingredients
- 1 pound assorted apples (your favorite)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch each nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, allspice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (28 grams)
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar (50 grams)
- ½ package refrigerated pie crust or about ½ pound dough
- 1 tablespoons cream
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready a rimmed baking sheet.
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Roll your pie dough into two seven inch circles. If using store bought dough, unroll one roll and use a seven inch plate as a guide to cut a 7 inch circle out of the unrolled circle. Piece together the scraps, press, roll and cut to make a second seven inch circle. Keep the circles chilled while you prepare the pie.
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Put all of the spices in a mixing bowl. You can use the measurements above or just throw some in.
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Peel and slice the apples, then toss them in the bowl with the spices.
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Begin melting the butter in a six inch cast iron skillet. When it’s about halfway melted, add brown sugar and stir over low heat until dissolved.
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Remove hot skillet from heat. Pour a little over half of it onto the apples, but leave behind a generous amount of hot buttery sugar mixture. Remove one of your pie circles from the refrigerator and lay it over the brown sugar mixture. It will begin to soften and cook immediately in the hot butter. Gently press it to the sides. Don’t burn yourself.
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Pile apples on top, pressing down slightly, then drape the second circle of dough over the apples, tucking it in to seal them the best you can.
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Set pie on the rimmed baking sheet. Cut cross slit in the middle of the pie.
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Brush cream over the pie, allowing some it to fall through the slits. Sprinkle on some coarse sugar (if you have some).
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Bake for about 40 minutes or dough is golden and apples are tender. Go by the appearance of the dough. The apples will be fine, but the dough should be golden. The time may vary depending on what kind of dough you used.
