This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This apple slab pie is a big, flaky, buttery pie baked in a sheet pan, filled with cinnamon apples and served with warm bourbon caramel sauce. One pan feeds 12 to 16 people.
A slab pie is the smartest way to serve pie to a crowd. It is easier to slice than a round pie, every piece gets plenty of crust, and it looks beautiful on a holiday table.
The filling is cooked first, so the apples stay tender and the bottom crust does not go soggy. The bourbon sauce takes 5 minutes and makes every slice feel special.
What Goes Into Apple Slab Pie
- An all-butter crust. Flour, sugar, salt, cold butter, ice water and a spoonful of cider vinegar for tenderness.
- Granny Smith apples. Five pounds, sliced about 1/4 inch thick. They hold their shape and stay tart.
- Brown sugar, butter and spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest.
- Cornstarch. It thickens the juices so the slices hold.
- Turbinado sugar. For a sparkly, crunchy top.
- Bourbon sauce. Butter, brown sugar, cream, bourbon, vanilla and salt.
- A 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan. The rimmed pan holds the juices and gives you even slices.
How to Make It
Make the crust. Cut cold butter into the flour, add ice water just until it holds, divide into two disks and chill.
Line the pan. Roll the larger disk to about 19 by 14 inches and fit it into the pan.
Cook the filling. Cook the apples with butter, brown sugar and spices just until they soften, thicken with cornstarch and cool completely.
Top and seal. Lay on the top crust, fold the edges over and pinch to seal. Chill.
Bake. Vent, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and bake at 375°F until deep golden and bubbling.
Make the bourbon sauce. Butter and brown sugar, then cream, then bourbon and vanilla off the heat.
Tips
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter is what makes the crust flaky.
- Cool the filling completely. Warm filling melts the butter in the crust.
- Put a sheet pan underneath. It catches any drips in the oven.
- Cool before slicing. The filling needs time to set.
Make Ahead and Storage
The dough keeps up to 1 month frozen, so thaw it overnight in the fridge. The assembled pie can be frozen before baking. Baked pie keeps up to 3 days covered in the fridge. The bourbon sauce keeps up to 1 week in the fridge, so rewarm it gently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought crust?
Yes. Use two boxes of refrigerated pie crust and roll them together to fit the pan.
Can I make the sauce without bourbon?
Yes. Leave it out and add an extra splash of vanilla.
What other apples work?
Mix Granny Smith with Honeycrisp for a sweeter filling.
More for the Holiday Table
Holiday Recipes
Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Side Dishes
Cornbread Dressing
Holiday Recipes
Roasted Cajun Turkey Recipe
Dessert
Honey Butter Cornbread
Apple Slab Pie with Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients
Slab pie crust (one double crust)
- 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 469 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 lb cold unsalted butter 3 sticks / 340 g, cubed
- 1/2 cup ice water 118 ml
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Apple filling
- 5 lb Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 stick
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch stirred into 3 tablespoons cold water
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping
- 1 large egg beaten with a pinch of fine sea salt
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Bourbon sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the crust. Whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender. Mix the ice water and vinegar and add a little at a time, just until the dough holds together. Smear and fold briefly so streaks of butter remain. Divide into two disks, one slightly larger, wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
- Line the pan. Roll the larger disk to about 19 by 14 inches and fit it into the jelly roll pan, letting the edges hang over. Chill while you make the filling.
- Cook the filling. Melt the butter in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, then add the apples and brown sugar and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, 4 to 6 minutes, until the apples just start to soften. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the juices thicken and turn glossy. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and let cool completely, then spread evenly in the lined pan.
- Top and seal. Roll the smaller disk to 15 by 10 inches and lay it over the filling. Fold the bottom overhang over the top crust and pinch to seal. Chill 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Bake. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 375°F, with a parchment-lined sheet on the rack below to catch drips. Cut vents in the top, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 40 to 55 minutes, until deep golden, the juices bubble through the vents and the apples are tender.
- Cool. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.
- Make the bourbon sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the cream and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the bourbon, vanilla and salt; it will bubble up. Return to low heat for 1 minute.
- Serve. Slice the pie and spoon the warm bourbon sauce over the top. The sauce thickens as it cools.
