Apple pie filling is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 23 recipes to get you started.

What is apple pie filling?

Apple pie filling is sliced apples cooked in a sweet, spiced, thickened syrup and sold ready to use.

Open it, pour it into a crust, and the hardest part of pie is already done. The apples come partly cooked in a glossy sauce sweetened with sugar and warmed with cinnamon, and a starch like cornstarch gives the sauce its sliceable body so the pie does not run.

The flavor is sweeter and the apples softer than a from-scratch filling. Still, it turns a weeknight into a finished dessert in minutes.

Ways to Use Apple Pie Filling

The obvious use is pie. Spoon a can into a bottom crust, lay on a top, and bake. With no extra cooking it also fills hand pies and turnovers, or rolls up inside crepes.

It really earns its keep in dump-style desserts, where you scatter it in a dish, blanket it with dry cake mix and butter, and bake. That is exactly the trick behind Apple-Rhubarb Dump Cake.

You can also layer it under streusel for a fast crisp like Apple Crunch Dessert, or pour it into the self-forming batter of Crazy Crust Apple Pie (Makes Its Own Crust).

It is not just for dessert. The filling folds into the French toast bake Apple Breakfast Lasagna and tops oatmeal or ice cream straight from the can.

For any of these, stir in a handful of chopped fresh apple, a pinch of extra cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon to wake up the flavor.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

It goes with the usual fall lineup of cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, pecans, oats, and vanilla, and a little lemon or tart cranberry cuts the sweetness. Aged cheddar makes a surprisingly good savory partner.

The biggest mistake is taking the sweetness as given. Canned filling is sugary, so go easy on any sugar the rest of the recipe adds or the dessert turns cloying.

The other common slip is a soggy bottom crust. The filling is already wet, so blind-bake the bottom crust or brush it with egg white first, and avoid stirring in extra liquid.

Substitutes

The best substitute is a quick homemade filling. Saute sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon, then thicken with a slurry of cornstarch and water until glossy. You control the sweetness and the texture.

Apple butter or thick applesauce works when you want apple flavor and moisture without distinct slices. Both are smoother and need a little less added liquid.

In a real pinch, canned pears or peaches in the same spiced, thickened style stand in for a different fruit pie with almost no change to the method.

Buying and Storing

Look for it in the baking aisle near the canned fruit and pie supplies. Compare labels, since "more fruit" or "less sugar" versions vary a lot, and some use firmer apple varieties that hold their shape better in the oven.

Unopened cans and jars keep for a year or two in the pantry. Reject any can that bulges or leaks.

Once opened, move leftovers to a covered container in the fridge and use within about a week. It also freezes well for several months, so portion extra into bags and thaw in the fridge before baking.

Quick facts

Where to find apple pie filling: Apple pie filling is usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

苹果饼馅

British (UK) term

Apple pie filling

en français

apple garniture pour tarte

en español

manzana relleno de la empanada

Recipes using apple pie filling

There are 23 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 23 recipes