If you ask a variety of people, most of them will jump at any chance they get to sink their teeth into a piece of apple pie, especially if it is fresh out of the oven.
National Apple Pie Day is kind of like a blank check for eating apple pie, so everyone should be sure to make the most of it!
How to Celebrate National Apple Pie Day
Celebrating and enjoying National Apple Pie Day will obviously need to revolve all around apple pie.
According to many people, there are two very simple and even more enjoyable things you have to do if you want to enjoy National Apple Pie Day to the fullest. The first is to make an apple pie and the second is to eat it.
Try these ideas for getting in on the fun:
Make an Apple Pie at Home
The great thing about apple pies is that they don’t have to be super complicated to make, so a person doesn’t need to be a master in the kitchen in order to rustle up a fantastic-tasting apple pie at home!
The dough only really requires flour, salt and water. And the filling? Well, that’s basically apple slices, some sugar, and some cinnamon and butter.
When making apple pie, here are some tips from the experts that might make the process go a bit more smoothly:
- Instead of using all the same type of apples, mix it up by combining some apples that are sweet and some that are tart. The result will be more flavorful and delicious!
- Many recipes call for brushing the outside of the crust with an egg wash after it is put together, but one expert tip is to brush the inside of the crust with an egg wash before adding the filling. This creates a barrier that keeps the apple juices from making the bottom crust soggy.
- Once the inside has its egg wash, take a few extra minutes to layer the apples into the crust, rather than simply dumping them in. The apples will like more evenly and be less lumpy.
For people who want to go with something super easy, try using a premade refrigerator crust and apple pie filling from a can. Who will know?!
Buy an Apple Pie
For those people who know someone else who can make a pie for them (such as a local bakery!) is possible to even skip the first step.
But, no matter where the pie comes from, enjoying delicious apple pies with the people closest to you is what it’s all about!
Even for people who decide to head to a local restaurant that has a reputation for making good apple pie, that is still better than not taking part in the day at all. Get recommendations and read reviews and then get out there and sample the best of them.
Host an Apple Pie Party
The best way to do this is to get a few friends together and make a variety of apple pies using different recipes and baking methods.
That way, it is possible to enjoy apple pies that originate from many different places and see the multitudes contained under the umbrella of apple pies!
There are many ways to make apple pies, so this is the perfect time to take the opportunity to try a recipe that puts a new spin on an old classic. Or simply enjoy the classic apple pie recipe that’s been passed down through the family.
Try a New Recipe for Apple Pie
Take a look at these fun ideas and try out a new recipe that adds an extra twist on top of the basic apple pie:
- Caramel Apple Pear Granola Cream Pie
- Savannah High Apple Pie (piled super high and topped with streusel)
- Individual Fried Apple Pies (more like hand pies, can be served on a stick)
- Spiced Bourbon and Cinnamon Apple Pie
It couldn’t be easier to celebrate National Apple Pie Day, so be sure to enjoy it with friends and family!
National Apple Pie Day Timeline
First Recorded English Apple Pie Recipe
A recipe for apple pie appears in the medieval English cookbook “The Forme of Cury,” compiled by cooks of King Richard II, using apples, spices, figs, raisins, and pears baked without sugar.
Early Dutch Apple Pie in “Notabel Boecxken”
One of the earliest printed Dutch cookbooks, “Een Notabel Boecxken van Cokeryen,” includes a detailed recipe for “Appeltaerten,” documenting a spiced, enclosed apple pie that helped shape later Dutch and American styles.
Apple Pie Crosses the Atlantic to Colonial America
English and Dutch settlers brought apple pie recipes to North America, adapting them to New World apple varieties and local ovens so that apple pie became a familiar colonial dessert by the late 1600s.
Apple Pie “À la Mode” Emerges
Serving hot apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, called “à la mode,” gained popularity in American hotels and restaurants, helping cement the pairing as a classic turn‑of‑the‑century dessert.
“As American as Apple Pie” Enters Print
The phrase “as American as apple pie” appears in print by the late 1920s, reflecting how a once-European pastry had come to symbolize mainstream American home life and national identity.
“Fighting for Mom and Apple Pie” in World War II
During World War II, U.S. soldiers and wartime media popularized the slogan that Americans are fighting for “mom and apple pie,” firmly linking the dessert to patriotism and wartime sacrifice.
Vermont’s Apple Pie Accompaniment Law
Vermont passes a symbolic statute declaring apple pie the state’s official pie and recommending it be served with “a glass of cold milk, a slice of cheddar cheese, or a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.”
History of National Apple Pie Day
History reveals that apple pie seems to have been very popular in centuries past in countries like England and The Netherlands.
Both of these countries have recipes going back many centuries. In fact, the history of apple pie dates back more than 600 years, to the 14th century with an English recipe. However, it was not cemented as an American classic until around the turn of the 20th century.
At that time, in the 1900s, Apple Pie was seen by many people as a healthier option to certain other pies. Since then, presidents, American troops and memorable marketing campaigns have all latched on to the idea of apple pie as something that is distinctly and symbolically American.
National Apple Pie Day can bring together all of these various culinary traditions and allow people all over the world to enjoy the humble yet delicious apple joy in all its glory.
Of course, National Apple Pie Day also has the ability to get families together, whether baking in the kitchen or enjoying delicious desserts together. And for many people, this day is an act of patriotism. After all, apple pie is as American as, well, as they say, apple pie.
Apple pie might not be originally American, but it is now certainly associated with many American cultures and traditions. Even so, there is certainly no reason why people around the world can’t celebrate National Apple Pie Day, though.
This day is all about trying recipes and getting active in the kitchen. Even for people who don’t necessarily bake desserts very often, National Apple Pie Day offers up a chance to change that.
But, hey, just because a person may not feel like baking a pie, this does not exclude them from enjoying the day. Many other options exist for having fun with apple pie by eating it and sharing it with loved ones.
So head to the apple orchard or farmers’ market, get those apples and get started with the honoring of National Apple Pie Day!
Surprising Facts About Apple Pie You Probably Didn’t Know
Apple pie may seem like a simple, classic dessert, but its history and evolution are far more complex than most people realize.
From medieval recipes without sugar to its transformation into an American cultural icon, these facts reveal how apple pie has changed across time, ingredients, and traditions.
Medieval Apple Pies Were Originally Baked Without Sugar
The earliest known English apple pie recipes, such as those in the 14th‑century cookbook “The Forme of Cury,” relied on sweet fruits like figs, raisins, and pears instead of sugar, which was scarce and very expensive in medieval Europe.
These pies were enclosed in a dense pastry “coffin” that was often used mainly as a baking container rather than something meant to be eaten.
Apple Pie Became a Symbol of American Identity Only in the 20th Century
Although apple pie long predated the United States, its association with American identity surged in the early to mid‑20th century, when advertising, journalism, and wartime rhetoric popularized phrases like “as American as apple pie.”
During World War II, U.S. soldiers were often described as fighting for “mom and apple pie,” cementing the dessert as shorthand for home, comfort, and patriotism.
Most “American” Apple Pies Use Apple Varieties That Did Not Exist in Colonial Times
Colonial settlers in North America often used tart, high‑acid apples like Roxbury Russet or Northern Spy for pies, since wide modern varieties had not yet been bred.
Popular baking apples today, such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, were introduced in the 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting how plant breeding and commercial orcharding have subtly changed the flavor and texture of the classic pie.
Steam Vents and Lattice Tops Help Control Apple Pie’s Texture
The decorative cuts or lattice patterns on apple pie crusts are not purely aesthetic. Openings in the top crust allow steam to escape as the apples cook, which concentrates flavors and helps prevent the filling from turning soupy.
Many historical and modern pastry guides emphasize venting or using a lattice top as a practical technique for managing moisture in juicy fruit pies.
Cheddar Cheese With Apple Pie Reflects Old English Sweet‑Savory Pairings
Serving apple pie with a slice of sharp cheddar, a custom found in parts of New England and the Midwest, traces back to English traditions of pairing fruit desserts with salty or tangy dairy foods like cheese or custard.
Food historians note written references from the 19th century describing “apple pie without cheese” as “like a kiss without a squeeze,” suggesting the combination was already a well‑liked indulgence.
À La Mode Apple Pie Emerged From Late 19th‑Century Dining Fashion
The practice of serving warm apple pie with a scoop of ice cream became popular in the United States in the late 1800s, when French phrases and “fancy” restaurant service influenced American menus.
The term “à la mode,” meaning “in the fashion,” appeared in menus and newspaper accounts describing pie served with ice cream, turning a simple farm dessert into a restaurant‑style specialty.
Vermont’s Apple Pie Law Honors Both Orchards and Dairies
Vermont’s quirky statute encouraging that apple pie be served with “a glass of cold milk, a slice of cheddar cheese, or a large scoop of vanilla ice cream” reflects the state’s dual heritage in apple growing and dairy farming.
Enacted in 1999 as a symbolic resolution rather than an enforceable law, it celebrates two of Vermont’s signature agricultural products in a single traditional dessert.
