Apple slab pie is party pie! It’s an apple pie baked on a large baking sheet and served in squares. What could possibly be better?!
This apple slab pie recipe! What can I say? It’s what fall baking and Thanksgiving dreams are made of!
Forget pumpkin pie! Ok, well, this bourbon pumpkin tart is still cool in my book, but you get what I mean.
If you’re feeding a crowd for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Hanukkah, a housewarming party or a Christmas party – you get my point – this slab pie will easily feed it.
What IS Slab Pie?, You Ask
A slab pie is a pie baked in a rectangular baking pan that is cut into squares instead of traditional pie-shaped slices.
Just as with round pie, there can be lots of variations of slab pie. This apple slab pie is just the start of the goodness!
There is peach slab pie. And blueberry slab pie. And even breakfast slab pie!
You’ll get a minimum of 12 large servings of slab pie from a typical jelly roll-size pan but I assure you that forks will be drawn for dibs on the last piece.
This is why slab pie is the perfect party pie! It feeds a whole slew of people!
I know I’ve said that making pie isn’t my thing but the all butter, really flakey (flaky?) pie dough I posted the other day is life-changing for me.
I couldn’t imagine trying to wrestle with rolling out and transferring two very large sheets of pie dough for this apple slab pie recipe using a less-than-stellar recipe.
How to use pre-made pie dough for slab pie
You COULD use 2 boxes of pre-made pie dough for this slab pie recipe in place of my all butter, really flakey pie dough (or your own favorite homemade pie dough recipe). But it’s kind of a hassle and it doesn’t taste NEARLY as good as homemade pie crust does.
You would need to roll out 2 of the pieces of thawed dough on top of one another to make a piece large enough to fit the bottom of the pan.
Then you would need to do that again for the top crust. Like I said, kind of a hassle. In the time it takes to buy and thaw the dough, you can just make your own using my recipe!
And let’s be real here: pre-made pie dough has NOTHING on the flavor and flakiness of homemade pie dough. There’s just no comparison!
How to Make Apple Slab Pie
As you can see, the pie takes on a rectangular shape here. It’s such a unique way to make and serve a pie!
After you’ve got the bottom sheet of dough nestled in the pan, you’ll cover the dough with a ton of chopped apples mixed with fall’s best spices.
I mean, come on now! How is it even possible to resist all of those warm spices?
Then you’ll cover the apples with another monstrous piece of dough. We’re talking BIG – 16×11-inches! This is no ordinary pie, after all.
The last easy steps are to crimp the top and bottom edges together, cut a few holes, brush with some cream or egg wash, and bake.
It’s really that easy! The hardest part about making this apple slab pie recipe, however, is waiting for it to cool before diving in. The waiting time nearly killed me!
I served big slices of this pie with some SUPER delicious oatmeal raisin cookie ice cream and maple bourbon caramel sauce but vanilla or cinnamon vanilla bean ice cream would be just as splendid.
As would any of your favorite store-bought ice creams of course – no judging here!
If you haven’t already invited a gaggle of people over for your next celebration, get on the phone (how old am I??), because you’ll definitely want to share this apple pie with friends. It IS party pie, after all!
Apple Slab Pie
Apple slab pie is party pie! It's an apple pie baked on a large baking sheet and served in squares. What could possibly be better?!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 ¾ cups (470 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp table salt
- 3 sticks (12 oz or 340 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and kept very cold
- ¾ cup very cold water
For the apple filling:
- 3 ½ to 4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and chopped into approximately ½-inch chunks (about 10 cups)
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- ⅔ to ¾ cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your pie and how sweet your apples are)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp table salt
To finish:
- 2 tbsp heavy cream or 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- To make the crust: Measure the flour into a large, wide bowl. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Toss in the butter cubes and coat them all with the flour. Using your first 3 fingers of both hands, mash up the butter into smaller pieces, just bigger than the size of peas. You can also do this with two knives or a strong pastry blender. I prefer using my fingers.
- Once the mixture looks sort of uniform, slightly crumbly, and the butter is broken up, stir in ½ cup of water with a rubber spatula until the water is absorbed and the dough starts to come together. If the dough is still dry and crumbly, add up to the remaining ¼ cup of water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just starts to come together. Bring the dough together with your hands until it forms a soft and almost loose ball. Divide the pie dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. You'll need the larger piece for the bottom crust. Transfer one piece to a sheet of plastic wrap and mold it into a rectangular shape, about 1-inch thick. Use the plastic wrap to help bring the dough together, if needed. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
- To make the filling: In a very large bowl, toss the apple chunks with the lemon juice. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the sugar-spice mixture over the apples and toss them well to coat; set aside.
- To assemble the slab pie: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 10×15×1-inch baking sheet or similarly sized jelly roll pan with a piece of parchment paper. If your pan is a little smaller than this (as mine was), don't worry - this recipe will still work fine; you'll just have a little extra dough leftover.
- Roll out the larger piece of dough on a well-floured surface with a rolling pin into a 18x13-inch rectangle. Transfer the piece to the pan and drape the edges of the dough over the sides of the pan while only gently pushing the dough down into the inside and corners of the pan. Slip the pan into the fridge or freezer while you roll out the second piece of dough into a 16x11-inch rectangle (you want to keep the dough in the pan as cold as possible).
- Remove the pan from the fridge/freezer and pour the apples and the juices over the dough in the pan - it may seem like way too many apples, but they will cook down. Drape the second sheet of dough over the apples. Trim the dough to where both top and bottom edges hang about ¾-inch over the edge of the pan. Seal up the edges tightly with your fingers.
- Brush the top of the dough with the heavy cream or egg wash. Using a sharp knife, slice a whole bunch of 1-inch slits in the top of the dough to allow the steam to escape during baking. Place the whole sheet on a larger baking sheet - there will likely be spillage that you'll want to catch on the large pan rather than the bottom of your oven (trust me).
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top crust is a nice golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the holes in the crust. Cool the pan on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before cutting and serving (see note below).
Notes
For this apple slab pie, you're really going to want to allow it to cool almost completely before serving. And this is going to be difficult because your entire house is going to smell delicious but try to wait. Attempting to serve this pie when it's still hot will result in a sloppy mess on your plate.
Also to note, this pie is best served on the day you make it but if you're in a pinch, it can also be made in full one day in advance. Make the pie as instructed, leaving it in the baking sheet, covered with foil, at room temperature or in a cool room (we kept it in the chilly garage), then reheat it at 300° F until warmed through (about 20 minutes). You can crank the broiler on in the last couple of minutes to crisp up the top crust if you wish - just watch it carefully to avoid burning that beautiful buttery crust.
Alternatively, you could assemble the whole pie up to one day in advance and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it off.
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Recommended Products
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Farberware Classic Wood Rolling Pin
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Set of 2 Pastry Brushes, 1-Inch and 1 1/2-Inch Width Natural Boar Bristle Pastry Brushes, Lacquered Hardwood Basting Brushes, Cooking / Baking Brushes
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Spring Chef Cooling Rack - Baking Rack - Heavy Duty, 100% Stainless Steel, Oven Safe, 12 x 17 Inches Fits Half Sheet Cookie Pan
Slab pie is so fun!! I love this version – gorgeous!
This pie is amazing! I am a big pie traditionalist but I am wiling to bend on the idea of shape. Especially since this version looks so much easier than a standard round pie. Love it!
I think I have a mental block about rolling dough into a circle (I have issues with pizza dough too) but a rectangle is so much easier for me to do. Go figure!
My grandma used to make a pie a lot like this for Thanksgiving! It was always my favorite!
I discovered the joy the slab pie this year too, they’re great for feeding a crowd! Can’t wait to see that ice cream recipe!
This slab pie looks better than regular pie! And the filling looks perfect.
It IS better than regular pie! Something about the shape, I guess. 🙂
[…] Queen’s Southern Comfort Apple Pie, the very best apple pie I’ve ever eaten and 2) Tara’s Slab Apple Pie, the most beautiful apple pie I’ve ever seen. And I’ve made it 3 times in the last 3 […]
Can I make the dough the night before and store it in the fridge or does it need to be made the same day as I’m making the pie?
You can definitely make it the night before – or even a week before! – and keep it in the fridge. You’ll need to let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before you roll it out though. Let me know how it turns out for you!
[…] Apple Slab Pie Apple Slab Pie. Pie for the lazy, clumsy, and disenchanted. Perfect pie for me!For full “Apple Slab Pie” recipe click here […]
Yay! So glad to hear you loved it! I have big plans for this crust and slab pie idea this summer – hope you do too!
Hi Sally! Thanks for your sweet words. 🙂 To be honest, I can’t say whether it would freeze and bake well after being assembled since I have never done this myself. My gut says it might be a better idea to make the dough 1 week ahead and keep it in the fridge. On the afternoon or night before Thanksgiving, roll out the dough, make the filling, assemble, refrigerate overnight, then bake off on TG morning. However you decide to make it, let me know how it turns out! I hope you love it!
Caramel sauce can be a finicky thing to make but I haven’t had any issues with this recipe in the few times I’ve made it. Glad you’ve got a back up plan in place because things like this do happen sometimes.
If you’re not comfortable with my earlier suggestion, wait until the morning of assemble. Like I said, I can’t guarantee how the pie will bake after being frozen since it’s so large.
This looks AMAZING!!!!!
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic!!!! The crust is awesome and didn’t get soggy even with the little that was left over.
Hi Emma – apologies for not responding sooner! I’m willing to bet this recipe would be fine for mini apple pies. Let me know if you decided to make them! I’m always interested to hear how recipes are adapted.
[…] Queen’s Southern Comfort Apple Pie, the very best apple pie I’ve ever eaten and 2) Tara’s Slab Apple Pie, the most beautiful apple pie I’ve ever seen. And I’ve made it 3 times in the last 3 […]
Can you tell me about the recipe you’re using?
Hi! What’s the best type of apples to use with this recipe?
What type of apples do you recommend using for this recipe?
Granny Smith would work great here. I hope you love this pie!
In this posting you said to use 3 sticks of butter but in the pie recipe you said 2 sticks. Is the 3 sticks just for this purpose?
Hi Tiffani, I’m sorry but I don’t see where you say I mention 3 sticks of butter. It’s just 2 sticks, as the ingredient list indicates. I hope this turns out well for you!
Hi Tara! It says 3 sticks in the ingredient list. If we already used 3, do you know if it will still bake okay?
Ahh…got it. Yes, the slab pie requires 50% more dough than the original pie dough recipe calls for. So the other pie dough ingredients in the slab pie recipe are adjusted to reflect this, including the extra stick of butter.
I’m so excited for you to be making your first pie!! I hope it turns out wonderfully for you – let me know!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
It turned out great!!! I incorporated the butter too much into the flour for the dough, so next time I’ll make sure there are visible chunks for the flakeyness. But it was still sooooo delicious!! Thank you for the recipe! And Happy Thanksgiving to you too!!
Yay! I’m so excited for your first pie success!! That’s a pretty big deal in my book. 🙂
Awww thank you!! :))
I made this delicious recipe but instead of using apples, I used peaches..it was a hit! Love this recipe thanks for sharing!
Yes! Peaches are an awesome idea for a slab pie! Now I just got all excited for peach season this summer!!
I don’t know what happened to this crust but mine was a stcky mess like globery glue. I used the minimum water requirements but when I tried to roll it out it stuck to the paper . When I finally got it off the paper it was a sticky mess. Also this dough is not enough for the pan size shown. Any body else have issues?
Sounds like the butter may not have been cold enough – did you chill the dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out. Also, did you measure the flour in measuring cups or did you weigh it? If the former, it’s possible there wasn’t enough flour. Sometimes measuring flour in cups can be tricky – there can be pockets of air that you don’t see in the cup or the flour can get packed down too much.
And lastly, I used a jelly roll pan (10×15×1-inch baking sheet) for this recipe and the dough definitely yields enough for a double crust that fits this pan.
How would I adjust baking time for this pan? Inside dimensions: 11 3/4 inches wide, 14 3/8 long, 1 inch deep? I haven’t made a pie from scratch in 4 decades or so — but this one looks so amazing — and so simple, that I cannot help myself!
Hi Linda! Happy New Year! So sorry for the delayed response here. The temperature and baking time listed in the instructions for this recipe will work for the size pan you indicated. I’m pretty sure you’re measuring a jelly roll pan, correct? If so, the size of jelly roll pans vary only slightly from one brand to another and in general, they are all around the same size. If anything, watch the pie towards the end of the indicated baking time – it’s possible the pie may be done a little faster but I sort of doubt it. Have a blast making this pie! It’s one of my favorites by far!!
Helloooo, Tara! I did not wait for you to answer — how could I? The pie looked too glorious to wait! It turned out very, very yummy! I did not get the flakiness, but I did not refrigerate it after rolling and filling the pie. It was late and I wanted to be EATING PIE! I ended up using a smaller jelly roll pan than the one I inquired about, because when I WEIGHED THE FLOUR, I used nearly 3/4 cup LESS than the recipe called for. That meant I had less dough to work with and the smaller pan (12 x 8 1/2) worked well. I believe I baked it for 40 minutes. It is definitely best warm, so left-overs were gently heated in toaster oven. All four people who ate this pie gave it two thumbs up! Will make again! Thanks, Tara!
Hi! So glad that you didn’t wait for my answer – no one should make themselves wait for pie. 🙂 Yes, weighing flour will give you a different amount of flour vs. scooping it but I’m glad you were able to make it work with the smaller pan. I hope you had some ice cream to serve with it – that’s really what makes pie so worth eating in my book. And so happy to hear that everyone loved it! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how it turned out for you, Linda!
This is absolutely the most gorgeous crust I’ve ever seen in my whole baking life!! I was in a hurry but wanted it to look like yours so I used puff pastry dough. It didn’t come close to yours in looks and tasted like I bought it. If I use strawberries or peaches do I keep the same proportions for the filling? Thanks so much for a really great recipe!
Thank you so much!! I really credit the super flaky layers to cutting the butter into the flour with my fingers. And yes, while that does take a few extra minutes, it’s SO worth the time and effort. I think around 7 pounds of strawberries and 6 pounds of peaches would work. It’s hard for me to say since I’ve never made this pie with anything but apples. For the filling ingredients, I would keep everything the same except I would increase the cornstarch to 4 tablespoons for strawberries and 5 tablespoons for peaches since they tend to be so much more watery than berries or apples. I hope you try again with the homemade pie dough – I would love to hear how it goes for you!
Have you baked and then froze this slab pie before? Would I need at make adjustments to recipe if I plan on making & freezing it?
I have not but I remember someone asking about this a couple of years ago. Would you mind checking the other comments to see if the answer is there?
This was out. stand. ing. Family loved it. I loved it. Followed the recipe almost to the T…no parchment paper on hand so I buttered and floured my pan and it worked out fantastic. I’m very excited to add this to my arsenal and use seasonally appropriate fruits with this pie crust in the future.
PS. I’m a terrible baker…but I’m learning. And this recipe is fantastic…even for this novice pie maker.
YES!!! I’m so thrilled to hear this, Tasha!! If you have a pic and are on Instagram, I’d love to see it! tag me #smellslikehomeblog I just remade this pie over the weekend and it went over tremendously here again too. Thank you SO much for coming back to let me know how it turned out for you!
Can i use frozen blueberries? And how many cups?
Hi Mary, You could use blueberries but I really don’t know how many cups you would need. You need about 10 cups of chopped apples but since they take up more surface area than blueberries do, I think you’ll probably need closer to 12-15 cups. This is a BIG pie! I also can’t speak for how frozen blueberries would work here since I’ve never used frozen fruit in a pie before. If you decide to go in this direction with the pie, please come back here and let me know how it turns out! I’m really curious to see how this change would work! Happy Holidays!
Do you have this recipe for a regular sized pie?
Hi Candice! I just did the math for scaling this slab pie to a 9-inch round pie and you would need to increase the filling ingredients by 10% and make the full amount of the all-butter pie dough, which will yield 2 crusts for a 9-inch pie: http://www.smells-like-home.com/2013/11/all-butter-really-flakey-pie-dough/ Enjoy!!
Made this just yesterday. Very good crust. My husband loves a flakey crust and this did not disappoint. I used honey crisp apples and I was about 3/4 of a lb short on the apples but it still turned out fine. Apple filling flavor reminded me of McDonald’s apple pie. This recipe uses the bare minimum of sugar I think and I would recommend a sprinkler of turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) over the cream or egg wash. I used cream. Or make a thin icing/glaze. Or punch up the spice in the apple mixture with a touch of clove or cardamon at least more cinnamon. I felt the spice level was underwhelming and forgettable, and I used less apples than indicated. Overall very good recipe. Thank you for posting.
Great suggestions, Claire! Honey crisp apples aren’t usually very sweet so a sweeter apple might make a difference. The great thing about recipes is that they can be adjusted so if you feel like it needs more spice (I have never felt so), you can totally add it! So glad you enjoyed the crust too!
Hi
Can I use canned apple pie filling instead
Yes, but I don’t recommend it. 🙂
The Recommended Products list doesn’t make sense. The OXO Jelly Roll pan is significantly smaller than the 10×15. I know because I bought the pan which I consider too small.
Amazon has a true 10×15 pan with the same attributes as the OXO, so, I will buy what I think will be a much better sized pan.
CHEFMADE 15-Inch Rimmed Baking Pan, Non-stick Carbon Steel Cookie Sheet Pan, FDA Approved for Oven Roasting Meat Bread Jelly Roll Battenberg Pizzas Pastries 15″ x 10″ (Champagne Gold)
Hi Kevin, According to the product description on Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond, which also sells this pan, the size of the pan is 10×15 inches (and I checked the link to ensure I didn’t link to the wrong product). Baking pans are measured at the top edge of the pan, not the bottom; the bottom of the pan will measure smaller than the top. I’m not clear if that’s how you’re measuring the size of this pan but you should buy whichever pan works best for your needs. Thank you for stopping by today!
Flakey fantasticness expected to be on the menu every Christmas! Perfect for large parties where you can impress without lots of preparation time. I use honey crisp and Granny Smith apples…yum!
Yay! Great to hear this pie goes over so well!! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, Jet!!
Made this again same as before but added 3 tbsp boiled apple cider syrup to the apple mixture. Amped up the tart and tangy flavor.
Has anyone tried making a crumbly top crust? Wondering if it would work just as well.
Hi Doris! Yes, a crumbly top crust would work fine on this pie in place of a pie dough top. Happy baking!
Needs a glaze on top. Does anyone remember the apple slices and CHERRY slices at Busy Bee in Chicago’s Wicker Park?
It doesn’t have to be a Holliday to bake this. I bake pies randomly throughout the year. It’s my comfort food!! Oh boy I can usually eat half a pie. Luckily I don’t gain weight but you do have to think of cholesterol.
I’m sick today or I would jump up & make this slab pie yummy!
Agreed! This is a fantastic pie for any time of the year! Hope you feel better soon!
Please what temp for the oven
375 degrees F (see step 4)
Can I use crisco butter flavored shortening if it’s very cold instead of butter?
Feel free to use your own pie dough recipe with this slab pie. I don’t recommend Crisco but that’s my personal preference.
I made this pie and followed the recipe in detail. Let me tell you, that was the best pie
recipe ever. My hubby loved it also.
YAY!! So wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, Judy!
Your buttery flakey pie crust is a game-changer for sure!! I use it ALL THE TIME and it’s ruined all other pie crust for me!! This is the best!!
YAY! This makes me so happy! Thank you SO MUCH for coming back to leave a review, Melissa!!
Made it today, its in the oven, found the pie crust difficult to roll out, but got it to work, can’t wait to give it to my great friend, he loves apple pie
Hope your friend loves it!!
Can the bottom crust be par baked a little to be sure it’s done
To par-bake the crust, prick unbaked crust a few times with a fork and line it with a piece of parchment paper (doesn’t matter if the paper is bigger than the pie dish). Fill the paper with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 400 degrees F on a baking sheet about 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights, and bake 5 to 10 more minutes until crust is golden brown. HOWEVER, I don’t suggest par-baking for the full time if you’re going to make an apple pie because the crust edges will burn when you bake the pie. I would just par-bake for 12 minutes, fill the crust with the filling, and continue baking for about 40 minutes, just until the filling is bubbly and the crust is a beautiful golden brown.
Has anyone ever tried this recipe but substituted with gluten free all-purpose flour? Will the dough be rollable and workable?
Hi Tara! If you’ve used gluten-free flour for baking or pie dough in the past, it should work just fine for the pie dough in this recipe too.
In the print version of the recipe, for the crust, it says cube and mix in, three sticks of butter, then in Parentheses, it says 24 ounces. All my butter is four ounces per stick.
Hi Trisha! Thanks so much for catching that! I just made the correction in the recipe. It should be 3 sticks (4oz each) or a total of 12 oz (340 grams).