Apple pie is, perhaps, one of the most iconic desserts on the planet. It is an incredibly dimple innovation, and yet has continued to delight countless people for countless generations since it was first baked!
Because of its long-standing legacy, there are also countless ways to make an apple pie!
However, while it is easy to find out how to make an apple pie itself, it is sometimes much more difficult to find out how to thicken up a filling for an apple pie.
Have you found that the fillings of your apple pies are far too runny? Is there an easy way to thicken apple pie filling up?
If you’ve found that your apple pie filling just doesn’t feel right, then read on down below, because we are going to take a look at how you can easily thicken it up yourself!
How To Thicken Apple Pie Filling
If you’ve found yourself dissatisfied by your recent apple pie attempts, then you may want to try thickening up the filling to make it more satisfying next time. Here are some ways that you can do just that!
Add More Apples
Apple pie filling is ordinarily much thicker than other fruit pie fillings because of the fact that apples are actually naturally high in thickening agents!
That’s right, apples are naturally high in pectin, which is a thickening agent that is used for making jellies. As such, you may be able to slightly thicken up your apple pie filling by adding more apples.
Adding apples that are more tart can also help. The more tart an apple is, the more pectin will be contained in it.
Add Sugar
One great way to quickly thicken up apple pie filling is to add a little bit of standard sugar. Of course, this will naturally make the pie much sweeter, so be careful that you do not add too much.
However, adding some sugar to your apple pie filling can actually stimulate the pectin that is naturally found in apples, to cause it to thicken more effectively! Simply stir in a small amount of sugar, and add as much as necessary until the filling thickens up!
Choose The Right Pie Crust
You may not otherwise think that the crust of the pie would matter, but using a lattice style top crust actually causes the filling of the pie to thicken!
This is because the gaps in the lattice top allow steam to escape the pie while it bakes. This is caused by the water in the filling evaporating.
As the water evaporates, naturally, the filling begins to thicken. If you’ve been using a solid top crust on your apple pies, then now would be the time to try a lattice!
Clear Jel Powder
One of the very best solutions for thickening up apple pie filling is clear jel, which is a modified form of cornstarch that is used frequently in numerous fruit pie fillings to thicken the filling up, and helps to create jelly-like consistency in various foods!
Despite this, clear jel powder won’t cause your apple pie to become chewy or gummy, and the filling will still be incredibly soft, but much thicker, making it perfect for fantastic apple pies.
Another bonus associated with clear jel powder is that it is also freezer friendly, so you can easily place any spare apple pie right into your freezer! Handy!
You should try to use around half a teaspoon for every cup of apple. This is the perfect amount for thickening the filling up.
Ordinary Cornstarch
If you can’t get access to modified cornstarch, or you can’t find it in your local grocery store, then why not instead make use of ordinary cornstarch? It’s likely that you may have some already waiting in your kitchen pantry!
Cornstarch is great because it can be used to thicken up countless foods, and it also does not have a flavor, so it won’t affect the taste of anything you add it to.
However, you should be aware that your apple pie filling may take on a slightly cloudy appearance upon adding cornstarch. However, this is barely noticeable, especially when served.
Add a half teaspoon of cornstarch for every cup of apple that you have in the filling. This will help to thicken the filling up adequately.
Flour
Flours is another great option, because the likelihood is that you already have some amount of it waiting around in your kitchen pantry!
As well as this, flour also won’t cause any direct changes to the flavor of your apple pie filling, as it naturally has very little flavor.
However, you will need to add a little bit more flour than you would add other things such as cornstarch, because flour is slightly less thickening.
Instead of half a teaspoon, you should use around 1 and a half teaspoons to 2 teaspoons for every cup of apples within the filling. This will help to slowly thicken the filling up as you stir it in.
Keep in mind that the filling may begin to look a little bit cloudy upon adding flour!
How Do You Fix Runny Apple Pie Filling After Baking?
Only noticed that your apple pie filling is runny after you have finished baking it? Don’t worry! The likelihood is that the filling will begin to thicken as the pie cools down.
The heat from the baking process will naturally render the filling a little more runny, but as it cools down it will naturally begin to thicken as you expect.
If the filling still does not thicken up, then you may want to add it back into the oven for a few more minutes!
To Wrap Up
Luckily, fixing runny apple pie filling is actually rather easy! Simply add the right stuff, like cornstarch, flour, or even a little bit of sugar, and you will naturally begin to see a difference in the consistency of your apple pie filling!
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
