Apple Pie Crust Ideas That Give the Traditional Dessert a Crisp New Look 

By Marissa Wu September 01, 2021
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Controversial confession: The crust is the best part. Yep. Who could resist flaky, buttery shards that crumble oh-so-perfectly on each juicy bite of fruit? And fresh from the oven? Don't even get us started. Dreamy. In total honesty, we've been known to shove the fruit aside completely from time to time. While we'll take any fruit with our pie crust, we have an especially soft spot for the apple, our trusty mainstay. Apple pie with a great crust is something that can't be beat. Apple pie with a soggy crust? No. No. No. But with one of these six fabulous options, it's nearly a guarantee that there won't be a slice left. Plus, there are quite a few pie crust patterns to choose from, meaning no more boring pies that blend in with the rest of them. From the pretty, classic lattice to the simple, easy pie crust cutouts, there is a pie crust design for nearly every occasion.

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Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Crust

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Crust

Well, we'll be darned if lattice wasn't the first thing we mentioned. A tried-and-true classic, the lattice weave is found atop many a pie, and rumor has it a lattice pie crust makes desserts that much sweeter. Don't be fooled by the apparent simplicity, either. Get creative when you cut strips of pie dough for unique edges.

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Slab Pie Crust

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Recipe: Slab Pie Crust

This one's for the crust lovers. The slab pie crust couldn't be easier since the majority of the crust forms, well, the slab. How you decorate the top is up to you. Braids of pie crust, more lattice, cut-outs in seasonal shapes, the options are endless.

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Lattice Pie Crust

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Lattice Pie Crust

Get back to the basics with this ultimate old-fashioned crust. It's the traditional (and tasty) lattice in its simplest form: strips of pie crust crisscrossing in a beautiful, flakey golden brown.

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Cast-Iron Apple Pie Crust

Credit: Luca Trovato

Recipe: Cast-Iron Apple Pie Crust

Your standard double-crust pie with a simple, scored top. It doesn't get easier, and it's darn good.

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Pie Crust Crimp

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton

Tutorial: Pie Crust Crimp

Thinking about a topless pie? That doesn't mean it has to be boring. Here are four easy pie crust crimping techniques that ensure a pretty dessert.

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Cut-Out Apple Pie Crust

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cut-Out Apple Pie Crust

This is where the real fun is at, folks. Choose your shapes according to the season (or your whim) and get going. Leaves and animals for fall, stars and stripes for summer, flowers for spring (groundbreaking, we know), little Christmas trees and turkeys in the winter.

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By Marissa Wu