Homemade Apple Pie is filled with lots of ground cloves for a spectacular fall flavor. This apple pie with cloves recipe is perfect for the cinnamon hater in your life. Made with a homemade crust and easily made a day before serving this Clove Apple Pie is the perfect pie for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
I'm not going to lie I was skeptical of an apple pie with no cinnamon, it just didn't sound right? But I do like apples and cloves. Well, I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. The pie was fabulous, the apples were cooked to perfection not crunchy but not soggy. And the crust was spectacular. I really enjoyed the flavor the Clove spice brought through. The pie was sweet but not overly sweet. I enjoy the pie with good ol' vanilla ice cream or Birds Custard.
How do you make pie crust?
For an in-depth tutorial and a great pie crust recipe check out my Brown Butter Pie Crust Recipe.
Place all-purpose flour, salt and chunks of cold butter into a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or two knives or your fingers to rub this mixture together.
Keep mixing the ingredients until you get a texture like breadcrumbs. The butter will no longer be in chunks but evenly distributed amongst the flour mixture.
Once you have reached the breadcrumb point add cold water and use a knife with a rounded point to mix the water in. The dough will begin to clump together and soon you will be able to form it into a large ball/disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you chill longer like overnight then just make sure you let the dough sit before you use it so it will be workable.
Roll the dough out. I used about ⅔rds for the bottom of the pie and saved the rest for the top of the pie. Make sure you roll the dough out to about a ⅛ of an inch.
How do you make apple pie filling with cloves?
Cut your apples into slices that are just under ½ inch thick. The pie bakes for a long time so you don't want to end up with mushy apples, which you would if you cut the slices thinner.
Sprinkle some lemon juice on top of the apples and set aside. The lemon juice helps prevent the apples from browning and I think it also enhances the flavor.
What are the best apples for apple pie?
I prefer to use Granny Smith/ Bramley apples. You can use sweeter apples but adjust the sugar to balance out the extra sweetness.
In a small bowl mix together the sugar, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
In pie crust place one layer of sliced apples and evenly sprinkle half of the clove sugar mixture over the apples.
Layer the rest of the apples, this time they will pile high. Then sprinkle on the rest of the sugar mixture.
How long does apple pie cook for?
Place the second pie crust on top and seal/crimp the pie. I am HORRIBLE at pie crust, here is an easy video showing some great options for the pie crust. The pie dish I used for this pie has a fluted design in it so it was easier for me to press the dough into the dish this time. With any leftover pie crust use a small cookie cutter to create fun designs.
Crack an egg into a dish and add a splash of water then whisk to combine. Using a pastry brush, brush the pie with egg wash all over. Then place the pie crust design on top of the egg brushed pie and then brush the design tops with more egg wash. An egg wash creates a nice golden shine when baked.
Cook for 45-55 minutes. Until golden brown and the apples are bubbling, an instant-read thermometer needs to register 175F. I use my thermapen and I love it.
I love to serve this pie either warmed up with ice cream or Bird's Custard!
For another warm and spicy dessert try my Gingerbread Bunt Cake Recipe, next!
Craving more pie?
- Fruits of the Forest Pie
- Salted Caramel Upside Down Apple Pie
- Deconstructed Banana Cream Pie Recipe
- How to Make Banoffee Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Apple Pie with Cloves
Homemade Apple Pie is filled with lots of ground cloves for a spectacular fall flavor. This apple pie with cloves recipe is perfect for the cinnamon hater in your life. Made with a homemade crust and easily made a day before serving this is a perfect pie for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 14 oz All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 7oz (1 ¾ stick) Unsalted Butter, cold
- 14 Teaspoons Ice Cold Water
Apple Filling
- 2 lb Cooking Apples (I prefer Granny Smith/ Bramley Apples)
- 2 Teaspoons lemon juice
- 75 grams (scant ½ cup) Brown Sugar
- 75 grams (scant ½ cup) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- ½Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 1 Large Egg
- Splash of milk
Instructions
Crust
- Sift flour and salt together. Add cubed cold butter. Use a pastry blender, your hands or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. This will take some time.
- Once the mixture resembles crumbs add your COLD water. I add it in a little bit at a time. Mix with a round edge knife until the mixture begins to clump together then form into a ball. Wrap lightly in parchment paper and set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (If chilling overnight let dough sit at room temp for 30 minutes before rolling out)
- Cut ⅔ of the dough off the ball and roll out on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin and roll the dough evenly to about a ⅛ of an inch. Place in pie dish.
- Preheat oven to 425F
Apple Filling
- Peel and cut your apples into medium-sized slices, just under a ½ inch thick. Splash some lemon juice on top of the apples to prevent them from turning brown.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine sugar, flour, cloves, nutmeg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Place half of your apples inside the pie and sprinkle half of the sugar mixture on top. Place remaining apples on top and the rest of the sugar mixture.
- Roll out remaining ⅓ of dough for the top of the pie. Make sure to cut some sort of design or just a hole in the dough so the pie has room to breathe.
- Seal the top and bottom pie crust with whatever design you like.
- In a cup mix together an egg, splash or two of milk and a tablespoon of sugar. Using a pastry brush cover the pie crust with it.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the pie is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check that the juices have cooked properly, the pie filling should be 175F internally.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my mothers old Good House Keeping Cookbook
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: clove apple pie, apple pie with cloves, apples and cloves
This post was originally published on January 28, 2013.
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
i always bake with cloves. i seriously LOVE adding cloves to any fall/winter type baked goods. They are very very good in oatmeal cookies! Now... i want some pie. 😉
Elizabeth says
I am in the middle of baking some chocolate chip cookies with oat flour now, I will have to try oatmeal cookies with cloves! Maybe tomorrow!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
Oh my that is a beautiful apple pie! I love using cloves with my apple and pumpkin desserts!!! Delicious idea 🙂
Elizabeth says
Thank you! I will definitely be adding cloves to desserts in the future! 🙂
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
Wow! Your crust looks perfect! I wish my pies would come out so gorgeous! PS: Love cloves! My fave spice ever!
★★★★★
Elizabeth says
Thank you I am not going to lie I was a bit skeptical when I made the dough but it turned out fabulous! 🙂
Schnee Wolfe says
OK, well the first comment I saw was from Sally, at Sally's Baking Addiction, and that's certification enough for me...
I have been looking for a recipe for apple pie with cloves since the 1970's after I broke up with my then fiance'... her mother was a War Bride from England, and made the most spectacular apple pie, with cloves... and no way was her daughter going to give it to moi....
Going to save this and give it a try this month...
Thx
Schnee...
Elizabeth says
Thanks Schnee, this pie is great. I am actually making it on the 17th for an English friends birthday. She LOVES this and I won't lie so do I. You must make some Birds Custard to go with the pie, it's absolutely gorgeous!
Schnee says
Hi Elizabeth, of course Birds Custard 😉 my family came to Canada in '53, and while some things went by the wayside, Custard and Pie was not one of them;
had my 66th BD on the 4th, so wish I had had this recipe then 😉 will be going out today to pick up the apples and make up for lost time LOL
Cheers
Carol says
My mum always made her apple pie with cloves,she died17 years ago and I still miss her and her apple pies. I don't like apple pie with cinnamon and would rather not ever eat apple pie at all.So,I was delighted when I found your recipe.I will be making it in the next day or so.One thing,I couldn't find the temperature to bake it,only how long. Thanks Carol
Elizabeth says
Hi Carol, I am so sorry for the delay. The temperature is 425F I will update the recipe. I hope you do give it a go, we love this one in my family. Your mum had fabulous taste in pies 🙂
rachel says
JESUS. My sister made this and i Was OBSESSED!!! SO good.
Wendy says
I always make my apple pies with Bramley apples - how lovely to see you are using them too! I always use to use cloves all the time when I was in the UK, but since being in Canada, I have used more cinnamon. However, I prefer cloves. Thank you for this lovely recipe, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks so much. Wendy!! Ground cloves is such an underrated spice! So perfect with apples, glad you agree too 🙂 Take care. XX Liz
Lynne says
Just hot out of the oven. I love this recipe. The tip about testing the apple cooked temperature was great for me. I ended up leaving in oven for another 10 minutes but with it covered with foil just to ensure cooked and juicy. The apple aroma started to waft through the kitchen so knew it was cooked perfectly (have had a few temperature issues so this helped). Thanks so much
★★★★★
Carol says
This is the way my mom always made hers,always love it.My husband preferences was with cinnamon,so for 54 years I haven’t eaten any apple pie.He passed away last year (and I never got my mom’s recipe) now I’m loving apple pie once more.Thankyou.Its not that I don’t like cinnamon,just not in apple pie.Thankyou from the bottom of my heart
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Carol, thank you so much for this lovely review and for sharing your story with me. It means so much to me. I hope you have a lovely day. XX Liz
Clare says
i’ve been making this recipe for years now and every holiday season my family looks forward to this pie. i use the pie crust recipe for any pie i make now as well; it’s delicious!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the 5-star review Clare. It makes me so happy to read you have been enjoying this for years now!! Take care. XX Liz