Welcome the change in seasons with this light and scrumptious apricot pie! This beauty is made with sweet apricots, a hint of coriander, and the easiest homemade pie crust!
Having premade pie crusts at the ready comes in so handy when the mood for baking a pie strikes. Make a couple of different types, freeze the dough and thaw when you’re ready to start baking. Oil pie crust and butter pie crust are two that I always have ready to go. And even when I don’t, they’re easy enough to make in a jiff!
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What is Apricot Pie?
Apricot season doesn’t last long. Delicious, tree-ripened apricots are hard to come by and eating just one is never enough. But when cooked down and made into the most spectacular apricot jam or used in all kinds of baked goods like an apricot tart, an Apricot-filled braided sweet bread, and this pie? A WHOLE different ball game, friends. Apricot pie is, in fact, one of my favorite pies of all time.
There is a subtle hint of almond and coriander in this pie filling that takes it up about ten notches. The warming spices compliment the sweet fruit so delicately, your guests won’t know what hit them.
This super simple pie is made even easier when you’ve got a homemade pie crust already made. This recipe works with both the oil pie crust and butter pie crust. They are both easy to make, taste great, and are sturdy enough to stand up against all of that sweet filling.
When in season, I like to stock up and make as many recipes as I can while the getting is good! And this apricot pie is one of my favorites. It represents everything we love about summer. Fresh fruit, the aroma of freshly baked pie, backyard BBQs, dessert, and drinks on the patio. It doesn’t get much better!
The only thing that might top of this incredibly delicious pie is serving it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Or both.
Is pie really American?
We’ve all heard the saying, “as American as apple pie,” but did you know the pie itself originated in Egypt? They took a crusty crust and topped it with a honey filling. It wasn’t until years later that Greeks invented a pastry crust that wasn’t made with oats or barley, but resembled more of what we know today.
Even still the Romans took things a little further and used the pastry crust to envelop meat in an effort to preserve it and keep its juices in. Believe it or not, the crust itself was never meant to be eaten. The idea traveled across Europe and as it happens, evolved and changed over time. When the British ended up in North America, so did pie!
Crusts, pastries and fillings changed and evolved even further into the flavors and desserts we love today. Apple pie is great, but Apricot pie? That is a must try!
Appliance Tips:
fluted pastry wheel (affil) – Used to create pretty wrinkled edges around your pie crust.
Rolling pin – Needed to roll out your pie crust.
Ingredients:
- Fresh apricots – No need for peeling. Cut in half, remove the pit, and slice into thin slices.
- Granulated sugar – Depending on how sweet your fruit is, you can adjust the amount of sugar used.
- Salt – Used to bring out the natural flavors of the rest of the ingredients.
- Ground coriander – A beautiful warming spice that will wake up the entire pie.
- All-purpose flour – Used as a thickening agent for the filling. Will be mixed in with the rest of the filling ingredients.
- Almond extract – An optional flavor note.
- Salted butter – Dots of butter will be added on top of the pie filling before the top crust is added, just prior to baking.
- Pie crust recipe – This recipe works with any pre-made pie crust.
How to Make the Pie
We make this apricot pie in the same way that we make most fruit pies. Combine the fresh fruit with sugar (to sweeten), flour (to thicken), and seasonings. Pop it all in an unbaked crust. Cover with a top crust and bake!
Be sure to allow the pie to cool completely so that the filling thickens. Serve with a big scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Oil pie crust vs Butter pie crust
Oil pie crust is probably one of the easiest crusts to make. It’s made with oil, flour, water, and salt. There is no cutting cold butter, no using a food processor, no chilling, none of that. Just stir together the ingredients and roll out your crust – ready in just a few minutes! The results are a tasty, sturdy pie crust that’s crispy in texture and works with almost any type of pie.
A butter pie crust is more traditionally a buttery and flaky pie crust. It also uses just a few ingredients and can be used for all the pies! It has that melt in your mouth, sinful butter flavor.
Tips for ripe apricots
- To begin with, the color of the apricot is usually a good indication of their ripeness. Green is a no. Yellow, orange, and even some blush or red hints are what to look for.
- Do a squeeze check. If they have no give, they are not yet ripe. If they give just a little they should be good. Too much give, and well, you get the idea. Probably a bit too overripe. This doesn’t mean you need to throw it out, necessary, it just means use it soon. If the smell is pungent, the fruit is squishy, or there is oozing coming from the fruit, it is probably overripe and should be discarded.
- The biggest indicator of a ripe, tasty apricot is the SMELL! They should smell sweet and ripe. If there is no hints of apricot aroma, skip them.
- I don’t typically find flavorful apricots in the big supermarkets. Farmers markets or straight off mom’s tree are the way to go.
How to lattice pie crust
This is definitely a fancier way to go, but so worth it and easier than you think! When you’re done, you’ll be so impressed with yourself!
- Roll out the top crust on parchment paper. Cut into strips, each .5-1 inch thick. I love using a fluted pastry wheel here. Place the longest strip across the middle of the pie. Place the second longest strip through the center in the other direction.
- Continue to add strips vertically, then horizontally, folding back strips when adding one that needs to weave under.
- Leave the excess crust on the strips hanging over the edges, and pinch them together with the bottom crust.
Once picked, apricots slow down their ripening process. Leave them on the counter or in a paper bag at room temperature. How unripe they are to begin with will determine how quickly they ripen. If the fruit has no scent, is green, or is rock hard when you get it, it may not ever ripen.
If you have ripe apricots but are not quite ready to bake this pie, keep them in the fridge until ready you are ready. Then you can use them for pies, tarts, jams, you name it. You can also prepare the pie filling exactly as instructed, place it in a freezer safe ziploc bag, and freeze until ready to use.
It can actually stay at room temperature, covered on the counter for up to 2 days. If it lasts any longer than that (and by that, I mean if it hasn’t been eaten), transfer it to the fridge in an airtight container for another couple of days.
Yes! In fact, preparing a pie and freezing it before baking keeps its texture and taste intact for when you’re ready to bake it. Or again, freeze bags of pie filling. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and dump straight into a pie crust for sweet summer fruit pies all winter long!
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the apricots for peaches, plums or your choice of fruit.
- Try a bit of nutmeg or cinnamon in place of the coriander for a different spice option.
- Squirt a bit of lemon juice in the filling. It will add a bit of tart balance to the sweet.
- In a pinch, store-bought pie filling or using frozen apricots in place of the fresh will work.
Apricot Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh apricots sliced
- 1/2-1 cup granulated sugar adjust amount depending on sweetness of fruit
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 double pie crust recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Wash fruit and trim off any brown spots. Slice in half, remove pit, and slice into small slices. You do not need to peel the apricots.
- Place the fruit in a bowl. Add sugar, salt, coriander, flour, and almond extract, if using.
- Stir the fruit mixture gently to evenly distribute ingredients.
- Roll out one half of the double pie crust recipe and arrange in 9" pie plate.
- Mound fruit filling into the crust.
- Dot small pieces of butter across the top of the pie filling.
- Cover the pie filling with the other pie crust. We used a lattice crust here. Pinch the edges of the crusts together to seal. Sprinkle the top of the pie with some granulated sugar if you'd like.
- Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F and continue cooking for another 30-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbling up in the pie and the crust is browned. If crust or edges get too brown before the filling is done cooking, cover the browned areas with aluminum foil until the pie is done baking.
- Cool pie completely before slicing and serving. (Or serve warm with ice cream, but know that the filling may be more runny until it is fully cooled.)
