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Fresh homemade Apricot Pie is summer on a plate! The apricots are tangy and sweet and the crust is flaky, buttery and crisp on top. Pie perfection!
Fresh Apricot Pie
Fresh from our oven! I don’t care how hot it gets outside. I’ll always embrace the opportunity to bake a stone fruit pie.
We’ve been loving apricots this year testing our tasty Apricot Bars and several Apricot Pie variations. Apricots also make fantastic jam!
I feel peach recipes are next like our Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler and our beloved Peach Cobbler Cheesecake. If you like plums you must try our Plum Cobbler with a bunch of 5-star reviews!
Here’s what you need to know about our Apricot Pie recipe:
- There’s no need to peel the apricots. You won’t be able to find tender peel once baked.
- You’ll need a 9-inch deep dish pie plate (affiliate link) for this recipe.
- You can use well drained, canned apricots in place of fresh.
- We’ve tested this pie with and without lemon juice. All the taste testers agree that it’s better without. The fruit stays bright and colorful and is already tangy enough without the added acidity.
- You can use store-bought pie pastry if desired. However, we recommend our Pie Crust recipe which makes the perfect amount of dough for this pie.
- We found this pie is best made by macerating the apricots for an hour then draining the juices. The juice is thickened on the stove-top with cornstarch before being added to the apricots. I’ve tested this pie without cooking the juice first and found it was too loose and didn’t hold up well.
- You don’t have to make a lattice top. A plain top or pastry cut-outs will be just as good.
- The pie is best sliced after resting overnight in the refrigerator. I recommend that you make this pie the day before you plan to serve.
- This pie is extra fantastic with a scoop of our homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.
Simple ingredients… fantastic pie! 🥧
- Pastry for a double crust pie – our pie crust recipe can be made days in advance and refrigerated until needed. We use both butter and shortening in our recipe for flavor and flakiness.
- Fresh apricots – cut each apricot into quarters and discard the pit. Cut each quarter in half. No need to peel the fruit! 👏
- Granulated white sugar – sugar is added to the fresh cut apricots so they can sit (macerate) and make all that amazing juice. This step takes about one hour so plan accordingly.
- Cornstarch for thickening the fruit juice. I prefer cornstarch over tapioca pearls in this pie. For a thicker apricot filling, add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Cinnamon for a hint of warm spice.
- Salt and Vanilla extract for balancing out the flavors. We also tested with almond extract and did not love it in this pie.
- Egg wash for brushing on top of the pastry so it will bake up beautifully to a deep golden brown.
- Coarse sugar to sprinkle on top of the crust before baking. This is optional but HIGHLY recommended. ❤️
Storing Apricot Pie
Storing: This pie keeps well for up to 5 days if sealed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. The top crust will soften over time but is still great to eat.
We bake this pie the day before it’s needed. After it’s cooled completely refrigerate until ready to serve. This makes it easy to cut.
Freezing: Leftovers are freezable and will keep for up to 3 months well sealed in an airtight container.
Fresh Apricots are a dream to bake with
Apricots taste almost like a cross between a peach and a plum but with a tart finish. They’re sweet but that can vary depending on the ripeness of your fruit.
If your apricots are still very firm, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and leave out at room temperature until ripened, one or two days. You can also ripen them in a brown paper bag at room temperature.
Once ripe, transfer the apricots to an airtight container and store in a single layer in the refrigerator. Try not to pile them on top of each other as that will promote bruising.
Apricot Pie
Ingredients
- 2 unbaked pie crust pastries store-bought or homemade
- 6 cups fresh apricots
- 1 cup granulated sugar (222g)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (34g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (2g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (30g) for topping
Instructions
- Prepare and refrigerate a double crust pastry until needed.
- Wash the apricots then cut into quarters. Remove and discard the pit. Cut each quarter in half and place in a large bowl. Toss the fruit with the granulated sugar. Cover and set aside for one hour.
- In a medium saucepan whisk the cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Drain the apricots through a large fine mesh strainer set over the saucepan. Once drained transfer the apricots back to the large bowl. Whisk the apricot juice and cornstarch mixture together until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat until the syrup comes to a boil. Whisk constantly and cook for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick like jam. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Pour the hot syrup over the apricots in the bowl. Set aside to cool while rolling out the pie crust and preheating the oven.
- Line a large baking pan with foil and set aside. Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Roll out half the dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit the dough into the bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate leaving any extra hanging over the sides. Pour the apricots and any juice into the prepared pastry. Roll out the remaining dough and place on top of the apricots. Seal and pinch the dough together decoratively. Cut holes to vent in a solid top. Or if making a lattice top, weave strips of dough as desired.
- Brush the top crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar then transfer to the foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Tent with foil if over-browning after about 50 minutes. The crust should be dark golden brown and the juices should be thick and bubbling.
- Remove to a cooling rack and leave at room temperature until completely cooled. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This helps the filling set for cleaner slices.
Recipe Notes
- Refrigerate leftover pie in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze slices of pie in an airtight container for up to 3 months
Nutrition
More great apricot recipes
Apricot Bars Recipe
Bake the season! Diced fresh apricots spread over a shortbread crust topped with an oaty streusel crumble topping and baked until golden brown and bubbly.
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Buttery Apricot Scone Recipe
A light, flaky, buttery scone layered with chopped apricots and iced with an almond flavored glaze.
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Apricot Coconut Balls
Tangy apricots and coconut combine with sweetened condensed milk for a tasty no-bake treat!
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