Cheez-It® Apple Pie
Experience the ultimate comfort of a classic apple pie, featuring a Cheez-It® crumbly crust that adds a delightful savory contrast to the sweet, spiced apple filling.
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 cups Cheez-It® Crackers, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- ⅓ cup ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg, whisked
- For the Filling:
- 8 large Granny smith apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon, juiced
Directions
1. Make the pie crust: In the bowl of a food processor, process Cheez-It® crackers until finely ground and no large pieces remain. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse 15-20 times or until the mixture reaches pea-sized crumbles. Slowly stream in water, pulsing as you go, until the dough slowly comes together but is still shaggy.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide into two equal pieces and use your hands to shape into two flat discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, or up to 3 days.
3. When ready to bake pie, preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, mix apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and lemon juice. Let sit while you roll out the dough. Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll dough out.
4. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9 inch pie pan. Add apples and any juices that have accumulated.
Repeat with the remaining disc of dough. You can simply lay the pie crust on top of the filling to make a double crust pie (slit a few holes in the top for air vents) or you can create a pretty pie crust design on top like a lattice pie crust and/or a braided pie crust. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers.
5. Brush the pie crust with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Top sporadically with additional Cheez-It® crackers, pressing to adhere to the egg wash.
Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool for at least 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve warm or room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and more Cheez-It® crackers!