Easy Puff Pastry Apple Pie

Our puff pastry apple pie has tangy granny smith apples, salted butter, a little sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and a touch of fresh rosemary. Best eaten warm, it is very aromatic and super easy to make.

If you’re a fan of our delicious Puff Pastry Apple Pie, you’re in for a treat with our Portokalopita, Yogurt cake, and Galaktoboureko!

An apple pie in a round tart pan, a canister with sauce, naplins and serving utensils.

Overview

Why this recipe sings

It’s delicious and easy. There is no need to make any crust; Thaw two puff pastry sheets, and you are set. A good-quality puff pastry’s buttery, flaky crust is perfect for this apple pie recipe.
It has simple ingredients. The recipe uses Granny smith apples because they are tart and the final result is not too sweet. They have a simple preparation with a surprising ingredient: rosemary leaves. If you have fresh rosemary, that’s great; otherwise, use dried. Cinnamon, and a whole vanilla bean give a delicate, rustic, wholesome aroma to the apple pie. The pie is baked in a low-heat oven for one hour until it is a golden perfection.

Puff pastry packet, apples, a vanilla bean, butter, a cup with sugar and some rosemary sprigs on a cutting board.

How to make this apple pie

Apples, vanilla beans, rosemary and cinnamon is a saucepan.

Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F.
Place the butter in a saucepan with the water, sugar, herbs, and chopped apples. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil until the butter and sugar are melted and dissolved. The mixture simmers over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want the apples to hold their shape and not become mushy.
Then, drain the apples from the syrup (save the syrup; it’s delicious) and prepare the puff pastry.

An apple pie ready for the oven on a table.

Spread one sheet of puff pastry on the bottom of a 10-inch (26-27 cm) pie pan, covering the walls.
Add the apples and cover with the second sheet of puff pastry. Cut the pastry sheets exactly to the pan’s diameter and press them down with a fork to seal and decorate the edges.
Brush the surface lightly with a little of the apple syrup and sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar all over.
Bake the pie at 160°C / 320° F for one hour.

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Helpful Q&A

I don’t care for tart apples. Can I substitute them with other kinds?

Yes, you can. If you prefer sweet apples, try Honeycrisp. They are my favorite snacking apples because they’re so lovely. When I bake with them, they don’t break down too much and give an apple pie an excellent sweet flavor.
Another option is to mix Granny Smith with sweet McIntosh apples. Combining tart apples with sweeter ones creates a unique combination that you can actually tweak to your liking and make personal.

What can I use instead of a vanilla bean? It is impossible to find where I live.

You can use one tablespoon of vanilla extract instead of 1 vanilla bean.
If you prefer, use vanilla paste. I would follow the directions on each jar for accurate equivalencies because the concentrations can be quite different.

Can I use a different pie crust?

Yes, of course, you can. Feel free to make your favorite pie crust or use the ready-made pie crust of your preference.

A piece of apple pie on a plate with a fork and spoon.

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