Baking a perfect fruit pie is a delicate balancing act. Leave the pie in the oven too long and you run the risk of burning your crust. But take it out too soon and your fruit filling will not have thickened up, leaving you with a watery mess.
Enter paper bag apple pie.
While there are plenty of secrets for making pies, like using a pie shield to protect your crust from over-browning and precooking your filling, the paper bag trick is an all-in-one pie hack. It yields a golden, flaky pie crust loaded with tender filling.
Who Invented Paper Bag Apple Pie?
This technique has been around for generations. It first appeared in an old Amish cookbook called The ABCs of Paper Bag Cookery. The method was later made famous by The Elegant Farmer, a farm kitchen in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Don’t worry if you’re not local, though. You can order the original pie baked in a paper bag for delivery through Goldbelly.
Why Baking a Pie in a Paper Bag Works
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
OK, let’s talk science. What does baking a pie in a paper bag even do? The paper bag functions as both a steamer and a shield for the pie. It locks in moisture, which helps to make the apples tender but not mushy. At the same time, the bag provides a protective barrier from the oven’s direct heat, ensuring the pie crust bakes evenly without over-browning.
The best part about this trick? The big reveal! Since you can’t see the pie through the bag while it’s in the oven, there’s an element of surprise when you tear open the bag after the pie is done. In it goes blonde and unbaked, and it comes out golden and bubbling with apple goodness.
What Type of Bag to Use When Making Pie
Use a plain, kraft paper bag that’s free of inks or dyes. As we researched this method, we learned that paper bags printed with ink run the risk of releasing unpleasant odors and/or toxins when exposed to high heat.
You can also create your own “bag” out of several large pieces of parchment paper. Just be sure to secure your pieces together with plenty of folds and staples. The purpose of the bag is to lock in all that precious steam!
How to Make Paper Bag Apple Pie
This recipe makes one 9-inch pie.
Ingredients
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
- Dough for double-crust pie
- 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick (we used a combination of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 beaten egg for egg wash, optional
Editor’s note: Learn how to make the perfect homemade pie crust with this guide. If you’d rather keep it simple, our Test Kitchen can recommend quality store-bought pie crusts, too.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the crust
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
Prepare your crust according to this recipe or unpackage your store-bought crust. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate that’s 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep. Lay your first crust in the pan, pressing it gently to line the pie plate. Cover and chill until ready to fill.
Step 2: Prepare the filling
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
In a large mixing bowl, combine the peeled and sliced apples, sugar, brown sugar, tapioca flour, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice. Toss to coat apples in the dry ingredients and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
Step 3: Assemble
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
Preheat the oven to 425°F with your oven rack set at its lowest position. Remove your chilled crust from the fridge. Fill with the apple mixture, mounding it toward the middle. Top the filling with your second crust and trim off any excess crust to a 1-inch overhang. Fold the crust over and under itself to seal and then crimp or flute edges as desired. Finally, cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape and brush the entire pie with egg wash.
Editor’s tip: When adding fruit filling to a pie crust, leave behind a bit of the fruit juice pooled at the bottom of your mixing bowl. Leaving out this extra bit of moisture will help ensure your bottom crust remains crisp and doesn’t develop a soggy bottom as it bakes.
Step 4: Bake
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
Place the assembled pie into a plain, large paper bag. Take special care to ensure the pie crust does not touch the insides. Fold over the opening on the bag a few times and secure with staples. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place into the preheated oven. Make sure the bag is not touching the side walls or heating element of your oven.
Bake for 50-60 minutes.
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
Step 5: Cool and serve
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
Remove the pie from the oven and carefully open the bag, avoiding any hot steam as it releases. Remove the pie and let cool on a wire rack for at least 60 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
How to Make Paper Bag Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
Elegant Farmer’s classic Apple Pie in a Paper Bag is a double-crust pie. However, a common variation is to swap the top layer of pie crust for a delectable streusel crumb topping. Interested? Here how to do it.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small cubes
Directions
Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl. Then, using a fork or pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles small, pea-sized crumbs. Chill for 30 minutes and top your pie with the crumb topping instead of the second crust as outlined in step 3. Continue onto step 4 and bake as directed.
More Amish Recipes to Make from Scratch
Shoofly PieMy grandmother made the best shoofly pie in the tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Shoofly pie is to the Pennsylvania Dutch as pecan pie is to a Southerner. —Mark Morgan, Waterford, Wisconsin
By the way, here's what makes
Amish butter so special (and delicious!).
Amish Sugar CookiesThese easy-to-make, old-fashioned sugar cookies simply melt in your mouth! This is one of the best
Amish cookie recipes I've ever had. I've passed this one around to many friends, and after I gave it to my sister, she entered the cookies in a local fair and won the best of show prize! —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri
TOMKAWILA/shutterstock
Friendship bread is one of the most well-known
Amish bread recipes. It uses a sourdough starter that can be shared among friends—hence the name, "friendship bread"—but you can also make your own starter.
Get Recipe
Oatmeal Molasses CrispsIn
Amish and Mennonite homes, home cooking is guaranteed delicious. So when I found this recipe in an Amish cookbook, I knew I had to try it. It's become a favorite of our family as well as the folks at our church fellowship. —Jori Schellenberger, Everett, Washington
Editor's Tip: Here's one of our favorite
Amish baking tips: To keep your cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container with a little piece of bread.
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Pennsylvania Dutch Funny CakeI can still remember my grandma serving this delicious cake on the big wooden table in her farm kitchen. Every time I bake this unusual cake, it takes me back to those special days at Grandma's. —Diane Ganssle, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Walnut Horn CookiesAt our house, it wouldn't be Christmas without these Pennsylvania Dutch cookies, which are known locally as
kiffels. —Sharon Allen, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Sugar Cream PieI absolutely love Indiana sugar cream pie; especially the one that my grandma made for me. Here, we serve it warm or chilled and call it "Hoosier" sugar cream pie. —Laura Kipper, Westfield, Indiana
Amish Potato BreadA tasty mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, plus a small amount of mashed potatoes, give this golden bread its wonderful texture. The loaf is very moist and stays that way even days after making it. —Sue Violette, Neillsville, Wisconsin
Date Pudding CobblerThere were eight children in my family when I was a girl, and all of us enjoyed this cobbler. I now serve it for everyday and special occasions alike. —Carolyn Miller, Guys Mills, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Dutch Potato DoughnutsMy relatives have been making these tasty doughnuts for years. The potatoes keep them moist, and the glaze provides just the right amount of sweetness. —Marlene Reichart, Leesport, Pennsylvania
Amish Onion CakeThis rich, moist bread with an onion-poppy seed topping is a wonderful break from your everyday bread routine. You can serve it with any meat, and it's a nice accompaniment to soup or salad. I've made it many times and have often been asked to share the recipe. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland
Easy Pennsylvania Dutch Apple CobblerThis is a common dish from where I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. It's a classic Dutch-style apple cobbler recipe—easy, quick and delicious. Who wouldn't love this golden brown delight? —Andrea Robson, York, Pennsylvania
Copycat Patti's Sawdust PieWe top this with sliced bananas, whipped cream and more sliced bananas. It's based on a sawdust pie recipe my mom got from a potholder she bought at the Patti's 1880s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. —Jennifer Choisser, Paducah, Kentucky
Amish Raisin CookiesI found this recipe for a chewy raisin cookie in one of the many
Amish cookbooks I own. I haven't seen it duplicated anywhere else. —Marcia Wagner, Berrien Springs, Michigan
Mini Apple PiesWhen I was in high school, my best friend's mother baked this mini apple pie recipe every year. I was thrilled when she shared it with me—I finally felt like an adult! —Katie Ferrier, Houston, Texas
Church Window CookiesThese church window cookies are a hit with kids—the little ones just love the colored marshmallows! —Emmilie Gaston, Wabash, Indiana
Amish Vanilla PieWe live in rural northern Indiana where we have several Amish communities. I found this recipe in our local paper a few years back, and after making a few adjustments, I came up with a fabulous pie! It reminds me of the many cream pies my grandma made for holidays. Be sure to allow the Amish vanilla pie to set and cool completely before cutting and serving. —Shelly Brubacher, Nappanee, Indiana
Fruit & Nut Baked OatmealIn my part of the Midwest, baked oatmeal is a Mennonite specialty. My daughters are always delighted if we have leftovers for them to take home.—Fancheon Resler, Albion, Indiana
Shoofly Chocolate PieIf you like traditional shoofly pie, the chocolate version is even better! I sometimes serve it with vanilla ice cream, but it is just as good on its own. —Gwen Brounce Widdowson, Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
Apple Dumplings with SauceThis warm and comforting apple dumplings recipe is incredible by itself or served with ice cream. You can decorate each dumpling by cutting 1-inch leaves and a 1/2-inch stem from the leftover dough. —Robin Lendon, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cinnamon Swirl BreadYour family will be impressed with the soft texture and appealing swirls of cinnamon in these buttery breakfast loaves. —Diane Armstrong, Elm Grove, Wisconsin
Pumpkin Whoopie PiesMy kids start begging me for these cakelike sandwich cookies as soon as autumn arrives. I haven't met a person yet who doesn't like these fun treats. —Deb Stuber, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Spicy Applesauce CakeThis picnic-perfect cake travels and slices very well. With chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins, it's a real crowd pleaser. —Marian Platt, Sequim, Washington
Updated: Feb. 14, 2024
