Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling

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This Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling Recipe is a great recipe to make in the Instant Pot and is both quick and easy. Not only that, I will share with you how to keep apples fresh and how to freeze apple pie filling!

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Why This Recipe Works
📋 Ingredients
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
🔪How To Make Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling
👩‍🍳 Expert Tips
💭 FAQs
Serving Suggestions
🍜 Related Recipes
Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling

Why This Recipe Works

Time-Saver: The Instant Pot speeds up the process, making pie-making a breeze.
Versatile Treat: Great for pies, crumbles, or as a topping for pancakes and yogurt.
Full of Flavor: Homemade filling ensures a fresh, fruity, and cinnamon-spiced taste.

📋 Ingredients

Peeled and Sliced Apples: Provide the fruity flavor and satisfying texture that are signature to any great apple pie.
Brown Sugar: Enhances the natural sweetness of the apples, while its molasses content adds depth and a hint of caramel to the pie filling.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
Ground Cinnamon: Lends an inviting aroma and an irresistible spicy-sweet note to the filling.
Ground Nutmeg: With its sweet and slightly nutty flavor, ground nutmeg gives the filling an extra layer of complexity and warmth.
Water: Used as a liquid base in our filling, water helps dissolve the sugar and cornstarch, and also aids in creating a smooth, well-blended mixture.
Cornstarch: Is the thickening agent in our recipe and helps transform the water, sugar, and apple juices into a lush, glossy filling that holds together beautifully when sliced.

For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

🔀 Substitutions & Variations

Apple Variety Mix: Experiment with different apple types—combine tart Granny Smith with sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp or Fuji for a more balanced flavor and texture in your pie filling.
Spice & Sweetener Tweaks: Adjust the spice profile by adding or substituting cinnamon with nutmeg, cloves, or ginger. You can also try natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup to vary the sweetness.
Liquid & Thickener Options: Enhance the brightness with a splash of lemon or orange juice, and experiment with different thickening agents such as cornstarch or arrowroot powder to achieve your desired consistency.

🔪How To Make Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling

Step 1: Begin by chopping and coring your apples. Add your apples to the bottom of your Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling Apples In Instant Pot.

Step 2: Combine all ingredients in the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 1 minute at high pressure then perform a quick pressure release.

Step 3: Remove the lid and stir the apples.

Step 4: In a small bowl, combine about ½ cup of liquid from the apples with the cornstarch. Stir together until the cornstarch has completely dissolved.

Step 5: Here is an image of what the dissolved cornstarch should look like.

Step 6: Turn the pressure cooker on to saute mode and stir in the cornstarch liquid mixture. Let it cook while stirring on and off. The apple pie filling should thicken in 1-2 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off and ladle the apple pie filling into a quart-sized jar or storage container.

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

Choose the Right Apples: Use firm and tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. These varieties hold up well under pressure and provide a good balance of sweetness and tartness, essential for a flavorful pie filling.
Slice Apples Uniformly: Cut your apples into even slices to ensure they cook uniformly. Consistent thickness prevents some pieces from becoming mushy while others remain too firm.
Add Lemon Juice: Toss apple slices in lemon juice before cooking. This not only prevents browning but also adds a subtle zest that enhances the overall flavor of the filling.
Thicken with Cornstarch: After the apples have cooked, mix a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch dissolved in a little water) into the pot and use the sauté function to cook it briefly. This helps thicken the sauce to the perfect consistency for pie filling.

💭 FAQs

How To Freeze Filling For Apple Pie?

Don’t forget you can also freeze your apple pie fillings. All you need to do is scoop your mixture into plastic baggies after it has cooled down to store in your freezer. We love bulk cooking and meal prep and making a large batch in the Instant pot in one go is a great way to use fresh apples.

How To Keep Apples Fresh?

Busy now? Prep Your Apples in advance. In this case, you will want to know how to keep apple slices fresh. If you slice your apples and pop them straight into a bowl of water with a little salt or lemon juice then this will help keep your apples fresh until you need to use them.

Best Way to Store Apple Pie Filling

Allow the apple pie filling to cool to room temperature after preparing or cooking. Transfer the cooled apple pie filling to an airtight container. This could be a glass or plastic container with a tight-sealing lid. If planning to use the filling within a week, store it in the refrigerator. Ensure it's sealed tightly to prevent drying out or absorbing odors.

Can I Freeze Apple Pie Filling?

Yes, place the cooled filling into zip lock bags or an airtight container. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some great ways to use apple pie filling:

Classic Apple Pie: Bake a traditional apple pie using the filling as the delicious, spiced centerpiece.
Stuffed Pancakes or Crepes: Spoon apple pie filling into pancakes or crepes for a sweet and satisfying breakfast treat.
Apple Pie Smoothie: Blend apple pie filling with yogurt, milk, and a dash of cinnamon for a flavorful smoothie.
Apple Pie Oatmeal: Mix apple pie filling into your morning oatmeal for a comforting and fruity twist.
Apple Pie Tarts: Fill mini tart shells with apple pie filling for bite-sized, portable desserts.

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