Description

This Apple Butter Pie is a creamy and warmly spiced dessert featuring a flaky spelt pie crust filled with a luscious blend of apple butter, cream, and aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Perfect for cozy autumn evenings, this pie is baked to a delicate custard-like texture, chilled to firm up, and served as a comforting seasonal treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Pie Crust

1 (9-inch) spelt pie crust (see notes below)

Filling

1–¾ cups (470 grams / 17 ounces) prepared apple butter
1 cup (226 grams) heavy cream
3 large eggs
½ cup packed (110 grams) brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Pinch ground cloves

Instructions

Prepare Pie Dough: Roll out the pie dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it gently into the sides and bottom. Crimp the edges as desired and prick the bottom all over with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking. Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the dough.
Preheat Oven and Arrange Racks: Preheat the oven to 375ºF and place oven racks in the middle and lower positions.
Blind Bake the Pie Shell: Remove the pie shell from the freezer. Line it with a round piece of parchment paper, then add pie weights such as dry rice, beans, or lentils, pushing them to the edges of the shell.
Bake Pie Shell: Bake the pie shell on the lower rack for 20 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the oven, discard the parchment and weights, and return the pie shell to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to fully set. Remove and set aside. Lower oven temperature to 325ºF.
Prepare Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the apple butter, heavy cream, eggs, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, kosher salt, and ground cloves until fully combined and smooth.
Fill the Pie Shell: Pour the filling carefully into the blind-baked pie shell. Smooth out the top evenly with a spatula.
Bake the Pie: Place the pie on the middle oven rack and bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and the center remains slightly wobbly but has reached an internal temperature of above 180ºF. This ensures the filling is set but custardy.
Cool and Chill: Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours to allow it to fully firm up before serving.

Notes

Using a spelt flour pie crust adds a nutty flavor and a lighter texture compared to traditional wheat crusts.
For the pie weights during blind baking, dry rice, beans, or lentils work well and can be reused for blind baking tasks.
Allowing the pie to chill thoroughly before serving ensures the custard sets properly for clean slices.
Use high-quality apple butter for the best flavor impact. Homemade or store-bought varieties both work.
If you don’t have freshly grated nutmeg, pre-ground nutmeg can be used, but freshly grated offers superior aroma.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Apple Butter Pie, spelt pie crust, apple butter dessert, autumn pie, creamy custard pie, homemade pie recipe