Apricot Pie -easy, fresh summer dessert

Apricot Pie is bursting with summer flavors! Sweet, tart and so easy! If you don’t have time to make crust, just buy a refrigerated crust!

Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is the ultimate in summer cuisine! Not too sweet and just tart enough to waken up those taste buds.

Fruit pies are one of the best things about summer and among my all time favorite desserts.

This pie is made easier by the use of crumb topping. Crumb toppings are a perfect time saver and they have a bit more flavor. What with those chewy, crunchy oats and nuts, they add a whole new dimension as opposed to an otherwise boring double crust pie.

What you need

For the pie crust

• flour – use all purpose flour
• butter – always use unsalted butter for baking
• water
• salt

For the crumb topping

• oats
• chopped nuts ( we like pecans)
• flour
• raw sugar (any sweetener will do) use white sugar, dark brown or light brown sugar, demerara sugar, or a sugar substitute.
• melted butter
• pinch of salt

For the filling

• sliced apricots
• lemon juice
• cornstarch
• raw sugar
• ground cinnamon
• pinch salt

For the sugar, taste your apricots. If they are very ripe, you may need no sugar, if they are hard, you may need more.

How to make it

How to make pie crust

Pie crust is really ridiculously easy to do. If you don’t have time, you can use a store bought pie crust.

1. Cut butter into squares.
2. Measure flour and salt. Place in food processor bowl. 
3. Place butter in food processor with flour mixture.
4. Pulse until the butter in the flour mixture appears to be the size of peas.
5. Add water, one tablespoon drop full at a time until the dough comes together.
6. Gather dough. Wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate about one hour.

Roll out crust

1. Place the pie dough on a floured work surface.
2. Roll to a 12-inch diameter circle.
3. Place pie crust in 9-inch pie plate. Trim edgewith a sharp knife. Crimp edges of the crust.

To blind bake crust

1. Blind bake the pie crust. This is a very important step. If the crust isn’t blind baked, it will end up a soggy mess because of the moisture in the egg mixture. Center the dough in your pie plate. Crimp edges.
2. Lay a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on crimped crust.
3. Fill the crust with pie weights or use dried beans for pie weights.
4. Bake at 350°F / 180°C for 30 minutes.
5. Spread a large sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper onto rolled out crust. Spread pie weights evenly along the bottom of the crust. (If you don’t have pie weights, use a bag of dried beans.)
6. Bake crust at 350°F / 180°C for about 30 minutes.

How to make the crumb topping

• Add all ingredients to medium bowl. Set aside.
• Pour over butter. Combine until no dry spots remain.

How to make the filling

• Sliced apricots, if desired. They can be used just halved, as well.
• Mix remaining ingredients, except cornstarch. Taste and adjust sweetness level to your liking. Then add cornstarch.

Assembling the pie

• Line pie tin with store bought, or rolled out homemade pie crust. Add all of the filling, mounded up.
• Top with all of the crumb topping.

Bake in 350°F oven for 45 minutes to one hour, until fruit is tender when poked with a knife, filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Pro tips to ensure success

• To save time buy a store bought pie crust. The flavor has improved greatly.
• Pie can be made with double crust, instead of crumb topping.
• If using two pie crusts, make sure to cut holes for steam to escape.
• There is no reason to peel apricots, but you can, if you’d like.
• As soon as apricots are sliced, toss them with lemon juice, so that they don’t discolor.
• Taste the filling for salt and sugar before adding cornstarch, so that you can add enough sugar for your tastes. Start with less. add more, if needed.
• If you add too much sugar, just counter it with a bit more lemon juice.
• Always cook fruit pies on a large rimmed cookie sheet, lined with parchment to minimize cleanup.
• Cover top of pie with foil, if crumb layer is getting too brown.
• Let pie cool thoroughly. Although warm fruit pies are so appealing, if they are cut before they are totally cool, all of the filling will spill out. It will still taste awesome, but you will lose presentation points!

Other fruity summer desserts

• Blackberry pie
• Peach crisp
• Peach sorbet
• Cucumber sorbet
• Pear blackberry crisp
• Peach blackberry galette
• Grilled peaches with blackberry wine sauce

Equipment for making Apricot pie

• 9″ Pie plate
• rolling pin
• mixing bowls
• measuring cups, dry measure
• measuring spoons
• cutting board
• chef’s knife
• pie server

Want to grow your own fruits and vegetables? If you love growing your own produce, these posts are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss our How to Start a Garden Series!

There’s my version of a super easy and delicious summertime Apricot Pie. Make one for yourself before the apricots are all gone for the year!

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!