This is the best recipe for homemade canned apple pie filling! It is way better than store-bought and fun to make. Delicious apples in a sweet sauce won’t disappoint. Add these cute canning labels for your homemade apple pie filling recipe to make a great gift!

Homemade apple pie filling with printable label
Yummy! Homemade Apple Pie Filling

If you like to can, you must try my Harry and David Onion Pepper Relish knock-off recipe…..so yummy. Jam is also another fun item to can and I have an easy strawberry jam with printable labels. Can you believe you can make homemade strawberry jam with only four ingredients and no pectin?

Homemade Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

  • 6 quarts sliced fresh apples – firm crisp apples are best (about 30 apples, if apples are small do a few extra)
  • 5 cups of sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups Clear Jel (affiliate link)
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • a couple of pinches of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 5 cups apple juice no sugar added
  • 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
  • 6 – 1 quart canning mason jars regular mouth (affiliate link)

Canning Tools

(affiliate links)

 

How to Make Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling

A few years back when I first made this homemade apple pie filling in a jar recipe it was a huge hit and I knew I had a winner.  The best news is that it really isn’t hard to make. Pick some apples (I use apples from my neighbor’s tree) and you are ready to get started. I think you are going to love canning apple pie filling! Let me show you how to make apple pie filling from scratch.

Golden colored apple pie filling in 1-quart jars with fresh apples on red and white tea towel.
Canned Apple Pie Filling

PRO TIP: I love this apple peeler. It only peels the apple which is important. Other models will peel, slice, and core. However, for this recipe since the canning process is 25 mins, apple slices that are too thin turn mushy so a knife works great to cut nice chunky wedges.

apples being peeled on an apple peeler
Peeling the apples

Peel and core all the apples. I then slice each apple into about eight pieces.

Cored apple cut into eight wedges - an apple corer and knife was used to make the wedges.
Cored apple scut into eight wedges

 

How do you keep apples from browning?

A great trick for keeping the apples from browning and looking fresh is to add the apples to a large bowl of cold water along with three to five vitamin C tablets (500mg) that have been crushed.  This is really an important step because the apples do brown quickly and it takes time to peel all the apples.

Stainless steel bowl with vitamin C, water and apple wedges - the vitamin C and water keep the apples from browning.
Vitamin C Water

Next, you will combine sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, salt, and apple juice in a large pot. Stirring occasionally cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add drained apple slices to the sauce.

Drained apple slices added to a large pot that contains sauce mixture.
Thickening Apple Mixture

Fill jars with mixture, leaving 1-inch headspace. I packed the jars with the apples and then divided the sauce among the jars.  Use a skewer or plastic bubble remover to remove air bubbles along the side of the jar.

Canning jars filled with homemade apple pie filling with 1-inch of headspace, ready to have lids placed on them.
Jars filled with apple mixture

Wipe jar rims clean, tighten lids, and process immediately. Place jars in a pot of boiling water with water 1 inch above the top of jar lids and boil for 25 minutes (For 0-1,000 ft altitude). Carefully remove jars from the hot water and let jars cool for 12 to 24 hours. Lids should be indented if properly sealed.

Printable canning labels

Download the printable apple pie filling labels file and print it in color on a solid sheet of sticker paper. I email the file to my local copy shop and ask them to print it in color on 1 Up label paper. You can also purchase label paper and print it at home.  Cut out the sticker and place it on your homemade apple pie filling. What a delicious and useful homemade gift!

{Printable homemade apple pie filling labels}

Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling labels applied to a jar of pie filling - what a great personal touch.
Canning labels for your Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling
printable-homemade-canned-apple-filling-label.jpg
5 from 11 votes

Homemade Apple Pie Filling Recipe

Enjoy delicious apple pies all year long by canning apples in a delicious sauce! It isn’t hard at all!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 46 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 6 quarts sliced fresh apples firm crisp apples are best(about 30 apples, if apples are small do a few extra)
  • 5 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups Clear Jel
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • a couple pinches of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 5 cups apple juice no sugar added
  • 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
  • 6 – 1 quart canning jars regular mouth

Instructions 

  • Combine sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, salt and apple juice in a large pot. Stir and cook on medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
  • Add drained apple slices to the sauce. 
  • Fill jars with mixture, leaving 1 -inch headspace. I packed the jars with the apples and then divided sauce among the jars.
  • Wipe jar rims clean, tighten lids and process immediately. Place jars in pot of water with water 1 inch above top of jar lids and boil for 25 minutes (For 0-1,000 ft altitude). Carefully remove from water and let jars cool 12 to 24 hours. Lids should be indented if properly sealed.

Video

Notes

Clear Jel is a stable and safe thickener for canning. It won’t turn cloudy like sometimes cornstarch does.
Clear Jel is not Sure-Jell. Sure-Jell is a natural fruit pectin used in making jams and jellies that allows you to use approximately one-quarter less sugar than normal, while still producing a jam that will set. 

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 7.2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Servings: 48
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Cindy Hopper

What apples make the best pie?

I wish I knew the type of apple I picked off my neighbors tree. They have a sweet flavor but do become soft in the canning process. No worries because this canned apple pie filling makes the most delicious Apple Crisp. They also work great for a rustic apple pie. Try Ina Garten’s Apple Crostata Recipe. These apples are fabulous spooned over ice cream!

Here are some apples you might try. It is also okay to use a mixture of apples.

  • Granny Smith -This apple has a medium sweetness with a touch of tang. They stay firm while baking.
  • Honeycrisp -A sweet flavorful apple that stays relatively firm, although less firm than a  Granny Smith.
  • Golden Delicious -This yellow apple is a blend of sweet and tart.  this apple doesn’t stay as firm as a Granny Smith.
  • Jonathan or Jonagold Apples -These classic apples have a blend of tart and tangy flavor. Jonagold apples are the cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan apples. This variety has both a firm texture and a sweet and tart flavor.
  • Braeburn -This citrus smelling apple is very firm, which is perfect for baking apple pie. It does have an interesting flavor more like a pear.

Recipe Tips

  • It is important to use bottled lemon juice and not freshly squeezed. Bottled lemon juice has a consistent and dependable acid level.
  • Canning apple pie filling with clear Jel is my preferred thickener over cornstarch. It is much more stable and has less aftertaste than cornstarch and will keep the sauce smooth and clear.

I think this the best recipe for apple pie filling and will become one of your favorites. It has been pinned over 10,000 times!

Marilyn says…. “I have just completed making the apple pie filling again. I think I have made about 30 jars – all for gift giving. I also made the quiche yesterday – very good! (My husband had leftovers this morning) I use your recipes extensively – I have never had one I didn’t like! Keep up the good work.

It makes an easy apple pie in a jar gift for friends and to keep in my own pantry for an easy dessert. Canning is so rewarding! Let me know in the comments if you give it a try!

You might like these fun apple ideas …..

Apples, Apples, Apples!!!

I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables. Subscribe to Skip to my Lou to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for all my latest updates.


About Cindy Hopper

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Comments

  1. THANK YOU!!! I’ve found your information for
    Apple pie filling and you’ve made my life of canning so much easier. I’m not new at canning
    But I knew there had to be a more simple
    Method of Apple pie filling. Thanks and God
    Bless.

  2. You can use puff pastry and the larger white sugar sprinkles and make apple turnovers or roll them like burritos in flour tortillas and lightly fry them then roll them in sugar and cinnamon. My Grammy canned apple pie filling when I was a child and I followed in her footsteps. Those are just a couple of my families favorites besides just amazing apple pie lol ❤️ This review is just like my Grammys except she used cornstarch back then clear jel is so much better! Thank you for sharing your recipe , happy canning and baking everyone

  3. Hello Lee, It would make a 9 inch pie. Since the apples have been cooked in the canning process and don’t need a lot of extra cooking time I might precook my bottom crust a bit. The pie will be a bit flatter than one that starts with fresh apples heaped into the pie plate. You might consider a crumb topping. I think that would be delish.

    I think this filling works great for crisps and also my apple danish. https://www.skiptomylou.org/apple-coffee-cake/

  4. I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! I have been canning my apple pie filling with this recipe for years now. It is perfect!! Shelf stable for an incredibly long time (minimum 2 years if you don’t use it quickly) I only can attest to the long life because several ungrateful family members never used the jars I gave as gifts because they’re too stupid to understand “just dump in a pie shell and bake”. After several years of them never using the filling, I took it back and used it myself for pies they in turn ate at Christmas 🤣.

    I will never use another recipe 😊

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