This sour cream apple pie is a delicious non-traditional pie with a tart creamy filling and buttery cinnamon streusel topping. If you’re looking to bake something a little different this fall, this incredible pie is the answer!

slices of sour cream apple pie on plates with forks

You might be thinking sour cream in a pie? But it works, and itโ€™s delicious! Itโ€™s always fun to try twists on a classic, and this may just be the apple pie upgrade youโ€™ve been looking for.

What makes this sour cream apple pie so unique is that the apples are baked in a custard-like filling, so it has a nice creamy texture with a bit of bite from the apples. The cinnamon crumble topping gives a little crunch, and a flaky pie crust shell holds it all together. Thereโ€™s lots of fabulous seasonal flavor in this apple pie, and itโ€™s perfect for fall and holiday baking like Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Table of Contents

Why this pie is so great

  • It’s fun, different and unexpected. 
  • It’s a delicious combination of tart apples, creamy custard filling, and crisp buttery cinnamon streusel.
  • It’s actually very easy to make!
sour cream apple pie ingredients

Ingredients youโ€™ll need

  • Single prepared pie crustโ€” I recommend homemade, but store-bought will work too.
  • Full-fat sour cream, eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla extractโ€” form the base for the creamy filling.
  • Thinly sliced applesโ€” choose apples that are tart, firm and will hold up to baking. I like to use granny smith, jonagold or honeycrisp apples.
  • Butter, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, butter and saltโ€” for the crisp streusel topping.

How to make sour cream apple pie

  1. Prepare pie crust. If you want a homemade crust and donโ€™t already have one prepped in the fridge or the freezer, I have included a recipe below. (Itโ€™s a halved version of my foolproof flaky pie crust.)rolling out pie crust, crimped in pie dish
  2. Line pie dish with pie crust. Roll pie crust out into an approximate 11-inch circle and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish, then fold the edges over and crimp as desired.
  3. Make the streusel. Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and melted butter to make a crumbly mixture, then set aside.
  4. Mix filling. Whisk together sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
  5. Peel, core and slice apples. Slice them thin and try to keep them all about the same size so they’ll bake evenly. making sour cream apple filling, adding crumble topping
  6. Assemble the pie. Dump the apples into the sour cream mixture and quickly toss to coat, the dump it all into the pie shell, arranging the apples to make an even layer as much as possible. Scatter the streusel evenly over the top of the pie.
  7. Bake and cool. Bake pie at 400ยฐF for 50-60 minutes until filling is set and topping and crust is golden brown (cover with foil if it browns too quickly!). Then let it cool completely so it finishes setting up.sour cream apple pie baked
  8. Serve and enjoy! This pie is amazing just as it is, or you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and/or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

How to make this pie ahead of time

I prefer to bake pies no more than 24 hours before serving so they are at their best, but you can definitely prep a lot of this pie ahead of time to make holiday baking easier.

  • Prep streusel topping and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
  • Make pie crust dough and store in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.
  • Freeze unbaked pie shell in the pan for up to 1 month. Use straight from frozen, no need to thaw.
closeup of sour cream apple pie slice

baking tip:How to prevent a soggy bottom pie crust

  • Use the right pie dish: Ceramic and metal pie pans are best because they transfer heat well and evenly, producing an even golden brown bottom. Glass pie pan are notorious for being bad heat conductors and producing under-baked bottom pie crusts.
  • Wait to add your filling: Once you mix fruit and sugar, it will start releasing liquid and too much liquid causes soggy crusts. Preheat the oven, place the bottom crust in the pan, and have the top crust rolled out and standing by, and only then combine your filling. And then quickly ย finish your pie.
  • Par-bake the crust: If you have a single-crust pie, consider partially baking the crust before adding the filling to ensure it’s cooked all the way through.
  • Bake on a hot sheet pan or baker’s stone: Let it preheat along with your oven. When ready to bake your pie, set it directly on the hot sheet pan. This will help the bottom crust cook and brown more quickly.
More Baking Tips »

Recipe FAQs

How to know when this pie is done?

You’re looking for golden color on the topping and pie crust edges, and the filling should be puffed and the center barely jiggles when gently shaken. You might also notice the filling slightly bubbles.

How to get clean, beautiful slices of pie?

Want to make your pie slices look like you see in these photos? Do not skimp on the cooling time! This pie should be cooled completely to room temperature for about 3 hours. You can chill in the fridge instead for 1-2 hours. The colder the pie, the easier it is to slice.

How to store sour cream apple pie?

Because the filling for this pie contains sour cream and eggs, this pie should be stored in the fridge. It will keep for about 5 days, but will be at it’s best within 2-3 days.

Can you freeze sour cream apple pie?

Yes, you can freeze this pie before or after baking. Yes, you can freeze this pie before or after baking. The thaw, transfer to the fridge and let it thaw overnight. To get the topping crisp again, warm in a 300ยฐF oven for about 20-30 minutes.

More pie resources

More apple pie recipes

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Mile High Apple Pie

Get the recipe

closeup of sour cream apple pie slice
4 from 1 review

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Servings: 10 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
A non-traditional apple pie with a tart creamy filling and streusel topping.
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Ingredients
 

For the crust:

  • 1 ยผ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
  • ยฝ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter , cold and cut into cubes
  • 2 tablespoons water , cold

For the topping:

  • ยฝ cup (106 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • ยฝ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ยผ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter , melted

For the filling:

  • 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream
  • ยพ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • ยผ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • 5 cups (550 grams) apples , peeled and thinly sliced

Equipment

Pie plate
mixing bowl set
Mixing bowls

Instructions
 

To make the crust:

  • In medium bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar (if using). Add cubed butter and use pastry blender to cut butter into dry ingredients until size of small peas.
  • Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough starts to come together into ball. Dump dough out onto clean surface and knead a few times to incorporate all of dry bits. Work quickly, do not over handle.
  • Shape into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pie crust into a rough 12-inch circle and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges and crimp as desired.

To assemble and bake pie:

  • Preheat oven to 400 ยฐF.
  • In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon with a fork. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Set the mixture aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the sour cream, sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, eggs and vanilla extract. Add apple slices and toss to coat. Dump into the prepared pie crust.
  • Slice apples only when everything else is prepped so they don't brown. Dump apples into the sour cream mixture and toss to coat. Then dump the filling with the apples into the prepared pie crust, rearranging the apples into an even layer as much as possible.
  • Use your hands to scatter the streusel topping on top of the filling into an even layer.
  • Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake until topping is golden and filling is set and slightly bubbles at the edges, about 50-60. If topping browns before filling is set, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.
  • Let pie cool to room temperature before serving so it can finish setting up. This can take up to about 3 hours, or you can chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Video

Notes

  • Feel free to use your own favorite pie crust recipe. You can also use a store-bought pie shell.
  • Because the filling for this pie contains sour cream and eggs, this pie should be stored in the fridge. It will keep for about 5 days, but will be at it’s best within 2-3 days.
  • You can freeze this pie before or after baking. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If desired, crisp up topping in a 300ยฐF oven for 20-30 minutes.
Calories: 562kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 106mg, Sodium: 272mg, Potassium: 202mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 949IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 2mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise Sandberg
Have you tried this recipe?Iโ€™d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

This recipe was originally published October 2015 in partnership with Go Bold With Butter.