⏳ Yield & Time

Yield: 8 servings

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 85 minutes

🍽 Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups Pretzel crackers
• ¼ cup Unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
• 6 medium Granny Smith apples
• ½ cup Granulated sugar
• ¼ cup Packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground nutmeg
• Pinch Salt

📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This is crucial for even baking!
2. Make the pretzel crust: In a food processor, finely crush 1 ½ cups of pretzels. Don't pulverize them into dust; you want some texture! Add ¼ cup (1/2 stick) of melted unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. If it seems too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it comes together.
3. Press into the pie plate: Pat the pretzel mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie plate. Make sure the crust is evenly distributed and reaches the edges. You want a nice, sturdy base.
4. Blind bake the crust: Line the crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights (or dried beans), and bake for 12-15 minutes. This pre-bakes the crust, preventing sogginess later. Remove the parchment paper and weights after baking, and bake for another 3-5 minutes to lightly brown the crust.
5. Prepare the apple filling: Peel, core, and slice about 6 medium apples (Granny Smith recommended!). In a large bowl, toss the apples with ½ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of packed light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Mix gently to coat the apples.
6. Pour into the crust: Pour the apple mixture into the pre-baked pretzel crust. Make sure to spread it out evenly.
7. Bake the pie: Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the juices are bubbling. The crust should also be golden brown. If the crust starts browning too quickly, cover the edges with aluminum foil. You'll know it's perfect when a knife inserted near the center comes out clean!
8. Cool and serve: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving. This allows the filling to set and prevents a messy disaster. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired! Enjoy!

📝 Notes

• For a richer flavor, use salted butter. Adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your apples.
• If you don't have pie weights, you can use dried beans or rice.
• Feel free to add other spices to the filling, like allspice or cardamom.
• To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free pretzels and flour.
• For a vegan version, use vegan butter