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Yes, you read that correctly. Apple Pie in a Cheddar Cheese Crust! A Dairy State twist on the All-American pie recipe that is equal parts sweet and savory, while being entirely delectable. Perfectly tender apples are coated with sweet brown sugar and classic apple pie spices before a quick stovetop cook. Then, they’re paired with a buttery, flaky, and ridiculously tender crust that’s studded with freshly grated cheddar cheese before being baked to a deep golden brown. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!
I swear, it’s not as crazy as it sounds.
This post was sponsored by Plugrà Premium European Style Butter. Thank you for continuing to support the brands we love at Midwest Nice!
For those in the know (or, those who were born and raised in Wisconsin), the combination of apple pie and cheddar cheese makes complete sense!
Here in Wisconsin, there is a tradition of serving a slice of warm apple pie with melted cheddar cheese on top. You will see it on restaurant menus, you may even know someone who does it themselves. My neighbor grew up eating apple pie this way. She was thrilled when I shared some pie with her during my testing.
And I’m sure anyone who tries this cheesy twist on classic apple pie will be just as thrilled. Maybe more!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You may notice that the list of ingredients is basically the same as my Glazed Apple Squares. That’s because I just doubled the filling of my grandma’s beloved dessert (and added more butter!) to make this stunning pie.
Better Butter Matters
You may also notice that unlike my apple slices or my beloved, tried, and true Butter and Lard Pie Crust, this recipe doesn’t use lard! That’s for two reasons.
One, Plugrà Butter has an 82% butterfat content, which is higher than traditional American-style butters. That extra butter fat is going to help in hydrating our dough, so we get a perfectly flaky (not mealy!) crust.
Second, by adding the shredded cheese to the crust we’re also adding fat. Fat that will create beautiful layers of flavor in our finished dessert!
Making Wisconsin Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese
This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
And, if you’re wanting a full walk-thru and talk-thru video on how I prepare my perfect pie crust recipe, be sure to check out my full video tutorial on pie crust on YouTube!
Pre-Cooking Apples for Pie
I tested this pie. A lot. Like, a lot, a lot. Like, six times. I wanted it to be perfect for you!
And, in all my testing I found that pre-cooking the apple filling for a little bit resulted in the best pie! It left the apples perfectly tender, the filling beautifully thick (but not too!), and the crust deeply golden brown after baking.
Pre-cooking the filling was new to me, but it’s definitely a must! You don’t have to do it with something like my glazed apple slices because the filling to crust ratio is basically 1:1, but for a recipe like this where we have 4 pounds of apples, you don’t want to skip the stovetop step!
Adding more Plugrà butter during this step meant the apples became even more tender and flavorful, turning the brown sugar coating into a kind of lovely caramel filling. Truly the stuff of dreams!
Choosing Cheddar Cheese
My preference for the dough was using sharp cheddar cheese. Because of the aging, it’s got a lower water content than a mild or medium cheddar, and plenty of fat to make the pastry dough flaky.
However, if you prefer another cheddar or only have mild or medium on hand, those will work, too! They may even be beneficial if you’re someone who struggles with getting the moisture content correct in your pie crusts!
I’ll also say this until I’m blue in the face: you have to shred your own cheese!
Using pre-shredded cheese means there will be anti-clumping agents that will prevent the cheese from properly incorporating into the crust and baking correctly. Just spend the extra two minutes shredding the cheese from a block, ok?
Is it cheesy to say I hope you love this pie as much as I do?
Apple Pie in a Cheddar Cheese Crust
Equipment
- Apple Slicer/Corer (or a vegetable peeler and sharp knife)
- Deep-Dish Pie Plate
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
For the Cheddar Cheese Pie Crusts:
- 4 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup 2 sticks salted Plugrà butter, cut into large cubes and chilled
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup ice water in large glass measuring cup (more or less, depending)
For the Apple Pie Filling:
- 4 Tablespoons salted Plugrà butter
- 4 pounds baking apples such as Granny Smith, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- Pinch of cloves
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cheddar Cheese Crusts:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Using your hands, gently toss the Plugrà butter into the dry mixture. Next, push each large piece of butter in between your thumb and index finger. This will sort of flatten out the butter pieces and break them up. The pieces should be about the size of a quarter when you’re done.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese and toss to coat the cheese in the flour mixture.
- Working slowly, add the ice water to the dry mixture, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Dough is ready when it holds together in a ball after being pressed, with minimal cracks along the surface. Refer to my entire post all about pie crust for a very in-depth walk-thru.
- Divide dough in half, pat into a small circle, sprinkle with a few drops of water, and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes, if not longer, preferably overnight. (It is at this point I like to make my apple pie filling so it has time to cool, see instructions below.)
- When ready to roll out, lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll one batch of dough into a circle that is 2-inches larger on all sides than your pie plate. Place the first batch of rolled dough in the pie plate and prick with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill.
- Roll out the second crust to another circle of the same size and place on cookie sheet or cutting board lined with parchment. Cover with plastic and place in fridge to stay cool while you prepare the filling.
For the Apple Pie Filling:
- Add the butter to a large pot set over medium heat. Add the sliced apples, lemon juice, and corn starch. Stir to coat as the butter melts.
- Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar, spices, salt, and vanilla extract to the pot, tossing to coat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble. Cook simmering apples, stirring occasionally, for 10 – 12 minutes, or until filling has reduced to a caramel sauce thickness.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
To Assemble and Bake the Pie:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chilled crust in the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Pour the cooled filling into the prepared crust, smoothing and pressing into an even layer to avoid air pockets, and top with the other crust. Fold top crust over the bottom and pinch to seal, crimping with fingertips (If necessary, trim off any excess dough over 1 inch past the edge of the pie plate). Brush crust with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water) and slice slits in the top to release steam.
- Bake in preheated oven 90 - 95 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown and apples are tender, with filling bubbling.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for at least one hour.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- The pie crust and filling can both be made a day or two in advance.
- Pie is best served the day it’s made but can be reheated in a 200-degree oven for 20 minutes. Or, serve cold.
- Store any leftovers, covered, in fridge for up to 3 days (again, it’s best eaten the day it’s made but who is going to turn down pie?).
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