This is my mom's Homemade Apple Pie Filling for Canning recipe. It is a shelf stable canned apples recipe with a sweet, spiced filling that brings cozy flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg into every bite!
I've been making this filling for years as a way to use up apples in the fall, it's my mom's tried and true recipe for apple pie in a jar, and it reminds me of baking pies with my mom during the holidays.
Here's what you're signing up for: 6 quarts of filling, 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes cook, and up to 18 months on the pantry shelf. Water bath canning only - no pressure canner needed.
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Why You'll Love Apple Pie in a Jar
Easy baking: skip the prep work and enjoy ready-to-use filling straight from the jar.
Cozy flavor: cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh apples bring the best balance of sweet and spiced.
Pantry staple: perfect for quick pies, cobblers, and crisps year-round.
Key Ingredients for Apple Pie Filling
See recipe card below regarding ingredient amounts and recommendations along with instructions on how to can the apple pie filling.
- Apples: tart, firm varieties like granny smith, Honeycrisp, Crimson crisp, and Paula red
- Sugar: balances the natural tartness of apples.
- Cornstarch (mom's version) OR Clear-Jel (recommended): thickens the sauce for pie-ready consistency.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: classic spices for depth of flavor
- Lemon juice: keeps the filling bright and fresh tasting.
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
- Brown sugar: instead of white sugar for a caramel-like richness.
- Apple pie spice blend instead of separate spices for convenience.
- Maple Spice Apple Pie Filling: replace some of the sugar with maple syrup for a natural twist.
- Cranberry apple pie: add dried cranberries to a quart of pie flling when making a pie for tart pops of flavor.
Tips for making Apple Pie in a Jar
- Sterilize jars: hot, clean jars are key for safe cleaning.
- Pack tightly and leave headspace: firmly fill jars with apples. When filling with sauce, leave 1" headspace to prevent spillage while canning.
- Wipe rims: clean jar rims before sealing for a tight closure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the altitude adjustment: above 1,000 feet, you need extra processing time or your jars may not seal.
- Reusing old lids: the sealing compound only works once - grab new lids each time.
- Packing apples too loosely: loose-packed jars mean floating fruit and less filling per jar, so pack them in snugly before adding the sauce.
Yield & Ingredient Notes
I made this apple pie filling on September 25, 2025 to test it yet again due to questions regarding amount of apples and yield. Below is what my results were:
- Note - I used cornstarch, but I have been doing it for years and am confident in using it for myself. I do however recommend you buy clear-jel to use instead as it is made for canning.
- My apples, before peeling and coring, weight 7 pounds 11 ounces.
- After peeling, coring, slicing, the net weight was 5 pounds 12 ounces.
- My total yield was 6 quarts of apple pie filling. This may vary depending on how much you pack the apples into the jar. I recommend packing them tightly.
- I had about a cup of leftover sauce. I stored it in my fridge and will use it to top pancakes so I don't waste it.
- This recipe is for hot water bath canning only. A pressure canner is not recommended.
Storage
Keep sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry for up to 18 months. After opening, refrigerate and use within 1 week.
Serving Suggestions
This canned apple pie filling makes a classic apple pie effortless. Fill my mom's Oil Pie Crust with 1 quart jar of filling for the classic pie, or make mini tarts using a muffin pan. Try it in my Apple Filled Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza, and Apple Fritters Donut with Canned Pie Filling recipe.
More Easy Apple Recipes
If this recipe makes its way into your pantry, you might also enjoy my Apple Upside Down Cake, Salted Caramel Apple Cake, Hot Fireball Apple Cider Toddy, and Easy Apple Dumplings with Salted Caramel Sauce
Canning Questions Answered
Yes, it's not just for flavor. The acidity is what makes this filling safe for water bath canning on top of keeping the apples from browning. Don't skip it or cut the amount.
For this filling, it's the lemon juice. It keeps the spiced filling tasting bright instead of flat, which is usually what people notice first.
Yes, standard mason jars work great, just keep that 1" headspace mentioned above so the seal holds.
Water bath only, for 20 minutes once your jars are packed and sealed. Full times and steps are in the recipe card below.
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Mom's Homemade Apple Pie Filling for Canning
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Ingredients
- 7 lbs apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 3½ cups sugar
- 1 cup cornstarch or clear jel
- 10 cups water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoons nutmeg
Instructions
- Add the water, sugar, cornstarch*, cinnamon, and nutmeg, to a large stock pot.
- Cook over medium high heat until sauce has thickened. Add the lemon juice.
- Fill the hot sterile jars with the freshly cut apple slices. Using a ladle and funnel, pour the hot sauce mixture into jars until 1" from the top.
- Wipe lip of jar with clean cloth, Cover with sealing lid and cap and place the screw band on the jar, turning it until you meet resistance, then turn it about a quarter of a turn further. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.
- Once processed, turn off burner and pull rack up to rest on edge of canner. Let set 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner and place on a dry towel. Allow jars to cool completely.
- Once cool, test jars by tapping the top of the lid. If the jar pops, it did not seal and should be refrigerated until ready to use. Any unsealed jars can be reprocessed if desired or stored in fridge and once open, used within one week.
- Sealed jars can be stored on the shelf up to 1 year.
Sarah says
You said to put lids on tightly, but I've always been told to just put them on finger tight.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Sarah, I apparently used the wrong wording. It needs to be tight enough so the water doesn't get in between the seal. I reworded my instruction to make sure people understand what I was saying. Thanks for the input!
Stacey says
love this recipe, please include baking time and temp for use in pie
Marsha says
I would recommend filling the jars halfway with apples, addin some sauce, then filling the rest of the way. With my jars full of apples it took a long time for the sauce to sink down to the bottom.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Marsha, that's a great suggestion. Thank you for coming back sharing! I will add this to my recipe card and tip section and thanks again!
Shelby
Millie says
Getting ready to try this recipe. Does it matter if I use liquid sure gel?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
If you are not familiar with canning, I highly recommend using sure-gel. It can be liquid or powdered.
Toni says
This says water bath. Is that the same as canning?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Toni! Great question. Yes, a water bath is a specific method of canning. It involves processing jars in a pot of boiling water for a set amount of time to ensure they are shelf-stable. Hope this helps!
Pam says
Hello.
For whatever reason I only put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the sauce. Have I really Messed it up?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Pam, lemon juice is used to add brightness to the filling so just two tablespoons probably won't hurt the flavor much. You can always add a little extra when using the filling in a recipe if you feel it needs more balancing of flavors.
Brittany says
I followed this recipe with exact measurements and ingredients. After making it, it was thick bit after canning it, it turned out runny.
I decided to go ahead and still try it out in a pie with fingers crossed that it will do something lol. nope. Super runny 🥲 I'm sad.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Brittany, I'm sad that was your experience. It could be your filling was not cooked long enough to thicken before adding to the jars. You can still use it though! Just thicken it with a cornstarch slurry on the stove top before adding as a filling. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Grace says
How many pints/quart jars will the recipe make? Needing to know how to adjust to get the amount of jars I need.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Grace, in the past this has made me 3 quarts and 1 pint. I am making this again this weekend and will keep this in mind while doing so to see if I get the same results. Others have had different results if you read in the post comments. Thanks for asking! Shelby
Debbie says
my mother used to make this recipe. Thank you for this recipe, I love it.
Kayty says
I’m brand new to canning 😃 any idea if we can use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
If you are new to canning, I would not substitute anything but the ClearJel I have linked in my post.
Holly Braun says
Can you freeze this in freeze safe containers instead of doing the hot water bath?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Yes, you could could freeze in freezer safe containers.
Lynn says
Hello,
I just made this apple pie filling recipe as described, using cornstarch and canned it in quart sized jars. I am fairly new to canning. When I took the jars out after processing, some of the filling leaked out of each jar. Nonetheless, they all sealed. Would this be prevented by leaving them in the pot for a few minutes off the heat?
Also, the filling mixture washing when I added it to the jars, but after processing, it looks really watery. Will it thicken up again? Its been 24 hours.
Thanks very much!
Lynn
Shelby Law Ruttan says
From the information provided, it sounds to me like the following could have happened: the jars were filled too full (you need to leave headspace in the jar) causing the expansion that happens when canning to pull filling out. It seems like maybe the jars not only were over filled but because of this water got inside the jars while canning. I would not recommend using the product after having an issue with it canning like this, I do not feel it would be safe.
Jessica says
Thank you for amazing your family recipe! I made this today it was easy and so delicious! I used the cornstarch, I am a stick with what you know kinda gal and it came out perfect! I had a little left over (I didn't have enough jars) so I made a small pan of apple crisp that didn't last long! Thank you again!! I will share this with my family ❤️
Jenny says
do you have a recommendation for how much syrup to use instead of sugar?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Jenny, yes, I would recommend using half syrup and half sugar (so 1-1/2 cups syrup and 1-1/2 cups sugar). You could try using all syrup if you didn't want to use sugar at all, but I haven't done so because it's a lot of syrup (and it's pricey).
Alisha says
So sorry if I missed it, I tried hard to find it. How many and what size jars does this recipe fill?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Alisha, expect about 3 quarts and 1 pint (I believe that is what I got the last time I made this).
Lynn says
Lynn again**
The previous comment was meant to read, "the filling mixture was really thick when I added it to jars, but after processing it looks really watery..."
Owen says
I just made this exact recipe (after picking more than 50lbs of apples yesterday) and got more than 6 quarts! Didn’t have enough quart jars so I guess we’re having apple pie for dessert!
Lisa says
I am a canning chicken but I made half a batch and stored it in the freezer. So good and now I will be topping my ice cream with this!
Kristin says
I can't wait to make this Homemade Apple Pie Filling! The combination of fresh apples, sugar, and those warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg is sure to create a delicious filling for pies. I appreciate the clear canning instructions to preserve this sweet goodness. It's a wonderful way to enjoy the taste of homemade apple pie throughout the year. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Eileen Ann Kelly says
This apple pie in a jar is pure comfort food. It was super easy to make and absolutely delicious.
Gwynn Galvin says
We went apple picking and this was the perfect recipe to make with all those apples! We enjoyed having a bowlful of warm apple pie filling topped with ice cream! Excited that we have more jars to enjoy!
CAZ says
Made it without canning it (since I am clueless about hot water baths etc.). It was delicious! Now I need an in person canning class!
Trudy says
I made it, didn't have any trouble making it came out perfect. The flavor was outstanding, I put extra cinnamon and nutmeg in very tasty.
Cindy Gerber says
Can I use half granulated white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Cindy, Yes, I believe it will work, and just add a deeper caramel flavor.
Kathy S says
can sugar substitute be used???
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Yes, you can use a sugar substitute equivalent to regular granulated sugar according to the packaging on chosen sweetener.
Lucy says
This recipe is very confusing if your new to canning it says 3 different times about the gel ? Clearly needs to say clear gel not sure ? And when the mixture is done it definitely does not go over the apples way to thick. Had to modify mostly. But all in all came out good.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
I am not sure what you found so confusing. I went through and read this post several times before responding to make sure I was not missing anything. I made it very clear in my post that it is clear-gel that can be used in place of cornstarch in equal amounts if you felt the need to do so. I also link to the specific product I was talking about. You do not indicate exactly what you did so I cannot offer up any advice as to why your mixture was too thick. I am happy to hear that it turned out good for you anyway. Thanks for trying. Shelby
Debbie says
I tried this also! I had to use cornstarch as I couldn't find anything called Clear Jel only Sure -Jel. So used cornstarch the liquid tasted delicious but also was very thick. We struggled getting it to the bottom of the jar. I believe we probably cooked it to long and got too thick to flow in the jars nicely. But as I said it tasted good.
Tammy Pendleton says
On my last batch I forgot the lemon juice😮 will it be ok!
Shelby Law Ruttan says
The lemon juice adds acid, I would be hesitant to store it on my shelf but rather in the fridge, even if it did seal. It also would affect the flavor a little. I would recommend using it up as soon as possible and keep what you made in the fridge, or put it in freezer safe containers and freeze.
Linda Durbin says
This will forever be my go-to recipe for apple pie. Absolutely yummy. My husband & I are both fans.
Chandice Probst says
This works so well for pies and I love that it can be canned for use later too!
Linda says
Love this recipe! Not too sweet and it smells amazing
Liz says
I have been searching for a recipe like this! We have an apple tree in our backyard that produced beautiful apples this year. I don't want any to go to waste, so will be trying this recipe this weekend!
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for this recipe, it's super easy to make and tasted really delicious! Will surely have this amazing recipe again! Highly recommended!
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Allyssa, thank you for trying and rating the recipe! Shelby
Sabung Ayam Online says
Thanks for recipe
Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids says
Usually I just make and can apple sauce with our apples. I'm not sure why I've never made apple pie filling! I'm going to have to try your recipe. Apple Week is so much fun!
Carlee says
What a great idea, make a bunch during apple season and have a taste of fall all year long! I would definitely have to have some on pancakes, and waffles, and ice cream, and in a bowl and in a pie.... 😉
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
This is a perfect recipe to include in a gift basket for a Christmas gift, perhaps with a pretty pie pan attached. Thanks for the recipe.
averagebetty says
YAY!!! Thank you HoneyB for having the Vegetarian Times Giveaway! I am so excited to receive my subscription!! Thank you! Thank you! And... a big thanks to Sue for drawing my name WOO HOO!
The pie looks delicious. Makes me want to visit my Mom 😉
Laura says
Very cool. I love crumble top apple pies.
Katy ~ says
You know, Shelby, I am in deep,true love for this pie. Oh my goodness. Apple is probably my favorite favorite, and this one looks exquisite!
noble pig says
Okay I seriously love this! OMG!
Coleen's Recipes says
How do you take such lucious photos all the time...just delicous.
the ungourmet says
I can't even put into words just how yummy this looks! I L-0-V-E apple pie. Especially with the crumbles on top!
Love the new look for fall! :0)
Pam says
Wow! What a BEAUTIFUL pie. It looks almost to good to eat... almost ;).
Leslie says
Nothing like a good Apple pie recipe from your mom!
Jamie says
Shelby,
Nothing says fall like Apple Pie. Looks fabulous. I need to challenge myself and make more pies. I love your new fall header.
Glad Aggie won that magazine. Sad I didn't. Maybe she'll share the copies with me 🙂
Creative One says
Love apple pie. This looks so good! I will have to try this recipe.
Jen says
Thanks! I'm going to try this this weekend!
Mini Baker says
I just found your blog and I love it! You've got so many yummy recipes 🙂
-Mini Baker
ps. pie sounds soooo delish right now!
Danielle says
Ooooh! I really want to do this! What a great gift item!! Thanks for sharing!
pigpigscorner says
In a jar? That's interesting!
Lynda says
I can't wait for fresh apples...I love baking with them and smelling the wonderful aromas! Of course, the eating is good too!
I'm drooling over your pie right now...it's sooo yummy looking.
Gera @ SweetsFoods says
Ohh apple pie a heavenly sweetness!!
Have a great and sweet week,
Gera
Linda says
There is nothing better than apple pie!!
HoneyB says
Jen, This makes 7 quarts. 🙂
Jen says
Looks delicious - question though - how much filling does this make? I'm assuming it should be a pint of filling per pie so I should do this in pint size jars?
Patricia @ Brownies for Dinner says
What a great idea! This would make a good gift too. I am really looking forward to apples this fall (I'm adding this to my ever-growing list of things to do with apples... not sure there will be enough apples for everything I want to do).
Now I want pie...
Helene says
Oh my Shelby, looks delicious. So comfort food. Great choice.
Devan Geselle. N says
yum! brilliant! 🙂 thank you
Patsyk says
Congrats to the winners!
Love the idea of apple pie in a jar! Looks delicious!
Mags says
Looks yummy Shelby and a handy way to keep apple filling on hand and ready to use as needed.
So tickled I won the magazine subscription... thanks!
Megan says
Your pie looks wonderful! I love that kind of topping on my apple pie. Looks perfect!
Lisa says
Congrats winners! Great idea!
Barbara Bakes says
Love this idea! So much better than fruit from a can at the store! The pie looks fabulous!
Bellini Valli says
Nothing says home like a slice of apple pie Shelby.
The Hungry Mouse says
Looks great! I can't *wait* to make the first apple pie of the season!
+Jessie
Maria says
Mmmm! I will take a slice with some ice cream!