In today’s culinary adventure, we’re exploring the versatile and delightful world of recipes using canned apple pie filling. This pantry staple, often overlooked, is a treasure trove of flavors, making it the perfect ingredient for a wide array of dishes, from classic desserts to innovative treats.
Canned apple pie filling not only saves time in the kitchen but also offers a consistency in taste and texture that can elevate your baking and cooking. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a baking enthusiast, this guide will unveil the potential of canned apple pie filling, transforming ordinary recipes into extraordinary creations. Join us as we dive into delicious, easy-to-follow recipes that showcase the sweet, comforting essence of apple pie in every bite.
Sure, fresh apples are great if they’re in season and you have time to core and peal them all. But the total time it takes to make apple pies from scratch is often just not doable.
What’s in a can of apple pie filling?
A can of apple pie filling typically contains a mixture of sliced apples, sugar, and spices, thickened with starch. The specifics can vary by brand, but here’s a general breakdown of the components:
- Sliced Apples: These are the main ingredients. The apples are peeled, cored, and sliced. The type of apple can vary, but manufacturers often use varieties that hold up well to cooking and have a balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Sugar: This is used to sweeten the filling. The amount of sugar can vary depending on the brand and the natural sweetness of the apples used.
- Water: Often added to help create the syrupy sauce and to cook the apples in the can.
- Thickener: Cornstarch or modified food starch is commonly used to thicken the filling, giving it a gel-like consistency that holds together well in pies.
- Apple pie spice: Cinnamon and nutmeg are the most common spices added to apple pie filling for flavor. Some brands might also include allspice or cloves.
- Citric Acid: This may be added to preserve the color and freshness of the apples, preventing them from browning.
- Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): Sometimes used as a preservative to enhance the shelf life of the pie filling.
- Salt: A small amount might be added to enhance the overall flavor of the pie filling.
Recipes Using Canned Apple Pie Filling
Apple Crisp
A heartwarming dessert that combines the ease of canned apple pie filling with a crispy, buttery oat topping. This Apple Crisp recipe is the epitome of comfort food, delivering a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, complemented by a crunchy texture. Ideal for cozy evenings, it’s a simple yet irresistible treat that comes together in no time.
Easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Simplicity at its finest, the Apple Dump Cake is a no-fuss dessert that involves layering canned apple pie filling with a dry cake mix and butter. Baked to golden perfection, it creates a wonderfully moist cake with rich apple flavors, requiring minimal effort for a delicious payoff. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate indulgence.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
These Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars combine the classic flavors of apple pie with the irresistible twist of salted caramel, all layered on a shortbread crust. The canned apple pie filling provides a quick and flavorful apple layer, topped with a crumbly, buttery topping and a generous drizzle of salted caramel. Each bite offers a delightful blend of sweet, salty, and buttery flavors, making these bars an unforgettable treat that’s perfect for sharing.
Apple Hand Pies
These delightful Apple Hand Pies are the perfect grab-and-go treat. Using canned apple pie filling, they encapsulate the classic flavors of apple pie in a convenient, portable form. Encased in a flaky, buttery pastry, each hand pie is a self-contained burst of cinnamon-spiced apple goodness, making them a hit at gatherings or as a sweet snack.
Cinnamon Rolls and Apple Pie Filling
Imagine your favorite fluffy, soft cinnamon rolls, but with a delicious twist: a filling of spiced, sweet canned apple pie filling. These Cinnamon Rolls and Apple Pie Filling bring together the warmth of cinnamon rolls with the comforting taste of apple pie. After baking to golden perfection, they’re topped with a creamy icing that melts into every spiral, creating a decadent breakfast or dessert option that’s sure to please any crowd.
Easy Apple Pie
A timeless classic, this Apple Pie recipe takes a shortcut with canned apple pie filling, ensuring a perfect filling every time. Encased in a flaky, homemade pastry crust, the filling shines with its sweet and tender apple slices, enriched with cinnamon and nutmeg. This version brings all the traditional flavors you love with less work, perfect for any occasion.
Apple Pie Egg Rolls
A fun and innovative take on traditional apple pie, these Apple Pie Egg Rolls wrap canned apple pie filling in egg roll wrappers for a crispy, crunchy exterior. Fried to golden perfection, they offer a delightful contrast of textures, with the warm, spiced apple filling encased in a crispy shell. Dust with powdered sugar or serve with a caramel dipping sauce for an unforgettable treat.
Apple Streusel
Elevate your dessert game with an Apple Streusel that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Layered with canned apple pie filling and topped with a crumbly, sweet streusel topping, this dessert offers a delightful contrast of textures. The streusel’s buttery, cinnamon-kissed crunch complements the soft, spiced apples for a treat that’s sure to impress.
Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix
Dive into the cozy, comforting flavors of Apple Cobbler, a dessert that pairs canned apple pie filling with a soft, biscuit-like topping. This easy-to-make dessert spreads the apple filling in a baking dish, topped with dollops of batter that bake into a golden crust. It’s rustic, homely, and utterly delicious, especially when served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.
Apple Pie Quesadillas
Apple Pie Quesadillas are a fun and innovative way to enjoy the flavors of apple pie in a less traditional form. Easy to assemble with canned apple pie filling spread between two tortillas, these quesadillas are then grilled to achieve a crispy exterior with a warm, gooey apple pie filling inside. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for an extra touch of sweetness. This quick and easy treat combines the comfort of apple pie with the convenience of a quesadilla, making it a perfect snack or dessert.
Apple Crumble
This Apple Crumble recipe is a testament to the simplicity and elegance of combining canned apple pie filling with a rustic, crumbly topping. The filling is laid in a baking dish, then covered with a mixture of flour, butter, and sugar, which bakes into a golden, crunchy topping. The result is a dessert with a rich apple base and a texture that’s both soft and crisp. Serve warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a truly comforting dessert experience.
Apple Turnovers
Crispy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside, these Apple Turnovers are a delightful pastry treat. Using canned apple pie filling allows for quick and easy preparation, resulting in turnovers that are bursting with a cinnamon-apple filling. Encased in puff pastry and baked until golden, they’re the perfect sweet treat for breakfast or dessert.
Have questions about these recipes using canned apple pie filling? Leave them in the comments below.
More Recipe Inspiration
Chicken Adobo Fried Rice Recipe
7 Leftover Potato Recipes
11 Recipes Using Lemon Cake Mix
