Hi! Yes, you can! As long as it's an apple that doesn't break down too much when it bakes, you should be fine! Like, for example, a macintosh apple wouldn't work well. I think Honeycrisps and Galas definitely would work well, even better than Cortlands possibly! They might be sweeter though. Something to keep in mind 😉

Hi Sara,

You can use brown sugar. I'd hesitate to add too much maple syrup because of the water content in it. It might lead to a soupy filling if your apples are also quite juicy. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes!

I am having a similar issue as I don't have maple sugar. Do you think the recipe would work as well if I replace the ample sugar with maple syrup? I have plenty of maple syrup but I was afraid it will not work as well as the sugar because of the texture. Please let me what you think, I would like to make this recipe as soon as possible. Thank you!!

I have had this recipe pinned for years, and am finally making it for Thanksgiving this year! If I make the pie ahead and freeze before baking, how would you recommend baking it? Thaw first, or bake from frozen? What temperature(s) would you recommend?

Thanks!

I have had this recipe pinned for years, and am finally making it for Thanksgiving this year! If I make the pie ahead and freeze before baking, how would you recommend baking it? Thaw first, or bake from frozen? What temperature(s) would you recommend?

Thanks!

Hi Shelly,

I did not pre-cook the crust before filling.

I weighed the apples before peeling and coring them. But I'd imagine it won't make too big a difference if you weighed them after given most of the weight is in the flesh of the fruit, not the peel.

Did you pre-cook the first crust before filling? Most recipes call for this, but would be happy to skip that step! Thanks in advance!