BEHIND THE BAKES
There may be no dessert more American than apple pie.
Baseball. Fireworks. Apple pie.
We even use the phrase “as American as apple pie” to describe something that’s quintessentially American.
There’s just one tiny problem.
Apple pie isn’t actually American.
In fact, both apples and apple pie had quite the journey before becoming symbols of American culture.
So how did a dessert with roots across the Atlantic become one of America’s most iconic foods?
Grab a fork. This one has layers.
So, Where Did Apple Pie Actually Come From?
Apple pie existed long before the United States did.
Some of the earliest known written recipes resembling apple pie can be traced to medieval Europe. A 14th-century English recipe called for apples to be baked in pastry alongside ingredients like figs, raisins, pears and spices.
And those early pies weren’t exactly what we’d recognize today. Medieval pastry could be much sturdier than our modern buttery, flaky crust and sometimes served as more of a cooking container for the filling.
The apples themselves traveled even farther.
The ancestors of many modern domesticated apples originated in Central Asia and gradually spread west into Europe, where growers cultivated countless varieties over centuries.
So before apple pie ever became “American,” both its star ingredient and the idea of baking it inside pastry already had a very long history.
America hadn’t even entered the group chat yet.
How Did Apple Pie Get to America?
European settlers brought their pie-making traditions—and apple seeds—with them to North America.
While North America had native crabapples, the larger apples Europeans were accustomed to were introduced and cultivated by settlers. Orchards spread throughout the colonies, and apples eventually became an important part of American agriculture and cooking.
They continued spreading westward with some help from **John Chapman—better known as Johnny Appleseed—**who established apple nurseries across parts of the American frontier.
And here’s the fun part:
Many of those apples weren’t destined for pie.
Seed-grown apples were often better suited for making hard cider than eating fresh.
So Johnny Appleseed really did help spread apples across America.
He just wasn’t necessarily doing it for dessert.
So How Did Apple Pie Become “American”?
By the 18th and 19th centuries, apples—and apple pie—had become firmly established in American kitchens.
Over time, apple pie became associated with home, comfort and traditional American life. By the 20th century, that connection had become even stronger.
During World War II, the expression “for Mom and apple pie” became associated with American servicemen and the things they were supposedly fighting to protect back home.
Eventually, we got the phrase we all know:
“As American as apple pie.”
Which is pretty funny considering America didn’t invent apple pie—or apples.
But a dessert with ingredients and traditions from elsewhere arrived here, evolved over generations and eventually became something Americans completely made their own.
We didn’t invent apple pie.
We just gave it one seriously good PR campaign.
What Makes an Apple Pie an Apple Pie?
Today’s classic American apple pie is a little different from its medieval ancestors.
At its simplest, it’s apples tossed with sugar and warm spices, tucked inside a pastry crust and baked until the fruit becomes tender and the filling gets deliciously bubbly.
Cinnamon has become practically inseparable from apple pie, and depending on who’s baking, you might find nutmeg, allspice, ginger or even a little lemon mixed in.
Then there’s the great debate:
What kind of apple belongs in apple pie?
Tart Granny Smiths. Sweet Honeycrisps. Classic Golden Delicious. Or, our favorite approach, a combination of varieties for the best mix of flavor and texture.
And if you want to put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top?
That’s apple pie à la mode—and a whole other piece of dessert history.
But we’ll save that crumb for another day.
🍰 CRUMB OF KNOWLEDGE
Neither apples nor apple pie originated in America.
The ancestors of modern apples trace their roots to Central Asia, while apple-filled pastries were being made in Europe centuries before the United States existed.
Yet somewhere along the way, apple pie became so intertwined with American culture that we literally started saying:
“As American as apple pie.”
So one of America’s most iconic desserts isn’t actually American in origin.
Consider that one deliciously good marketing.
Now That You Know the Story…Let's Eat Some Apples
Okay, history lesson over. Now for the important part: dessert.
If all this talk about apple pie has you craving something sweet, we’ve got plenty of delicious ways to put those apples to good use.
Apple Cider Donut Mini Bundt Cakes
All the warm, spiced flavor of an apple cider donut transformed into an adorable mini cake. They’re cozy, perfectly portioned and exactly the kind of dessert we want when apple season rolls around.
Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Soft, chewy and packed with cozy fall flavor, these cookies combine apple cider with gooey caramel for a treat that tastes like apple season in cookie form. Basically fall, but edible.
Cinnamon Apple Hand Pies
All the cozy flavor of classic apple pie tucked into an adorable handheld package. Filled with warm cinnamon apples and wrapped in flaky pastry, these little pies are proof that sometimes dessert is even better when you don’t need a fork.
Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips
Thinly sliced apples baked with cinnamon until perfectly crisp make this the simplest treat of the bunch. Sweet, crunchy and dangerously easy to snack on by the handful.
Because learning about dessert is fun. Eating it is better.
BEHIND THE BAKES
Every bake has a story—and some are almost as good as the dessert itself.
Behind the Bakes is our Crumbs & Chaos series uncovering the weird, wonderful and occasionally chaotic history behind the treats we all know and love.
Because we’re here for the crumbs and the backstory.
