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Mock apple pie is one of the great stories of the American kitchen. It goes back to the years when fresh apples were out of season, out of reach or simply not in the house, and a cook who had promised an apple pie made one anyway out of what was in the pantry. Generations of families served it without saying a word, waiting to see who would notice. Very few people did.
It sounds impossible until you understand what each ingredient is doing. The crackers, broken in big pieces, soak up the syrup and soften in the oven into tender, layered chunks with almost exactly the bite of a cooked apple slice. The lemon brings the fruit flavor. The cinnamon and butter bring everything the nose expects from apple pie. And the cream of tartar supplies the clean tartness of a baking apple. It is not optional. Without it you have a sweet cracker pie and the secret is out at the first bite.
The last rule is patience. Warm, this pie is strange. Cooled completely, the filling sets, the flavors settle, and it is apple pie. People will argue with you at the table about it.
Why this mock apple pie works
- Crackers broken in big pieces. Large chunks bake into soft layers that look and feel like sliced apples. Crumbs would turn to paste.
- Cream of tartar for tartness. It gives the syrup the sharp acidity of a cooking apple, and it keeps the syrup smooth instead of grainy.
- A boiled syrup. Fifteen minutes of boiling makes a light syrup that the crackers can absorb without the pie turning watery.
- A complete cool down. The filling sets only as it cools. Four hours on a rack turns a loose, odd pie into one that slices cleanly.
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
- 2 pie crusts for a 9-inch pie, one for the bottom and one for the top, homemade or store-bought
- 36 round butter crackers (about 4 ounces, 115g)
- 2 cups water (480ml)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 lemon: the juice (about 3 tablespoons) and the finely grated peel
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g), cut into small pieces
- A good shake of ground cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon)
Use the plain round butter crackers, the rich, flaky, lightly salted kind. Saltines work in a pinch, but the pie is less buttery. Keep both crusts cold until you need them.
How to make mock apple pie
- Roll out one pie crust and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving the extra dough hanging over the edge. Break the 36 crackers into big pieces, halves and thirds, not crumbs, and scatter them into the bottom crust. Put the plate in the refrigerator while you make the syrup.
- Combine the water, sugar and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then lower the heat a little and boil steadily for 15 minutes without stirring. The syrup will reduce slightly and look clear and a little thicker than water.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the grated peel. Let the syrup cool a little, about 15 minutes, so it does not melt the pastry. While it cools, heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower third.
- Pour the syrup slowly and evenly over the crackers in the crust. They will float and look like far too much liquid. That is correct. Do not stir.
- Dot the top with the pieces of butter and give it a good shake of cinnamon all over.
- Roll out the second crust and lay it over the filling. Trim the edges, fold the top crust under the bottom one, and crimp firmly to seal. Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top so steam can escape.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is gold and crisp and syrup is bubbling in the slits.
- Cool it completely on a rack, at least 4 hours. This matters. Warm, it’s strange. Cold, it’s apple pie. Slice and serve at room temperature.
Tips that make the difference
- Break the crackers by hand into two or three pieces each. The bigger the pieces, the more the filling looks like sliced apples.
- Time the 15 minute boil. Too short and the filling is runny; much longer and it sets too firm.
- If the edge of the crust browns too fast, cover it with a ring of foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Do not tell anyone before the first bite. Serve it as apple pie and wait. That is half of the recipe.
Variations
- Cinnamon sugar top. Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon before baking, for a sparkling, crackly lid.
- Crumb topping. Skip the top crust and cover the filling with a streusel of 1/2 cup flour (63g), 1/2 cup brown sugar (100g), 1/2 cup crushed crackers and 1/4 cup cold butter (57g), rubbed together.
- More spice. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and a pinch of allspice with the cinnamon.
- With cheddar. Serve each slice with a thin slice of sharp cheddar, the old New England way with apple pie. It works just as well here.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. It sits happily on the counter like a fruit pie.
After that, refrigerate it for up to 3 more days. Let slices come back to room temperature before serving.
The baked pie freezes for up to 2 months, well wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
Does mock apple pie really taste like apple pie?
Surprisingly, yes. Most of what people recognize as apple pie is tartness, lemon, cinnamon, butter and a soft layered texture, and this pie has all of those. Served cold without an announcement, most people never guess.
Can I leave out the cream of tartar?
No. It is what gives the filling the tartness of a baking apple, and it keeps the syrup from crystallizing. Without it the pie just tastes of sweet crackers. You will find it in the spice aisle.
Why is my filling runny?
Either the syrup did not boil for the full 15 minutes or the pie was cut before it had cooled completely. The filling sets as it cools, so give it at least 4 hours.
Can I use saltines or another cracker?
Round butter crackers are the classic because they are rich and flaky. Saltines were used in the oldest versions and work well; use about 36 and add an extra tablespoon of butter.
Make it once without telling anybody what is in it, cool it completely, and watch the table. Whether you ever confess is up to you.
Mock Apple Pie (The Cracker Pie With No Apples)
The famous old-fashioned mock apple pie: a double crust filled with round butter crackers, a lemon and cream of tartar syrup, butter and cinnamon. It looks, slices and tastes like apple pie, with no apples in it.
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts for a 9-inch pie, one for the bottom and one for the top, homemade or store-bought
- 36 round butter crackers
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 lemon: the juice (about 3 tablespoons) and the finely grated peel
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g), cut into small pieces
- A good shake of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Roll out one pie crust and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving the extra dough hanging over the edge. Break the 36 crackers into big pieces, halves and thirds, not crumbs, and scatter them into the bottom crust. Put the plate in the refrigerator while you make the syrup.
- Combine the water, sugar and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then lower the heat a little and boil steadily for 15 minutes without stirring. The syrup will reduce slightly and look clear and a little thicker than water.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the grated peel. Let the syrup cool a little, about 15 minutes, so it does not melt the pastry. While it cools, heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower third.
- Pour the syrup slowly and evenly over the crackers in the crust. They will float and look like far too much liquid. That is correct. Do not stir.
- Dot the top with the pieces of butter and give it a good shake of cinnamon all over.
- Roll out the second crust and lay it over the filling. Trim the edges, fold the top crust under the bottom one, and crimp firmly to seal. Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top so steam can escape.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is gold and crisp and syrup is bubbling in the slits.
- Cool it completely on a rack, at least 4 hours. This matters. Warm, it's strange. Cold, it's apple pie. Slice and serve at room temperature.
