Apple Pie with Lattice Crust Coloring Page: PDF Sheet

Apple Pie with Lattice Crust: History & Fun Facts

Apples Arrive With Early Colonists

Apple trees are not native to North America; colonists brought apple seeds and grafted saplings from Europe starting in the early 1600s, and the fruit adapted so well to the climate that colonial-era orchards spread quickly along the eastern seaboard. Many of those early American apple varieties were tart and better suited for baking, cider, and drying than eating fresh, which made pie one of the most practical ways to use a fall apple harvest.

The Lattice Crust Technique

Weaving strips of dough into a lattice, as shown across the top of this pie, dates back centuries in European baking traditions and became popular in American kitchens partly because it lets excess moisture from the cooked apples escape as steam during baking, helping prevent a soggy top crust. The technique also turns a plain pie top into a small decorative craft in its own right, with bakers weaving anywhere from a simple crosshatch to more elaborate braided patterns.

Apple Varieties Best Suited for Pie

Firm, tart apple varieties such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn are commonly recommended for pie because they hold their shape during baking instead of collapsing into mush, unlike softer varieties better suited for eating raw. Many home bakers mix two or three apple varieties in one pie specifically to balance sweetness, tartness, and texture, since no single variety always provides the ideal combination on its own.

Apple Pie as an American Symbol

The phrase "as American as apple pie" became a common expression in the twentieth century, tying the dessert to national identity even though similar fruit pies existed in European cooking long before American colonization. That symbolic status is part of why apple pie remains a common sight at Thanksgiving tables alongside pumpkin pie, even though its cultural association leans more toward general American tradition than the holiday itself.

Why Some Bakers Add a Second Crust Layer

Many apple pie recipes call for a thin layer of flour, cornstarch, or tapioca mixed with the sliced apples before baking, a step meant to thicken the natural juices that cook out of the fruit so the finished pie holds its shape when sliced instead of spilling filling everywhere. Without that thickening step, a pie with a lattice top like this one is especially prone to a runny filling, since the open weave lets more moisture escape than a fully sealed crust would.

Serving Apple Pie Warm or Cold

Apple pie is traditionally served warm, sometimes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on the side, a pairing especially common in parts of New England where cheese-and-pie combinations date back to early American baking customs. Other households prefer the pie fully cooled or even chilled, which lets the sliced apple layers, like the ones visible in the lifted piece in this printable, hold their shape more neatly when served. Either way, apple pie is almost always cut into wedge-shaped slices rather than squares, a serving style that suits its round baking dish.