This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, and a King Arthur Baking affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This recipe for Irish Apple-Raisin Slab Pie is one our family loves. Filled with tart apples, sweet raisins, and a healthy dose of Irish Cream sauce nestled inside a rustic pastry crust. It’s so good. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it becomes even better. A perfect dessert to celebrate the Irish, especially if you have a liking for Irish Cream.
(Post modified with new photos on 3/7/24.)
I like making pies, but there is something really enjoyable in making a rustic slab pie. Or Crostata. Or Galette. Which are all basically the same thing. An open-faced tart with fresh fruit, drizzled with a yummy, sweet sauce, and enclosed in a free-form pastry shell with no pan. They’re pretty. And kind of edgy, or even old-world. Plus, they’re really easy to make, especially when you have fresh fruit in the house.
More Pie Recipes
- Blueberry Peach Slab Pie
- Elderberry Wine-Poached Pear Crostata
- Fresh Tart Rhubarb Pie
- Homemade Apple Pie
Ingredients for Irish Apple-Raisin Slab Pie
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
Filling
- Honey Crisp (or Pink Lady/Jonagold) apples
- lemon juice
- raisins (black or golden)
- butter
- Irish cream liqueur (divided)
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- turbinado sugar
Pastry
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- vegetable shortening
- water
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 400° F. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Apples
Using a pairing knife, core, peel, and thinly slice the apples. Place slices in a large bowl and sprinkle lemon juice on the apples. Mix well to coat.
If you prefer to leave the peel on the apples that is perfectly fine. I’ve done it both ways. Leaving the peel on the apple gives the pie a bit more color and texture.
Adding lemon juice to the apple slices will help deter discoloration on them.
If desired, chop the raisins for smaller pieces.
Make the Irish Cream Sauce
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This may take 1-2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and stir in the Irish cream and ground cinnamon.
Adding the Irish cream liqueur to the hot butter mixture will cause it to bubble up in the pan. Do not be disturbed by this. All is well.
Return the pan to medium heat, and continue stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved, 30-40 seconds. Set aside and allow the sauce to cool and thicken while you prepare the pastry dough.
Prepare the Pastry Dough
To make the pie dough, mix together the all-purpose flour and salt.
Then cut in the shortening with a blending fork or pastry blender. Once the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, add cold water and finish mixing until the dough forms a ball when stirred.
Assemble the Slab Pie
Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to a 10″ x 20″ rectangle. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
Arrange the apple slices in a pretty pattern beginning in the center and working outward, leaving two-inches free on the outer edges. Sprinkle raisins on top of the apples, as desired.
Fold edges up around the apples. Brush edges with 2 tablespoons of Irish cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Pour thickened Irish cream mixture over the apples, being careful not to get any on the outer crust. The sauce should seep into the corners to cover the area of the pie.
Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned and the apples are tender. The sauce should be hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 12-15 minutes before serving.
Serve this slab pie with whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice-cream.
See more Pie Recipes Here. Browse Desserts Here. View Irish Recipes Here.
Irish Apple-Raisin Slab Pie
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 5 medium Honey Crisp apples or Pink Lady/Jonagold apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup black or golden raisins chopped, if desired
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur divided
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pie Pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7/8 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar for garnishing dough
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Apples
- Using a pairing knife, core, peel, and thinly slice the apples. Place slices in a large bowl and sprinkle lemon juice on the apples. Mix well to coat.
- If desired, you may also chop the raisins so that they are smaller.
Make the Irish Cream Sauce
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This may take 1-2 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in the Irish cream liqueur and ground cinnamon.Adding the Irish cream liqueur to the hot butter mixture will cause it to bubble up in the pan. Do not be disturbed by this. All is well.
- Return the pan to medium heat, and continue stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved, 30-40 seconds. Set aside and allow the sauce to cool and thicken while you prepare the pastry dough.
Prepare the Dough
- To make the pie dough, mix together the all-purpose flour and salt.
- Then cut in the shortening with a blending fork or pastry blender. Once the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, add cold water and finish mixing until the dough forms a ball when stirred.
Assemble the Slab Pie
- Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to a 10″ x 20″ rectangle or oval. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- Arrange the apple slices in a pretty pattern beginning in the center and working outward, leaving at least two-inches free on the outer edges. Sprinkle raisins on top of the apples, as desired.
- Fold edges up around the apples, leaving no openings in the corners. Brush pastry edges with 2 tablespoons of Irish cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Pour thickened Irish cream mixture over the apples, being careful not to get any on the outer crust. The sauce should cover the area of the pie, but should not seep outside the crust.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned and the apples are tender. The sauce should be hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 12-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve this slab pie with whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice-cream. Serves 10-12.
Notes
Hi Deborah, I just wanted to let you know I made this and it was AMAZING! What a delicious recipe you’ve made! I followed just as you wrote it, except I omitted the 2\3 cup sugar. Instead, for the sauce I used Baileys, butter, and 4tbsp of apple cider reduction (easy to make), double the cinnamon, and a half teaspoon of apple pie spice. (My addition of this much spice may have made the sauce a bit grainy, and I’d be interested to try it with only the cinnamon you called for next time, to see if the sauce is smoother and perhaps the Baileys shines through more that way…but I usually can’t help myself with nutmeg, cinnamon, etc!)
Regardless of my changes, my partner and I both thoroughly enjoyed your recipe for its complex flavors and flaky-soft crust. The Baileys is an excellent call and seems to add a wonderful depth to compliment the bright tart apples. Honey crisp apples are great in this (as long as your apples are flavorful, which is sometimes hard to find). Just an overall fantastic recipe and a FUN change from regular apple pie. Thank you so much for your work! I don’t have social media, but I’ll tell my friends about the awesome slab pie you’ve made and direct them to your site. Thank you!
Thank you, Susan for your comments on this recipe. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! I’ve been reading lots of recipes that use the apple cider reduction, and I am eager to try this method. It sounds quite wonderful. I love fall spices, too, but as you mentioned, I really wanted the Bailey’s Irish Cream to shine through for this one. Please do share this one with your friends!!