Apple Pie A La Mode

Combine two amazing desserts into one in the easiest way with this simple recipe for Apple Pie A La Mode!

Take any slice of apple pie – homemade, store-bought, or leftovers – and make it extra delicious with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The only thing better than a warm slice of apple pie? A slice of apple pie topped with cold, creamy, vanilla ice cream!

Apple Pie a la Mode is a simple yet sophisticated dessert (yes, it’s sophisticated, it’s in French!) that you can make in just minutes using store bought ingredients.

You can also make the pie and the vanilla ice cream from scratch. It will be more work, but the result will be spectacular! Love Ice Cream Desserts, you’ll want to make Brownie A La Mode next.

I once had a Fig and Apple Cider Cocktail that reminded me of a grown up version of apple pie, the combination of flavors was delicious.

What Is Apple Pie A La Mode?

“à la mode” is a French culinary term. In English, it literally means, “in the current fashion”. Pie a la mode can be translated as “fashionable pie”!

What the term a la mode really means, is any dessert topped with ice cream.

Pie a la mode is an American dessert, said to have originated at a hotel in Cabridge, NY in the late 1800s, when a man named Charles Watson Townsend ordered both Pie and ice cream for dessert. From there the dessert traveled to New York City, and the rest is history.

There are others that claim that pie a la mode was invented in Minnesota, around that same time, although the dessert offered in a Duluth restaurant was blueberry pie with ice cream.

You can enjoy any dessert à la mode! Brownie a la mode, pie a la mode, chocolate chip cookies a la mode, or bananas foster a la mode are some examples, but Apple Pie a la mode is certainly the most popular.

Ingredients Needed for Apple Pie A La Mode

Vanilla Ice Cream – No need to deviate from the classic here. Vanilla ice cream is the perfect topping for apple pie. Use store-bought ice cream, or make a batch of vanilla bean ice cream.

Apple Pie – Of course, you need a big delicious slice of apple pie to make apple pie a la mode! You can use store-bought pie, or a homemade pie you’ve made yourself.

Looking for a great apple pie recipe? We love this classic apple pie recipe, and this amazing gluten-free apple pie too.

How to Make Apple Pie A La Mode

It’s very simple to make apple pie a la mode. The hard part might be making a fresh apple pie, but after that, your apple pie ice cream dessert is almost ready!

1. Warm a slice of apple pie, and place it on a plate.
2. Top with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
3. Serve immediately!

For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.

How to Warm Up Pie for Apple Pie A La Mode

There is a sweet spot when it comes to warm apple pie a la mode.

If the pie is too hot, the ice cream will melt too quickly.

But if the pie isn’t hot enough, the ice cream won’t melt enough.

Your goal should be to heat the pie so that it is warmer than body temperature, but not so hot that it will burn your mouth!

How to reheat a slice of pie in the oven:

The oven is going to give you the best results, as it will allow the crust to get crispy again.

It should take 5-10 minutes to reheat one slice of pie in a 350°F oven. Check on the pie every 3 minutes or so, and pull it out when it’s warmed through.

How to reheat a slice of pie in the microwave:

The microwave method is super quick, although the apple pie crust won’t crisp up this way.

Regardless, the microwave is my go-to when it comes to reheating pie.

Microwave a slice of apple pie for 1-2 minutes at 50% power. Check on the pie every 30 seconds and remove it from the microwave when it’s warm.

How Many Scoops of Ice Cream Go on Pie A La Mode?

There are no rules when it comes to ice cream serving sizes, at least not here! 1 scoop of ice cream per slice of pie is plenty, but I won’t stop you if you want to add two.

Apple Pie A La Mode Variations

If you want to get creative, try serving apple pie a la mode with a different ice cream flavor.

Other A La Mode Flavors: Rich Mascarpone Ice Cream, sweetly spiced Cinnamon Ice Cream, and Dulce de Leche ice cream are all flavors that are just slightly more intense than vanilla and will be lovely with apple pie.

Pumpkin and Apple Pie: A scoop of Pumpkin Pie ice cream adds a fun Thanksgiving dessert theme to apple pie a la mode.

Unique Combinations: Think about what other, unusual ice cream flavors might pair really well with the buttery crust and sweet filling of apple pie. Maybe Bananas Foster Ice Cream or Avocado Ice Cream with pie will be the next big fashionable ice cream dessert!

Do you REALLY love apple pie? Serve apple pie a la mode topped with a scoop of homemade Apple Pie Ice Cream!

For beautiful presentation and some extra sweetness, top your apple pie a la mode with caramel syrup and a pinch of ground cinnamon.

How to Make Dairy Free Apple Pie A La Mode

Assuming that your pie is already made without dairy, you can use your favorite dairy-free or plant-based ice cream for pie a la mode.

We have easy recipes here for Oat Milk Ice Cream and Coconut Ice Cream that will be perfect scooped over a slice of pie.

More Homemade Ice Cream Desserts

• Ice Cream Cake
• Ice Cream Pie
• Hot Fudge Sundae
• Fried Ice Cream

If you love apple desserts you’ll want to try this cinnamon apple cake next.

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