Why Is Apple Pie American?

The pilgrims came to America to gain independence from Britain, so they began distancing themselves from British culture in every aspect of their lives. Rather than keep making traditional English desserts (like scones and bread pudding), they started making a new kind of treat introduced to them by Dutch immigrants in the 1700s. Dutch and German immigrants taught them how to make a flaky, buttery crust, which the colonists then filled with sliced apples and spices, creating the iconic American dessert we enjoy today.

While this certainly wasn't the first time an apple pie was baked, it was likely the first time any colonists had tried the dessert. And a recipe for apple pie was included in the first American cookbook, American Cookery, published in 1796, a few years after America had won its independence.

So, apple pie is associated with the Fourth of July because the holiday celebrates independence from Britain, and baking apple pie carried a similar meaning for early colonists.

Why We Say “As American as Apple Pie”

You've likely heard the phrase "as American as apple pie," which comes from the folktale about Johnny Appleseed (who was a real person!). The phrase was first used in the early 1800s but didn't become widely known until World War II, when it became common for soldiers to say "for mom and apple pie" when speaking to journalists about why they had enlisted. From then on, the phrase "as American as apple pie" has been used for anything deemed patriotic.

This year, celebrate Independence Day by chopping up some Granny Smiths and folding them into a perfectly flaky old-fashioned apple pie.