The Unexpected Ingredient That Will Make Your Apple Pie Creamier

Few foods are more American than apple pie — well, at least that's what many people have been bred to believe. Because contrary to popular belief, the first-known recipe for the now-iconic dessert was from late 14th-century England, according to Smithsonian Magazine. In any case, apple pie has become a staple indulgence in kitchens from coast to coast, with recipes and appetites having been passed down for generations.

Apple pie obviously tastes incredible by itself, but many people prefer garnishing their slices with ingredients for a dash of pizzazz. For example, some Midwesterners swear by adding a slice of cheddar cheese to apple pie for a salty-sweet bite, explains Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. And plenty of folks love to scoop vanilla ice cream on top, and thereby indulge in apple pie à la mode. However, there's another uniquely delicious way to incorporate cool, velvety ice cream with buttery, vivid apple pie.

Next time you get a craving for homemade apple pie, be sure to snag a carton of ice cream. However, the way in which you should use it may not be what you think.

All right, hear us out. When the mood strikes to whip up the so-called all-American classic, have a go at baking vanilla ice cream into your apple pie. That's right! For an even creamier, dreamier mouthful of apple-y goodness, mix ice cream directly into the pie filling. If your mind has officially been blown by this concept, please keep reading to learn why this hack is worth trying.

In place of the heavy cream apple pie filling traditionally calls for, you can melt a bit of vanilla ice cream — which already includes heavy cream, plus, of course, sugar and vanilla — to achieve an even more luscious flavor, as Cook's Country suggests. You can even take it a step further by soaking the apple slices in a pool of melted ice cream until they reach peak softness.

Oh, and if you still want to feast on your apple pie à la mode, that's totally cool, too. After all, there's no such thing as too much ice cream, right?