Peel, core, and chop the apples into cubes. Drizzle with lemon juice.
In a large skillet or pan, add the butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and melt over medium heat.
Add the apples, sugar, 1/2-cup water, and vanilla extract to the pan. Stir to combine.
Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 7 minutes or until the apples are slightly softened.
In a small dish, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until smooth.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan while stirring.
Continue to cook until the mixture bubbles about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Store or serve.
Notes
Cooking Apples include Granny Smiths, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Jonathan, and Braeburn, to name a few.
This Apple Pie Filling makes enough filling for one standard, 9-inch diameter pie.
Spices: You can tweak the spice blend to your taste, adding whatever you like.
Aside from filling pies, there are other ways to use homemade apple pie filling. Stir it into a smoothie bowl, make other desserts, use it as a pancake topping, etc...