Dutch Apple Pie Recipe with Crumble Topping
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Apple Crumb Pie is a timeless favorite, featuring a buttery cinnamon streusel that pairs perfectly with tart apples. Straight from the vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, this cozy pie is simple enough for any day yet special enough for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just because. Follow my step-by-step instructions, and let me show you how easy it is to make this classic dessert!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Store-bought pie crust | I used a refrigerated pie crust for convenience, but feel free to use your favorite homemade pie crust recipe if you prefer.
- Sugar | Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the apples and the crumble.
- Flour | Use all-purpose flour to help thicken the apple filling and crumb topping.
- Lemon | You need lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice to contrast the sweetness and bring a hint of tanginess.
- Fresh apples | Use thinly sliced apples, like Granny Smith, Gala, Honey Crisp, or a mixture of all your favorites. I often use all Granny Smith apples for my pies, but you can really use any type of apple for baking.
- Spices | Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves go perfectly with apples!
- Butter | Add unsalted butter to bind the crumble together and flavor it.
- Toppings | If you’d like, serve the apple pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup.
How to Make Homemade Apple Crumb Pie Recipe
Now, let’s make the perfect Dutch apple pie with an easy apple pie filling and buttery crumble topping.
STEP 1 | Set oven temperature
Get started by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
STEP 2 | Form bottom crust
Next, line a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with the prepared pie crust — refrigerated pastry dough or homemade — and flute the edges. Place the dish in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fill it with the apples.
STEP 3 | Combine sugar mixture
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour, and the lemon zest.
STEP 4 | Coat apples
Now, add the apple slices to a large bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add the sugar mixture and toss gently until all the slices are well coated, then pile the apple slices into the pie plate.
STEP 5 | Mix crumble for apple pie topping
In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
Then, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly, and evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples.
STEP 6 | Bake
Cover the edge of the pastry with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the shield and bake for another 30 minutes or until the top of the pie is a beautiful golden brown.
STEP 7 | Cool and enjoy!
Finally, cool the freshly baked pie on a wire rack or serve it toasty and warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup. Dig in and enjoy!
Tips from the Home Chef’s Kitchen
If you enjoyed today’s recipe and you want the ultimate bite of nostalgia, this traditional Mom’s Apple Pie recipe is the way to go!
Variations and Substitutions
- Homemade Pie Dough. I have a flaky pie crust recipe that is really good, and I use it with my Cherry Potpies.
- Add Brown Sugar. You could also use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar for a richer molasses flavor.
- Streusel Toppings. Make a Nuttry topping with chopped pecans or walnuts in the mix, add more spices, like nutmeg and allspice, or combine rolled oats with flour to add chewiness to the streusel.
- Add More Fruit. You can use this recipe as a guide to make other fruit pies, too. Try pears, peaches, or berries. Or add them to the apples for a fun twist on the classic apple pie.
What are the Best Apples for Apple Pie?
For the best apple pie, go for tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. They hold their shape well and add great flavor.
Just keep in mind that while cooking, some apples will release more juice than others. Using a mix of different apples can change up the texture and sweetness of your pie.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- You can freeze apple pie either before or after baking:
- To freeze an unbaked apple crumble pie, place it in a freezer-safe and oven-proof pan wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.
- To freeze a baked apple crumble pie (or leftovers), place the room-temperature pie uncovered in the freezer for a couple of hours or until frozen solid, then wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Frozen apple pie will keep for 3 to 4 months.
- To reheat a frozen pie, first thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place the pie on a baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes to crisp up the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both apple desserts are very similar, but a fruit crisp usually has oats in the crumble mixture on top while a crumble is more of a streusel topping of flour, sugar, and butter without any added oats.
Some apples release more juice than others as they bake, so that could be part of the problem. Also, apple pies will be more watery if you slice them before the pie has completely cooled (like I am prone to do!). As the pie cools, the filling will thicken even more.
You can use several tricks to prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy. The most obvious is blind-baking the crust for 15 minutes before adding the apples. You can also brush the bottom crust with an egg white or sprinkle it with a few bread crumbs before adding the apples. Never prick the bottom with a fork, or you will end up with a soggy crust!
On average, a medium-sized apple will yield about 1 1/3 cups of sliced apple, so you will need around 5 medium apples for this classic apple crumble pie.
Looking for more Tasty Apple Desserts?
If you’re wondering what to do with all your freshly picked apples this season, you’ve come to the right place — there’s no shortage of apple recipes here!
Try my no-fuss Rustic Apple Tart, this classic Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe with bits of tender fruit and crunchy pecans throughout, or keep it simple with an Easy Apple Crisp complete with a crispy oat pecan topping.
What to Serve With Dutch Apple Pie
I like to enjoy my Dutch apple pie with a mug of Spiced Apple Cider. And don’t forget the scoop of vanilla ice cream! Or add more fruity goodness with my Blueberry Ice Cream recipe.
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Apple Crumble Pie
Ingredients
- pastry for single crust pie
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 cups thinly sliced apples Granny Smith, Gala, Honey Crisp, or a mixture
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
- caramel syrup for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with refrigerated pastry dough (or make your own) and flute the edges. Place in the refrigerator until ready to fill with the apples.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour, and the lemon zest.
- Add the apple slices to a large bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add the sugar mixture and toss gently until all the slices are coated. Pile the apple slices into the pie plate. It’s fine if they mound up in the middle.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples.
- Cover the edge of the crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove he shield and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup ice cream topping, if desired
Notes
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Beyond the Recipe
When our girls were small, one of our favorite fall activities was making a trip to the Apple Barn to eat warm apple fritters with apple butter and to buy a basket of fresh apples and a jug of cider to bring home.
Of course, that always meant I had no choice but to bake a fresh apple pie the following week. Our oldest loved them so much that she started requesting homemade apple pie for her birthday every year instead of cake!
