Apple Crumble Pie is made with a tender crust that is filled with juicy, spiced apples and topped with a delicious, buttery streusel topping. This homemade dutch apple pie is easier to make than a classic double-crusted pie and makes the perfect fall dessert!
We love fall and all those delicious apple recipes including Apple Cinnamon Bread, German Apple Cake, and my favorite Apple Strudel Recipe. Apple Pie is one of the classic recipes we all love.
Today I’m sharing my favorite twist on this beloved dessert – the Dutch Apple Pie. The difference between a Dutch Apple Pie (aka Apple Crumble Pie) and a traditional Apple Pie is the streusel topping that bakes up into crunchy, sweet deliciousness and is, in my opinion, easier to make than a pastry top. A perfect dessert for Thanksgiving and other special occasions!
The perfect Apple Pie starts with choosing the right apples. You want the apple filling to have a balanced flavor that is not overly sweet so you can taste the apple and it should not be mushy but have a bit of texture. Many recipes recommend Granny Smith apples but these apples lack flavor and are quite tart that’s why I like to combine different apples to get the BEST Apple Pie.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crumb Topping – It is a delicious and EASY twist on a classic double-crust apple pie! Making a crumble topping for apple pie is super easy and adds a little bit of crunch.
- Apple recommendations – Find the perfect combination of apples depending on your taste preference.
- Easy – By using a premade crust this recipe is even suitable for beginner bakers.
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
If you’re using a homemade pie crust prepare it according to the recipe. We start by making the apple filling before we preheat the oven, this way the apples have time to release some of their juices.
Combine the dry ingredients for the filling in a separate bowl then add the mixture to the sliced apples and mix with your hands or a spatula until combined.
The next step is to preheat the oven and prepare the pie plate. If you are using a refrigerated pie crust take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before unrolling it.
Place the pie crust into a 9×2-inch round pie dish, use your fingers to tuck it in, trim the overhang, and flute the edges (Check out this video). Fluting the edge helps the pie crust to hold the filling while baking.
Spoon the apple filling into the crust, leaving some of the liquid in the bowl. Prepare the crumb topping and sprinkle it over the pie. Put the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, reducing the temperature after 20 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Pie crust – Use a store-bought pie crust or use my buttery flaky pie crust recipe! Using a premade crust makes it a lot easier and quicker but if I have the time I like to make homemade pie dough. The crust doesn’t need to be blind-baked!
- Apple peel – Peeling the apples is important because the peel becomes chewy and tough once baked.
- Sugar mixture – Don’t take a shortcut and just dump the dry ingredients on top of the apples. Ensure the dry filling ingredients are thoroughly combined before adding them to the apples.
- Rest – Let the apples sit for at least 15 minutes so they start to release their juices. This will help the filling to thicken later.
- Baking – Bake the apple pie on a parchment-covered baking sheet. The apple filling tends to bubble up and it’s so much easier to just throw away some parchment paper than to clean the bottom of the oven.
- Serving – Let the pie cool completely before slicing so that the starch and the apples can do their job of thickening the filling. If you slice it too early it will crumble more and the filling won’t be as thick.
More pie recipes to try
Recipe FAQs
How many apples you need depends on the size of the apples you use and the recipe you use. For this recipe, you’ll need 8 cups of sliced apples which is about 2 3/4 pounds or 8 medium apples. The apples will be stacked high in this recipe because they will shrink after you take the pie out of the oven.
To make the best Apple Pie use a combination of flavorful and firm apples like Granny Smith and McIntosh.
Granny Smith: firm, do not mush but are quite tart and do not contain a very strong apple flavor, best combined with a more sweet and flavorful apple
Honeycrisp: sweet, flavorful, and stay relatively firm, great combined with Granny Smith, but not always available
Golden Delicious: flavorful, nice blend of sweet and tart, loses a bit of firmness when cooked
Jonagold: firm texture, flavorful, nice blend of sweet and tart, hard to find but makes a great pie by itself
Gala: sweet, flavorful, firm texture, best combined with a tart apple
McIntosh: sweet and juicy, flavorful, soft, breaks down while cooking, great combined with Granny Smith apples
Pink Lady: flavorful, blend of sweet and sour flavors, makes a great pie by itself
To make a Dutch apple pie topping you just need a few simple ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. You can use a fork or a pastry cutter to combine them but I always prefer to use my hands. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until the streusel has the desired consistency. I like my crumb topping coarser with bigger crumbs and not too sandy.
What to serve with it
My favorite thing to serve with apple pie is homemade whipped cream! It’s so easy to make from scratch and you can even flavor it by adding a bit of vanilla sugar. Everyone loves a big dollop of sweet whipped cream on their pie!
Another tasty topping is a vanilla sauce which is also very easy to make! In Germany, it’s usually served with Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) but also with pancakes or other warm sweet desserts.
If you’re looking for something easier: Vanilla ice cream is always a hit!
How to make this recipe in advance
To make this apple crumble pie recipe in advance bake the pie according to the instructions and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
On the day you want to serve it let the pie dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (to avoid the pie dish breaking from going directly to the oven) and then reheat the pie for 10 to 15 minutes in a 375°F oven before serving it. This will help re-crisp the crust and warm up the apple filling.
Tools and Ingredients
Apple Peeler/Slicer: This tool makes it super easy to prep apples for apple pie! (You can also use it for potatoes!!)
Cinnamon: I always buy Cinnamon at Costco! Great quality and great price!!
Pie Plate: This pie plate is made from borosilicate glass so you can transfer it directly from the freezer to the oven without the risk of shattering.
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Apple Crumble Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust, chilled
For the apple filling:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 cups thinly sliced and peeled apples, about 7-8 medium apples, see post for more info
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
For the topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into little cubes and softened a little
Instructions
- In a bowl combine white sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl combine sliced apples and lemon juice, then add the mixed dried ingredients and using a spatula stir everything together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish and tuck it in with your fingers. Trim excess dough if needed and flute the edges.
- Spoon the apple filling into the crust but leave most of the liquid in the bowl.
- To make the crumble topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter cubes in a bowl and use a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands to combine until thick and crumbly. Sprinkle topping over apple filling.
- Place pie dish on a large enough baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 30 more minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up. If the edges brown to quickly cover them with a pie shield after 20 minutes.
- Let the pie cool completely before cutting into it to allow the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Pie crust – Use a store-bought pie crust or use my buttery flaky pie crust recipe! Using a premade crust makes it a lot easier and quicker but if I have the time I like to make homemade pie dough. The crust doesn’t need to be blind-baked!
- Apple peel – Peeling the apples is important because the peel becomes chewy and tough once baked.
- Sugar mixture – Don’t take a shortcut and just dump the dry ingredients on top of the apples. Ensure the dry filling ingredients are thoroughly combined before adding them to the apples.
- Rest – Let the apples sit for at least 15 minutes so they start to release their juices. This will help the filling to thicken later.
- Baking – Bake the apple pie on a parchment-covered baking sheet. The apple filling tends to bubble up and it’s so much easier to just throw away some parchment paper than to clean the bottom of the oven.
- Serving – Let the pie cool completely before slicing so that the starch and the apples can do their job of thickening the filling. If you slice it too early it will crumble more and the filling won’t be as thick.
Anna Wunder says
I live in Colorado at high altitude is there anything I need to change for that I’m at 7000 feet and maybe higher. In Colorado Springs.
Julia Foerster says
Sorry, Anna, I don’t have any experience with high-altitude baking so I can’t really help. I recommend checking out this helpful article about high-altitude baking adjustments.
Terri says
Streusel topping started burning after 15 mins like a pie crust. Followed the recipe ???
Julia Foerster says
Sounds like your oven runs hot or the pie might have been too close to the upper heating element. If the streusel topping browns too fast, you can cover it with some aluminum foil after 15-20 minutes.
Amanda says
Thank you for this recipe! It was so easy to follow. The filling was best I’ve ever made, it held together so well. I think leaving the apple in a bowl for over 20min really helped. The topping was crunchy and thick. Just delicious! Certainly satisfied any apple crumble cravings!
Lauren says
Loved this recipe last year but wanted to add oats to the topping- have you tried?
Kathy G says
I’ve made this pie at least 6 times and it is always a hit! Letting the apples sit for 15 minutes and not adding the juices to the pie crust has made all of the difference in getting a perfectly crisp crust.
Melissa hoffman says
I love all your recipes 🙌🏼 Can I frost the apple pie without baking it? Or should I bake it before frost?
Julia Foerster says
Do you mean freezing it? I haven’t tried freezing it so I’m not sure, sorry.
Em says
I can’t get a pie pan atm but have a square one would that be okay to use?
Aneeta Tripp says
I think 1/2 cup butter is way too much butter for the crumb topping. I will try 1/3 cup next time I make this pie.
Julia Foerster says
It always works for me but you can definitely use less butter. The streusel topping is made the German-way so it won’t be like sand.
Kathie says
I thought there was too much butter also.
Kathy G says
I thought the amount of butter was perfect! It helped to make the top crisp.
Ann says
This is a fabulous recipe. Easy to make and the pie was delicious! Thank you for making it available.
Kathy says
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit!!! Thank you so much and thanks to those who added extra tips!
trisha says
I’m getting ready to make this pie. I saw the posting for substituting maple syrup for white sugar…how much syrup to sugar?
thanks.
Vatche says
I’ve made this pie for my coworkers, family, extended family and friends and they all love it. I even got requests to make it for gatherings. A++ recipe
Rod Green says
Use “Apple Cider” (unstrained) instead of the lemon juice. It gives Apple Pies More Apple Flavor. Delicious & Moist.
Barbara Murray says
You say how many calories are in one serving, but you don’t give how many servings are in one pie, so if I cut the pie in six slices versus eight slices, it’s going to make a difference in calories. Please inform me.
Julia says
The servings are always listed below the image in the recipe card.
Haeli Cevette-Mitchell says
I’m reading a few comments on the crumble mix turning into a paste instead of the desired crumbly texture needed for the topping…
I wanted to share my super easy fix with you guys. Whether you softened your butter too much or you melted it to a liquidy mess, if your crumb doesn’t turn out the way you personally like it best- it’s a super easy, very quick fix! Simply add in small, shallow handfuls of either more flour, more brown sugar, or even granulated sugar to your “crumble paste” until you have the desired texture for your crumb topping. Personally, I add in ALL 3 of those & I shake a thin layer of extra cinnamon over it so the flavor doesn’t get lost in all the extras! I do (2) handfuls of both the flour & the granulated sugar, (1) of the brown sugar, topped off with a thin & evenly spread shake of cinnamon and it’s NEVER gone wrong. Just stick your hands in & use your fingers to turn it all over again and again til you reach your crumble texture nirvana! It’s delicious! The granulated sugar adds a hint of sweetness to the crumble which my family LOVES. It’s my go-to crumble recipe! Hope this helps & remember: baking is supposed to be messy and fun!
Kati says
I just tried to make this and the topping came out like a paste! I followed the directions to a T, what did I do wrong?! 😭
Julia says
Oh that should not happen! How was the texture of the topping before you put it on the pie? This usually happens if the streusel gets too warm during mixing.
Kati says
I didn’t even get to put it on the pie! I mixed it and it’s like paste. I’m about to try making it again and I didn’t know if there was something different I could do this time. Did I soften the butter too much? Thank you so much for replying!!
Julia says
I’m happy to help! Sounds like it was too soft. It should be a little bit soft so that when you press into it with your finger it will leave a little dent but not collapse completely. Try to mix it just until the crumbs form, and if it gets too soft add a little bit more flour. Let me know if that works better!
Kati says
So, the third time I didn’t soften the butter at all and I used a fork instead of my hands and it turned out better! I still had to leave the butter in pretty big chunks or it was getting too warm and over mixed. But I went with it and the taste was amazingggg! Because of the big chunks it kind of all baked into one crunchy layer and wasn’t as pretty as yours lol but the flavor was incredible! Thank you again!
Julia says
So happy that it worked this time!
Cheryl says
Just put pies in oven, easy recipe
Evelyn Smith says
Just a quick note. Tried your recipe today with some apples from my trees delish. The only thing I changed was I added maple syrup to sweeten the apples. Since we produce maple syrup that is all I use for my pie. Couldn’t make myself use white sugar. It was fantastic the syrup brings out the Apple flavors. I surely will use again
Michael Tipler says
@ Evelyn Smith
Thank you for posting! Tried this recipe today with the 1st apples from our apple trees ever! Adding our own homegrown and made maple syrup was a stroke of genius!!! A fitting end to our anniversary dinner. At this rate, she may keep me a few more years…
Tanya says
Amazing recipe! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it for Pi Day and eight of us polished it off! :-) Even my 81-year-old father-in-law said it’s the best crumble topping he’s ever had and that I need to give him the recipe.
Kim says
Excellent recipe. Had rave reviews from all who consumed it – thanks!
Sharon says
Absolutely awesome apple pie, loved all the info given so the pie comes out perfectly. My husband’s favorite pie & he was thrilled with it, I’ll save this recipe!
Wilhelmina Wessel says
I love the streusel topping on this pie! So delicious!
Dini says
This came out really well, the streusel topping was delicious! Thanks so much for all your tips, and I loved the idea of combining different types of apple. Will definitely be making this again for Thanksgiving!
Judy Gordon says
Thank you so much for the recipe!! Loved the tips for picking the right apples!! Made this yesterday and everyone loved it. Will make it again for Thanksgiving!