Few desserts feel as cozy as a Dutch apple pie (also known as Apple Crumb Pie). Tender, spiced apples under a buttery, crunchy streusel topping are basically fall on a plate. I love making this pie for holiday tables, Sunday dinners, or just because I can't resist the smell of baking apples filling my kitchen.
Apple pie has always been a favorite of mine - sweet, tart, a little spice, and that crumble on top. Every bite is a little slice of comfort, and I'm excited to share my go-to recipe with you.
Ingredients
- Apples - A always use green apples, and it's what I've exclusively used in bakeries as well. The tartness is perfect to offset all of the sweet. You can use any mix you'd like though.
- Lemon and Orange Juice and Zest- brightens the filling and prevents browning.
- Brown Sugar - adds warmth and depth.
- Granulated Sugar - balances the sweetness.
- All Purpose Flour - thickens the filling.
- Salt - balances flavors.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger- the spice blend is key to a warm, layered flavor.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - brings all the flavors together.
See recipe card for quantities.
Pro Tip: Precooking the Apple Filling
My most important tip: precook the apple filling. Toss apples with the sugars, spices, and juices, and let sit for 30-60 minutes. Cook gently on the stove until slightly tender, then stir in a flour slurry until slightly thickened, add butter, and cool completely before adding to the crust.
Chef Insight: Cool filling is crucial - if it's warm, the butter in the streusel melts prematurely and your topping loses that signature crispness.
Instructions
- Step 1: Slice apples and then add all of the fulling ingredients except the flour.
- Step 2: Combine until apples are fully coated, let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Step 3: Cook apples on medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the flour in a slurry.
- Step 4: Cook apples until thick. Allow to cool before assembling the pie.
TIP: Giving your pie filling time to sit allows the sugars to draw out the natural moisture from the apples that help create the caramel sauce. It also thickens the sauce early, which prevents soggy pie crust from too much moisture.
Tips & Substitutions
- Apple choice: Mix sweet and tart for depth. Avoid soft-only varieties.
- Pie crust: Store-bought or gluten-free crusts work.
Variations
- Caramel Apple Pie: Drizzle caramel over apples before topping with streusel.
- Nutty Streusel: Add ½ cup pecans or walnuts to topping.
- Mini Pies: Use tart pans for individual servings.
- Extra Spice: Boost ginger or add allspice for warmth.
Chef Insight: Mini pies bake faster - check after 20-30 minutes and watch the topping carefully. I prefer these mini pot pie pans when I make mini pies! This is the size I sold in my pie shop. For all of my pies, mini or large, I find 1.25 inches to be the perfect depth.
Equipment
I almost exclusively bake my pies in disposable foil pie pans. This is my preferred size for full size 9" pies.
Storage
This pie can technically be held at room temperature, but I typically suggest keeping it refrigerated for best quality. This pie can also be made ahead and kept frozen until needed.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Dutch Apple Pie with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 Pie Crust Homemade or Store bought
For the apple filling
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- juice from half a lemon
- 5 pounds apples
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 sp nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the sugar crumble
- 1 & ½ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 3
- /4 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup butter melted 1 and ½ sticks
- ½ cup oatmeal
Instructions
- Prepare the crust
- Preheat your oven to 400°F . Roll out your pie crust and line a 9-inch pie pan. I like to blind bake the crust for 8-10 minutes until it's just starting to turn golden. This keeps it crisp under the juicy apple filling.
- Precook the apple filling
- Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss your sliced apples with lemon juice, lemon zest, sugars, salt, and spices (everything except flour and butter). Let them sit for 30-60 minutes to draw out their natural juices.
- Transfer the apples and any juices to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until slightly tender, about 5-7 minutes. Mix the flour with a splash of water to make a slurry, then stir it into the apples. Cook just until the filling thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in butter for richness, then let the filling cool completely before adding it to the crust.
- Cooling the filling is crucial . warm filling will melt the butter in your streusel topping, and you'll lose that perfectly crisp texture.
- Assemble the pie
- Pour the cooled apple filling into your blind-baked crust, spreading it evenly. Make sure not to overcrowd the slices - leaving a little space helps the apples cook evenly.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the apples. Don't be shy - pile it generously, as it will settle slightly while baking.
- Chef Insight: The oatmeal in the topping adds a nutty crunch, and piling it high ensures every bite has that buttery, crisp texture.
- Bake
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 50-60 minutes. The topping should be golden brown, and the filling should be tender but slightly jiggly in the center.
- If the topping starts to brown too quickly, tent the pie lightly with foil to prevent burning.
- Chef Insight: The filling behaves a bit like caramel - slightly jiggly is perfect. Overbaking can dry out the apples and topping.
- Cool and serve
- Allow the pie to cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing. This helps the filling set and ensures clean, perfect slices.
- Chef Insight: Patience here really pays off - cutting too early can make the filling runny. Cooling also lets the flavors meld, so each bite is rich, spiced, and buttery.
