This easy homemade Dutch Apple Pie (aka apple crumble pie) has been deemed the most perfect pie in our family and is filled with cinnamon-spiced apples topped with a buttery streusel topping. It’s the perfect fall dessert to use up all kinds of apples and served best with a scoop of ice cream.
My pie-crust averse husband has gradually come around to the idea of the perfect pie crust, but he will still always choose a pie with a crumble topping over an old-fashioned pie with two crusts. Which works out just fine, because this easy-to-make Dutch Apple Pie is simply irresistible and absolute pie perfection for the fall season. It’s a great way to showcase the season’s best fruit — in fact, you can use any apples you have on hand.
Comforting and filled with tender, juicy apples, this simple yet rich bakery-style pie has a cinnamon streusel topping that’s truly heavenly. The texture from the crumb topping and the perfect balance of sweetness and warm spices, makes this Dutch Apple Pie a stand-out dessert recipe to keep in your rotation for holidays, entertaining friends, or a cozy weekend dessert with family.
If you love apple pie (or just pies in general) like we do, you might also want to try my salted caramel apple pie, my cranberry apple pie, or my classic homemade apple pie.
Reader Review: “I have never made a pie before so this was my first and it was the best decision! It was so delicious and yummy. I love apple pie and I’ll definitely be making this recipe from here on out.”
– MaKayla
Classic Apple Pie vs. Dutch Apple Pie
The main difference between the two is the crust, or lack there of. A traditional apple pie is usually made with a bottom pie crust, layered with an apple filling, then topped with another pie crust.
A Dutch Apple Pie is actually easier to make than a regular apple pie because you only have to make a bottom crust and then sprinkle on a rich streusel topping. A dutch apple pie can also be slightly sweeter, thanks to this buttery topping. The sugar in the topping gives it nice texture and a slight crunch that works well with the soft apples from the filling beneath.
Ingredients
- Pie crust – You can use my favorite pie crust recipe or buy a refrigerated or frozen pie crust from the store.
- Apples – I always use at least 2-3 types of apples in my apple pies. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Envy apples are always readily available and some of my favorites. I recently visited a nursery with some varieties that were new to me, so this pie was made with a mix of Mutsu, Winesap, and Baldwin.
- Lemon juice – Keeps flavors bright and prevents the apples from browning.
- Sugar – You’ll need both granulated sugar and brown sugar for the filling and crumble topping.
- Flour – Helps thicken the apple filling.
- Spices – A blend of cinnamon and nutmeg are the perfect compliment to the apple flavor of this pie.
- Salted butter – For the crumble.
How to Make Dutch Apple Pie
1. Make the crust: Mix flour, salt, and a little sugar in a bowl, then cut in cold butter and shortening to form pea-size crumbs using a pastry cutter. This can also be done in a food processor (affiliate link). Add cold water, a couple tablespoonfuls at a time, mixing just until the pie crust starts to come together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Make the filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples. The thickness of your apples (as well as the variety) will determine how they cook in the pie. The thicker or chunkier they are, the longer they’ll take to cook. Thinner apples will cook down softer. For dutch apple pie, I like to slice my apples on the thin side, about 1/4″ thick, using a mandolin so they are uniform in thickness and the pie bakes evenly. But if you don’t have a mandolin, you can almost as easily slice them with a knife on a cutting board.
3. Toss the sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out some of the juices from the apples. Don’t get rid of those juices though!
4. Make the crumble topping: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and salt in a large bowl, using the pastry cutter to cut the butter into the other ingredients until it’s a sandy texture. I like to squeeze a couple handfuls of the streusel together in one hand to create some larger crumb pieces for a variety of streusel textures.
5. Roll out pie crust: Roll out on a lightly floured surface and transfer to your pie plate. I use a standard 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link) for this recipe, but it would work just as well with a deep dish pie plate if you have one!
6. Assemble: Pile the apple filling in the center of the pie crust, making a mound that is thicker in the middle since the apples will cook down as the pie bakes. Do not pour in the juices that came off the apples, but don’t discard them either! I see so many apple pie recipes that call for the juices to be discarded and it makes me want to cry! Instead, transfer that syrupy juice to a small microwaveable bowl and microwave it for about 45-60 seconds until it is thick. Then spread this over the apple filling before topping with the crumb topping!
7. Sprinkle on the crumble topping over the apple pie filling, going all the way to the edges.
8. Bake in a 400°F oven for 50-55 minutes until golden brown on top and the apples have cooked down. Be sure to have a pie shield for the crust if it starts getting too brown, and a piece of aluminum foil to set on top of the pie if it starts to get too dark before the pie is done. I usually check around the 30 minute mark and stick both of those on if I need to.
9. Let the pie cool completely (honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is the waiting) before slicing. You can reheat until slightly warm, but if you try to slice the pie while it’s still hot, the filling won’t be set up yet. It will still taste delicious, for sure, but you won’t get nice slices.
Expert Tips
- Use a variety of apples — As mentioned above, I love using 2-3 types of apples in this apple crumb pie for the best flavor and texture. Some apples are juicier or sweeter than others, and some apples break down more as they cook than others, so you get the best of all worlds by combining more than one variety.
- Don’t forget about the bottom crust — Just because the crumble topping gets all the glory in this Dutch apple pie doesn’t mean you can ignore the bottom crust. I love the deliciousness of a homemade pie crust and 100% encourage you to make it from scratch rather than buying one from the store. It’s not that hard, I promise!
- My favorite pie crust recipe is made with a combination of butter and shortening, and honestly, it’s the only pie crust recipe I use. But I’ve heard good things about this sour cream pie crust, which is certainly intriguing.
- Be sure to check out my post on how to make pie crust for all my best tips and tricks. I even have a YouTube tutorial showing how I do it that you might find helpful!
- Since I was going for simple and easy with this dutch apple pie, I simply finished off the crust by pressing the tines of a fork around the edges for a decorative design rather than my typical scalloped edge that you make by pinching thumb and forefingers together to create a wavy edge.
- Try different fruit fillings — Apple is the signature and always a crowd favorite, but don’t sleep on a cherry, peach or mixed berry crumble pie. All would be extra delicious and fruity pie options.
- Let pie cool slightly before slicing — Once the pie comes out of the oven, give it a few minutes to rest and set before you dig in. This will give the pie a chance to solidify, let the flavors meld, and will give you cleaner slices for serving.
What To Serve With Apple Crumb Pie
There’s nothing better than a warm slice of apple pie (just microwave it a few seconds if it’s completely cooled off). Then I like to top it off with the classics:
- A big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- A fresh dollop of homemade (or store-bought) whipped cream.
- A few slices of good, sharp, cheddar cheese is another classic flavor combination if you’re into that.
Storage
You can store dutch apple pie in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days. This is delicious served chilled, but it also reheats well in the microwave for individual slices. You can also put the whole pie in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes until it’s warm.
If your fridge is full of other leftovers, this Dutch apple pie will keep on the counter at room temperature for a couple of days just fine. Just cover it with plastic wrap and try not to sliver off a piece every time you walk past.
While you can freeze this pie, we can’t guarantee the crumb topping will be the same texture as when it’s freshly baked. But it is a great dessert to make in advance since the apple filling needs to cool to fully set anyways.
FAQs
There’s no difference! Both a Dutch apple pie and a French apple pie have the crunchy, buttery crumb topping instead of a top crust. It’s just called by a different name in different places, but it’s the same delicious pie.
Dutch Apple Pie and Apple Crumb Pie are also the same thing just called by a different name with an amazing crumb topping and juicy apple filling all nestled in a flaky, buttery crust.
A crumble topping should be chunky with some good solid chunks of crumble spread throughout. It should not be thin like sand but more chunky and piecey. You do not want your butter too soft when mixing the crumble topping because then it will not hold together very well. Once cooked the top should be slightly brown with a good crunch to it, but still slightly soft to bite into.
More Bakery-Style Pie Recipes
- Dutch Pear & Nutmeg Pie
- Key Lime Pie Recipe
- Classic Homemade Blackberry Pie
- Southern Peach Pie
- Easy Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Best Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
- Easy Coconut Cream Pie
- Easy Blueberry Custard Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
Dutch Apple Pie (Apple Crumb Pie)
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 7 cups apples peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (35g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup (141g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400℉ (204℃).
- Combine all pie filling ingredients in a large bowl and toss to evenly coat apples. Let sit for 20-30 minutes until apples have released some of their juices.7 cups apples, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (35g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- While the apples macerate, combine the crumble topping ingredients in a large bowl and cut the butter in using a pastry cutter until it is just small crumbs. Squeeze a couple of handfuls together to create small clumps of varying sizes.1 cup (141g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ cup salted butter, Pinch of salt
- Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surfacae and tansfer to a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link). Trim edges and tuck under, using the tines of a fork to make a decorative pattern around the edge of the crust.1 unbaked [pie crust]
- Mound the apple pie filling in the center of the crust, leaving the liquid behind in the bowl. Transfer the juices from the apples to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 45-60 seconds, until thick. Spread over the top of the apple pie filling.
- Sprinkle the pie with the crumble topping.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown on top and the apple filling is bubbling and the apples are tender. Cover the pie crust edges with a pie shield partway through baking and cover the whole pie with a piece of aluminum foil halfway through baking if it looks like it is getting too brown.
- Cool completely before serving.
Ooo La La! I’ve been looking for a good Apple Pie recipe. I’ll definitely have to try baking this for the holiday season. Lots of potluck parties that would love some pie for desert =) Thank you so much looks delicious. Thanks Amy!
You’re welcome!
I have never made a pie before so this was my first and it was the best decision! It was so delicious and yummy. I love apple pie and I’ll definitely be making this recipe from here on out.
We did this for thanksgiving this year and it was AMAZING. We also did it for the November challenge so thank you!
My granddaughter loves this version of an apple pie and she was delighted. Soooo good the she said it was the best ever and I agree!
Wow thank you! I’ll have to agree with your granddaughter, I love the streusel crumb topping with this version of apple pie!
Amy’s pie are the best. Her pecan pie is my go to and this year I made her Dutch apple pie. I loved her detailed instructions the tip of the day microwave the leftover apple syrup, OMG, this tip put this pie over the top. Amazingly dangerously delicious
Excellent insight!! The breakdown helped me a lot.
Thank you! Glad it helped.