Best Dutch Apple Pie

This Dutch apple Pie is crunchy, buttery, full of brown sugar and perfectly tender cinnamon apples and is way easier than a double crust! AKA the best apple pie you will sink your teeth into!

This Dutch Apple Pie recipe is one of my all-time favorite pies!  It’s loaded with tender, brown sugar apples in buttery, flaky homemade pie crust topped with sweet, crunchy streusel topping.   It avoids the common pitfalls of many apple pie recipes that are bland, mushy or watery.  Instead, my foolproof recipe creates the best homemade apple pie of your life with the ideal texture and sweet cinnamon apple flavor.  This Dutch Apple Pie recipe can be made 100% ahead of time and reheated or the components can be made ahead and combined when ready to bake.  In this post, I’ll teach you how to make the best apple pie from scratch with step-by-step photos and video tutorial or you can use the “jump to recipe button” at the top of the post to skip directly to the recipe. 

The fall screams apple dessert recipes!  Don’t miss apple dump cake, apple oatmeal cookies, mini apple pies, apple dumplings, apple crisp, apple cheesecake bars and of course this Dutch apple pie recipe.

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How to make Dutch Apple Pie Video

 

What’s the difference between apple pies?

Dutch Apple Pie, also known as Apple Crumble Pie or Apple Streusel Pie, boasts a flaky, butter or shortening crust on the bottom, a cinnamon apple filling and a sweet crumble or streusel topping made with butter/shortening, flour and sugar that bake into a sweet, crunchy blanket.  The textures of flaky, upon tender upon crunchy are heavenly. Dutch Apple Pie differs from classic apple pie which is covered in a lattice top or second pasty topping. Dutch Apple Pie is also easier to make!  

Creating the best apple pie recipe

There is a reason you haven’t seen an apple pie recipe on this site before.  I was waiting for perfection.  And it finally arrived. After test after test after test, I can honestly say this is the best Dutch Apple Pie recipe I’ve come across. 

In my journey towards the best Apple Crumble Pie, I’ve experienced everything that can go wrong:  runny filling, mushy apples, undercooked apples, too tart of a filling, too sweet of a filling, burnt topping, soggy crust, etc.  I’ve experienced these problems even when trying supposedly successful online recipes.  Any one of these problems results in a disappointing apple pie, a frustrating outcome when you’re ready to bring dessert to a special occasion like Thanksgiving. 

With this apple pie recipe, you can feel confident your apple pie will be a success with perfectly tender apples enveloped in a caramel like sauce that is never runny, the right balance of sweet and tart and a golden, crunchy topping. 

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

• Apples: this recipe uses 5 pounds of apples, which is about 11 large apples.  It sounds like a ton of apples but the apples shrink when cooked on the stove so they will easily fit in a regular pie plate (1 ½ inches deep).  Always use two varieties of apples for the best flavor, I suggest Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for this recipe.
• Brown sugar:  use light brown sugar so the molasses flavor isn’t too strong.  The sugars will melt with the juices of the apples to create a caramel-like sauce, no butter/liquid required!
• Granulated sugar: adds pure sweetness.
• Flour:  apples release a lot of moisture so we need flour to help thicken the filling back up.
• Lemon juice: the slight acidity helps balance the sweetness and amplifies the apples’ flavor.  The lemon juice also keeps leftovers (should you be so lucky) more appealing.
• Vanilla extract: adds an extra oomph of flavor.  Use quality extract for the best flavor.
• Spices:  cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and salt enhance the flavors and balances out the sweetness.

What are the best apples for apple Pie?

Apple pie can be made with any baking apple, meaning apples that become tender and not mushy when baked:  Granny Smith apples, Cortland’s, Pink Cripps, Honeycrisps and Jonagold’s, for example. But for THIS Dutch Apple Pie, you will want to use a combination of a tart apple variety like Granny Smiths and a sweet-tart apple like Honeycrisps.  I tried making this recipe with all Granny Smith apples like I do in my Apple Crisp and Apple Dump Cake, but because there are SO many apples, the pie was way too tart.  By using a sweet/tart combination, you will create a pie with plenty of apple flavor that is not too sweet or too tart.  

You may substitute the Granny Smith apples or Honeycrisps with apples of similar sweetness/tartness.  Still, always try and use at least 2 varieties of apples for the best flavor. Here are some varieties of apples that hold up well in baked desserts and pie:

• Granny Smith:  packed with juicy tartness, these are your never-fail baking apple that always bake up flavorful and tender.
• Honeycrisp:  my favorite to pair with Granny Smiths because they boast a sweet-tart balance and a light berry flavor and always holds firm after baking. They best substitute for Honeycrisps in this recipe are Jonagolds, Braeburn or Pink Lady.
• Pink Lady:  have a concentrated sweet-tart flavor and will hold its shape when baked. They are the best alternative to Honeycrips due to their intense flavor.
• Jonagold: is a cross between Golden Delicious and the Jonathan.  They are tart with a honeyed sweetness, and hold up exceptionally well in the oven.
• Braeburn:  sweet and tart without an almost spicy sugared honey taste and hold up well in pie and other baked desserts.
• Mutsu: also known as Crispin, is a less tart version of Golden Delicious with a sweet honeyed flavor abut keeps its structure when baking.  It is sweeter than the aforementioned apples so keep that in mind if making substitutions.

What are the worst apples for apple pie?

While many apples will work in apple pie, some will NOT.  Avoid these: McIntosh, Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious. These apples are a little too soft or just too bland after the long baking time.  Golden delicious also can break down too much with the long baking time.  

SHOULD I PEEL THE APPLES?

Yes, please do! If you don’t peel your apples first, you’re left with an unpleasant tough texture as the skin doesn’t break down enough when baked.

Apple Pie Crumble Ingredients

• flour: helps bind the topping ingredients together and gives it a crumbly texture. I use all-purpose flour but any flour will work great, including gluten free flour.
• pecans:  help make the topping extra crunchy!  Don’t chop the pecans too small or else they can burn. If you aren’t a fan, then simply omit them.
• brown sugar: adds sweetness and a hint of molasses.  It also adds moisture to the topping.  Use light brown sugar for best results so the molasses flavor isn’t overpowering.
• granulated sugar: adds sweetness and helps the topping crisp up.
• butter: helps bind the ingredients together and gives it the crumbly texture. Cube your butter then chill it so it’s nice and cold.  Use unsalted butter so we can control the salt.  If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the topping to ⅛ teaspoon.  
• salt: enhances the flavor.
• cinnamon: because even the topping needs to be seasoned.
• turbinado sugar: adds flavor and crunch.  Turbinado sugar comes from the first pressing of sugar cane and is coarser, darker, and more well-rounded in flavor than granulated or brown sugar, making it the perfect finishing touch to sprinkle over the topping. If you don’t have turbinado, sugar, then substitute with granulated sugar.

Dutch Apple Pie Crust

I highly recommend my favorite homemade pie crust.  This truly is a no fail, buttery, flaky pie crust recipe. The ingredients list is minimal – just flour, sugar, salt, shortening, butter, and ice water. 

There are different schools of thought when it comes to butter pie crust recipes or Crisco pie crust recipes.  Although butter crusts are delicious, they are not as flaky as those made with shortening.  Shortening pie crusts, on the other hand, have wonderful texture but lack in flavor. BUT when you use BOTH butter and shortening you have both flavor and texture – AKA the best pie crust!

Can I use Store-Bought Pie Crust?

For the very best apple pie, I highly recommend a homemade crust – store-bought pie crusts don’t even come close. But if you need to use a store-bought crust then I recommend a frozen crust, just make sure it is 1 ½-inches deep.  Follow the instructions on the packaging in regards to thawing/baking.

WHAT PIE PAN IS BEST?

You will need one standard 9-inch pie pan  for this Dutch Apple Pie recipe.  The raw apples will seem like they could never possible fit into such a small space, but the cook down considerably and will all fit into the pan perfectly.

How to make Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Let’s dive into how to make Dutch Apple Pie. Each of the components (crust, filling, topping) can be made ahead of time and stored separately.  Here’s how to make it (full measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):  

• Step 1:  Make the pie crust.  Use my favorite homemade pie crust. I suggest making the crust the night before so it’s all ready to roll out and fill the next morning.  The crust post is full of tips and tricks for fool proof pie crust even if you’ve never made it before – so don’t be intimidated!  You’ll want to place the crust in the freezer while you prep the topping and apples so the fat is extra cold when it goes into the oven which makes for a flakier crust.

• Step 2:  Make the crumble topping.  It is important that the topping be very cold before it is added to the pie, so make it before you make the apple filling.  A cold topping = a crunchy topping.  To make, whisk together the flour, pecans, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and stir until evenly combined. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a spatula to combine then use your hands to combine until the mixture resembles crumbly wet sand. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator while you prep the filling.

• Step 3: Slice the apples.  Have you been slicing apples the easy or hard way for apple pie/crisp/crumble?  The best way I’ve found is to first peel the apples, then make 4 slices around the core to remove it.  Lay your 4 remaining apple segments, cut side down, on a cutting board and slice into 1/8-inch slices. Transfer the apples to a large Dutch oven as you go to keep the workspace clean. You are welcome to slice the apples thicker for a chunkier apple pie although I find the texture of thin slices more appealing.  If you go with thicker slices, you’ll need to pre-cook the filling longer. 

• Step 4:  Combine the apple pie filling ingredients.  Now that we have what seems like a ton of apples, it’s time for the magical process of cooking them down to fit into the pie pan while simultaneously creating the thick, caramel like coating.  Add the sugars, flour, salt, and spices and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the apples and gently stir until until the apples are evenly coated.  The mixture will seem dry at first, but in no time at all, the juices will begin to release from the apples, mingling with the sugars to create a sweet, glorious sauce. 

• Step 5: Cook the apple pie filling.  Cover, and cook the filling for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes and replacing the lid.  Be pretty vigilant about stirring the apples so the sugars don’t burn on the bottom.  You’ll want to replace the lid each time because the steam helps to evenly cook the apples.  The apples are done when they reach YOUR desired apple pie tenderness – they will not become more tender in the oven (refer to the science at the beginning of post).  The apples should be fork tender but still hold their shape.  Continue to cook longer for softer apples, or less time if you like them firmer.  Once tender, stir in the remaining lemon juice and the vanilla.

• Step 6:  Cool the apples.  Once the apples have reached your desired tenderness, transfer them and all of their tantalizing caramel juices to a rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer.   Pop the pan in the fridge or freezer to cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes.  You may also leave the apples on the counter to cool if you don’t mind the couple hour cooling time. While your apples are cooling, place a baking sheet in the center rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F so it can get nice and hot.  

• Step 7:  Assemble:  Once the apples have cooled completely, transfer them and all of the sauce to the chilled pie shell, rearranging and layering the apples horizontally as needed so they are compact.  Evenly sprinkle the topping over the apples followed by 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar.  Place the whole pie in the fridge or freezer for 30-45 minutes, for an extra flaky crust.

• Step 8:  Bake the apple pie. Place the pie on the hot rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 425˚F for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375˚F and continue baking another 35-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling around the edges (you should be able to hear it bubble).  Cover the crust and top with foil if they are browning too quickly.  I cover the crust halfway through cooking. 

• Step 9:  Cool the pie.  This is probably the most difficult part of the whole pie!  You will want to cool the pie for at least 4 hours so the juices that become runny when cooking can cool and thicken and not run all over the place when you slice into the pie.  You can place the pie in the freezer to speed up this process. 

CAN YOU MAKE APPLE pie AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, apple pie is great to make one day ahead of time.  Let it cool completely, then tent with foil and store at room temperature.  Rewarm by tenting the pie with foil and placing the pie into a cold oven.  Turn the oven to 375 degrees, and when the preheat bell dings, leave the pie in for another 10-15 minutes.

Tips for making Dutch Apple Crumb Pie

Follow these tips for the best homemade apple pie!

• Allow plenty of time to make the pie.  Apple pie is best if the different elements have time to be chilled:  the crust, apple filling, topping, and assembled pie and the baked pie.  I suggest making the apple pie a day ahead and warming when ready to serve.
• Make topping first and refrigerate. If you wonder why your toppings haven’t gotten as crispy as you like them on previous desserts, it’s likely your topping was not chilled. For the crispiest topping, the butter should be very cold before going into the oven so always make your topping FIRST and refrigerate.
• Use a variety of the correct apples.  Use a blend of baking apples for flavor and structure.  As detailed, Granny Smith apples and Honeycrips are my favorite for apple pie.  
• Kitchen gadgets.  Peeling and slicing the apples take the majority of prep time in this recipe but if you have an apple peeler and corer and/or food processor (with attachment) for slicing the apples, your prep time can be cut in half.
• Slice apples uniformly.  Slice your apples into 1/8-inch thick, slices.  Uniform thinly sliced apples ensure you beautifully tender apples throughout without some crunchy ones mixed in.
• Use real butter.   If you want the BEST Dutch Apple Pie, use real butter in the crust and topping, margarine won’t have the same flavor or effect.
• Don’t skip the egg wash. The egg wash helps create a beautiful golden crust, but more importantly, helps prevent a soggy crust on the bottom.
• Don’t skip chilling the pie crust. Pie dough does the best if chilled at all stages:  after making, after pressing into the pie shell, after the egg wash and after adding the filling.  This allows the fat to firm up, otherwise the water in the butter is released and interacts with the gluten in the four, resulting in a soggy crust.
• Bake the pie on the lowest rack.  This helps to evenly brown the bottom crust to become golden and crisp because it’s closer to the heat source, while also keeping the top crust farther away from the main heating elements, which helps it to brown more gradually and evenly thought-out baking.   
• Bake the apple pie on a hot baking sheet.  The baking sheet is insurance in case any of the filling does overflow.  This also makes it easy to transfer the pie to and from the oven.  You will want to preheat the baking sheet in the oven so it’s super-hot when you place the pie on it to help crisp up the crust, much like a pizza stone.
• If your crust is browning too quickly, place a pie crust shield on top of the pie edges to prevent them from browning too quickly. 
• Prevent burnt topping.  If the topping starts to brown too quickly, then lay a piece of foil over the top and bake on.
• Watch for a bubbling filling.  It’s important to bake the pie until you see syrup bubbling up all around the edges of the pan.  This is a sign the filling has thickened in the middle.  If your pie is runny after baking when you slice it, it most likely did not reach this stage, which is crucial to properly thickening the filling.   
• Let the apple pie cool before serving. This will give the sauce a chance to thicken a little more as it cools.  If you try and slice into a warm apple pie, it may be runny and completely fall apart, even if you have done everything right.  I opt to cool the pie completely, then refresh it when I want to serve it warm.  You can put it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process if you’d like.

Apple Dutch Pie Recipe variations

My favorite apple pie is this Dutch Apple Pie recipe – but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up!  Here are some recipe variation ideas:  

• Omit nuts.  The pecans add a nice crunch to the topping so I highly recommend them, but they can be omitted if you must.
• Swap nuts.  Use chopped walnuts or almonds instead.
• Add raisins.  Stir ½ cup raisins into the filling.
• Add cranberries.  Cranberries and apples are heavenly together!  Try replacing 1 ½ cups sliced apples with 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries.  Don’t use frozen cranberries because they will release too much moisture.
• Add quick-cooking oats to the crumble.  Use ¾ cup flour, ¾ pecans and ¾ cup oats.  Make sure you use quick cooking oats otherwise the topping will be too chewy.  If you only have old fashioned oats, you can create quick-cooking oats by pulsing them a few times in your food processor.
• Make gluten-free apple pie.   Swap the flour in this recipe with gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour. 

How to serve Dutch Apple Crumb Pie

Dutch Apple Pie is best served warm and becomes exponentially more delicious with a big, cold scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The cold, silky smooth ice cream mingled with the warm, sweet, crunchy cinnamon topping is heavenly!  You can also add a drizzle of caramel sauce, but it honestly doesn’t even need it!

How long is apple pie good for?

Apple pie will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day. Let cool completely, then tightly cover.  For longer storage, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 5 days; reheat before serving (see below).

How to reheat apple pie

Apple pie should be cooled in order for the filling to set.  In order to refresh the pie, tent it with foil and place it into a cold oven.  Turn the oven to 375 degrees, and when the preheat bell dings, leave the pie in for another 10-15 minutes.

Can you freeze Apple Pie filling?

Yes, the apple pie filling can be cooked per recipe instructions, cooled and transferred to a freezer size Ziploc bag.  Squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding to the pie.

How to freeze an entire Apple Pie

Baked and cooled pie freezes well for up to 3 months.   Place the pie in the freezer for 1-2 hours to flash freeze, then wrap it a couple times in plastic wrap followed by foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving or reheating.

Looking for more pie recipes?

• Pecan Pie
• Mini Caramel Apple Pies
• Pear Pie
• Mud Pie
• Butterfinger Pie
• Million Dollar Cookie Pie
• S’mores Pie
• Banana Coconut Cream Pie