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–+ servings
a slice Dutch Apple Pie with ice cream and caramel sauce
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Dutch Apple Pie

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. 
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

FILLING

  • 3 1/2 pounds Honeycrisp apples
  • 1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
  • 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp EACH ground ginger, ground nutmeg, allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PIE CRUST

TOPPING

Instructions

  • Pie crust: Prepare pie crust through step 4 (adding the egg wash) under “Roll Dough.” Place the crust in the freezer while you prep the topping and apples. (CLICK HERE for recipe.) SEE NOTE/WARNING IF USING GLASS PAN.
  • Topping: Whisk together the flour, pecans, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl 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 prepare the filling.
  • Slice the apples: 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.
  • Apple pie filling: Add the sugars, flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and spices to the sliced apples and set over medium heat. Gently stir until evenly coated. Cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple minutes and replacing the lid. The apples are done when they reach YOUR exact desired apple pie tenderness – they will not become more tender in the oven. They should be fork tender but still hold their shape. (No, they will not become mushy when baked, see the science behind it in the post.)
  • Once tender, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the vanilla.
  • Transfer the apples and their caramel juices to a rimmed baking sheet ( I cover the pan with a silicone mat for easy cleanup) 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.
  • 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, breaking up any large clumps with your fingers, followed by 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Place the whole pie in the fridge for 30 minutes, for a really flaky crust (See Note/Warning if using glass pie pan.)
  • Preheat oven: Immediately after transferring the pie to the fridge, place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F so the baking sheet can get nice and hot.
  • Bake: Transfer the chilled pie to the rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue to bake an additional 35-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling around the edges (if you don’t wait for it to bubble, your filling will be runny). Cover the edges with a pie shield or the top with foil if they are browning too quickly. I cover the crust halfway through cooking.
  • Cool: Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let it rest for 4 hours to cool to room temperature so the filling can set. You can pop the pie in the fridge/freezer to speed up the cooling process.
  • Reheat: After the pie has cooled you can reheat/refresh it in the oven. Tent the pie with foil and place into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 375 degrees F, and when the preheat bell dings, leave the pie in for another 10-15 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • GLASS PIE AN WARNING: I suggest a ceramic pie dish or HIGH QUALITY glass made from borosilicate glass and not soda-lime glass which seems more prone to thermal shock and shattering (newer Pyrex is not to be trusted).  To be safe, I suggest blind baking the pie crust (see pie crust post for instructions) after a short refrigeration.
  • Pre Cooking Apples: delivers a foolproof filling that is never runny, mushy or crunchy. Cooks Illustrated explains that as you cook the apples slowly, the pectin in the apples is converted to a heat-stable form which prevents the apples from continuing to cook in the oven – so no, the apples will NOT become mushy when baked! 
  • Cooling the Apple Pie: 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. 

Make-Ahead Tips:

You can either make the pie completely ahead of time or pre-make portions of the pie.  Here’s how:
  • Pie Crust:  the dough can be made 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. You can also go one step further and mold it in the pie pan, brush with egg wash, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  You can freeze the pie dough or the formed pie crust, covered tightly for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Apple Pie Filling:  can be made/cooked two days ahead of time, covered tightly and refrigerated for one day. 
  • Crumble Topping:  can be made two days ahead of time, covered tightly and refrigerated until ready to use.
  • Finished Pie: the pie can be baked, cooled, covered and stored at room temperature one day before serving. Reheat in the oven per recipe instructions before serving.

Storage

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 freeze

  • Apple filling: 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.
  • The whole 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.