Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
This Dutch apple pie is filled with tender cinnamon apples and topped with a sweet, buttery crumb topping that gets a little crunchy as it bakes. It has all the amazing flavor of apple pie with a crunchy top.
I love making this pie when I want something different from a double-crust or lattice top pie. We usually make it at least once every fall while apples are in season, and the brown sugar crumble is always my favorite part.
The apple filling is sweet and lightly spiced with the best cinnamon syrup to make it extra gooey.
You can use a homemade pie crust or save time with a store-bought one. Either one works. This pie is fantastic on its own but we like it even more served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!
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Good to Know Before You Start
✓ Make-ahead dessert
✓ Freezer friendly
✓ Best after a 2-hour cooling time and slightly warmed
✓ Serves 8
My Tips for the Best Apple Pie
Use firm apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji, or Gala, and slice them about ¼-inch thick. Keeping the slices close to the same size helps them soften at the same rate.
The pie shell will look very full when you add the apples. That’s normal. They shrink as they bake, and the top may settle a little unevenly. Mine often does, which is why I jokingly call it my imperfect Dutch apple pie.
Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet before it goes into the oven, and keep another piece of foil nearby in case the topping begins to brown too quickly.
Serve it with homemade vanilla ice cream, bourbon whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. For a classic lattice top version, try my Granny Smith apple pie.
How to Make Dutch Apple Pie
Chill the crust: Fit the unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Make the crumb topping: Pulse the flour, softened butter, and brown sugar in a food processor just until small clumps and balls begin to form. Refrigerate the topping while you prepare the apples.
Fill the pie: Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Pour the apples and all their juices into the chilled crust.
Add the topping: Form the crumb mixture into clusters of different sizes. Spread them over the apples all the way to the edge of the crust.
Bake: Set the pie on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 45 to 55 minutes. The filling should be bubbling and the topping should be golden brown. Loosely tent the pie with foil if the crust or topping browns too quickly.
Cool and serve: Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. It cuts most cleanly when chilled, but you can serve it cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed.
More Pie Recipes
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 1 pie crust, homemade or store bought (9-inch crust)
Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
Filling:
- 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ -inch thick
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Fit the unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Refrigerate it for 1 hour while you prepare the crumb topping and filling.1 pie crust
- Add the flour, softened butter, and brown sugar to a food processor. Pulse just until small clumps and balls of dough form. Refrigerate the crumb topping until ready to use.1 cup all-purpose flour½ cup unsalted butter½ cup light brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place the apple slices in a large bowl and toss them with the lemon juice. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, and toss until the apples are evenly coated.3 pounds apples1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice½ cup granulated sugar½ cup light brown sugar3 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 tablespoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pour the apples and any juices in the bowl into the chilled pie crust.
- Form the crumb topping into clusters of different sizes. Arrange them over the apples all the way to the edges of the crust.
- Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crumb topping is golden brown. Loosely tent the pie with foil if the crust or topping browns too quickly.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing.
- Serve cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed with vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce.
Notes
- Firm apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji, or Gala work well. Slice them evenly so they soften at about the same rate.
- The uncooked pie will look very full. The apples shrink as they bake, and the top of the pie may settle unevenly.
- Cover the cooled pie and keep it at room temperature for up to 24 hours or refrigerate it for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap the cooled pie tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- The pie is easiest to slice when it’s cold.
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients and a serving size of one slice. Actual calories will vary.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made this pie on Thanksgiving, and my extended family enjoyed it so much they asked me to make it again two days ago. It was even better the second time because I made the streusel look even prettier. I am vegan, so I used a plant-based butter and everyone raved !