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Love Apple Pie? You must try my Apple Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crumble. It’s an epic recipe with perfectly cooked apples and the best crumble you’ll ever eat.
I have been making crumb apple pie for years (in fact, it was the reason I started this blog). So when I was trying to come up with new ideas for how to improve on the original I had the idea to marry my oatmeal cookie berry crisp with my perfect crumble topping for a new version of the classic. Now I have to choose which I like better and, honestly? I can’t decide.
My secret to making apple pie is to partially cook the apples before adding them to the crust. This ensures fully cooked apples in every bite (no chewy or crunchy apples allowed!) Along with a homemade crust and that delightful brown sugar oatmeal crumble, this will become your new favorite pie recipe.
Apple and Oatmeal Crumble Ingredients
- The oatmeal crumble is the star of the show and is made with Quick-cooking oats (not old fashioned). If you don’t have them, you can make your own quick oats from rolled oats.
- Brown sugar: for the crumble because it adds so much flavor, and it’s also for the apples, along with cinnamon.
- Ground cinnamon: A must in apple pie!
- Crumble always uses COLD butter, and you should start with unsalted butter that’s been diced and re-chilled.
- Granny Smith apples are the best ones for pie. They’re hearty enough to stand up to the par-boiling and tart enough that all the added sugar won’t make your pie too sweet.
- I love my all butter pie crust recipe, but you can easily substitute your favorite recipe, a frozen crust, or one refrigerated crust (from a package of two).
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Dorothy’s Testing Notes
- I have been making versions of this pie for over 25 years and partially cooking the apples is the way to go. You know the apples are done cooking when they just start to soften. The’ll start to look the teeniest bit opaque.
- Always drain your apples really well before adding to the pie crust. Because some of the juices have been cooked out you do not need to add flour or cornstarch to the filling.
- Always make sure your pie crust is ice cold when you add the apples and crumble topping. Then bake immediately. This ensures the crust cooks through but won’t collapse or burn.
- When you make the crumble oatmeal topping, the easiest way to cut in the butter is with a pastry cutter. It’s a great tool and makes the job so much easier.
- To avoid a soggy bottom crust, I’ve found that baking the pie at a high temperature for 10-15 minutes sears the bottom, so that you can lower the oven temp to finish the cooking and the bottom gets cooked through.
Apple Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crumble
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 recipe All Butter Pie Crust
Pie Filling:
- 3 pounds Granny Smith Apples
- ¼ cup (50 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crumble Topping:
- ¾ cup (93 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 g) quick cook oats
- ¾ cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) cold unsalted butter, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges as desired. Chill until ready to fill.
- Peel and core the apples, then slice into thin slices. I like using an apple peeler for this step. Place one inch of water in the bottom of a large pot. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, approximately 3-5 minutes after water boils, or just until the apples start to turn the slightest bit opaque.
- Drain apples very well. Set aside to cool while making topping.
- Make the crumble by combining the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until the mixture forms small crumbs.
- Place apples in a large bowl. Toss with ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon. Transfer apples to prepared pie crust and top with crumble evenly.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until crust is light golden, about 35-45 minutes.
- Cool completely before slicing. Serve plain or with ice cream.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Pie can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Storing and Freezing Instructions
Once the apple crumb pie is cooled to room temperature, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
You can also freeze the baked pie for up to three months. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving it.
How to make Apple Crumb Pie with Oatmeal Crumble
- I always precook my apples for apple pie – that way they’re not crunchy. You can see they’re just slightly cooked, not too much.
- Always start crumble with cold diced or grated butter. The final mixture will be very crumbly.
- Always coat your apples with cinnamon sugar before adding to the pie crust so they’re fully coated.
- Always bake your pie on a cookie sheet in case something spills over. That is hard to clean up in your oven!
FAQs
The bottom crust will be golden around the edges, and the filling should be bubbling around the edges of the pie. The crumble topping should also be golden brown.
Nope! You can add them to the pie raw, and they will cook in the oven.
This pie is great on its own but adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or prepared whipped topping is highly recommended.
You can also go a step further and drizzle slices of pie with caramel sauce and add a sprinkle of toasted nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
The best apples will hold their shape when they bake and are tart or tart-sweet. Granny Smiths are always my first choice because they’re extra tart, balancing the sugar in the pie.
