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My absolute favorite thing: an Apple Crumble Pie recipe! This is a delicious apple pie with crumb topping. The tart apples with the sweet crumb topping is the perfect combination!
This pie is the reason I started my blog! I’ve been making this pie for over 25 years and everyone loves it. It’s my most requested pie recipe whenever a holiday hits. If you bring this pie to Thanksgiving you’ll be the hit of the party!
Why This Recipe Works
With the from scratch crust, apples that are the perfect texture, and buttery sweet crumble topping, this pie is sure to be a hit. I have been making this pie for over 25 years and every single person who tastes it loves it.
I first posted this pie in the early days of this blog. I’m not going to link it because, really, no one needs to see those horrible photos. Then I updated it back in 2012. I reshot it and reposted but I still didn’t know how to take pictures of food properly.
The first time I made this pie, I was in college. My mom was hosting Thanksgiving and I wanted to make my OWN pie recipe. I scoured her Better Homes & Gardens red-checked cookbook and found a crumb apple pie recipe that I then altered to make the perfect dutch apple pie.
Over the years I’ve fine tuned the crust, the apple filling and the crumble topping to get the BEST ever dutch apple pie recipe!
Apple Pie with Crumble Topping Recipe Video
Table of Contents
Look at that crumb? You guys, I’m drooling, for real.
Apple Pie with Crumble vs Dutch Apple Pie
A regular apple pie is a two crust pie. It’s got a bottom pie crust, apple pie filling, and a second pastry crust on top, either as a double crust or a lattice or other decorative topping.
A Dutch Apple Pie is also known as an Apple Crumble Pie: it’s an apple pie with crumb topping. The crumble topping is a mix of butter, sugar and flour and bakes up crunchy and sweet, which is the perfect contrast with the softened apples.
My Apple Crumble Pie Recipe is the absolute BEST; it’s a family tradition! It’s basically the same thing as a Dutch Apple Pie.
Ingredients in Apple Pie
There are three main components of apple crumble pie:
- The Crust: Use my crust recipe or buy one from the grocery store
- The Apple Filling: Granny Smith Apples, sugar, and cinnamon
- The Crumble: Butter, sugar and flour
Let’s talk about each of them separately.
What kind of crust goes best with apple pie?
Traditionally, an apple pie is made with a pastry crust. When I first started making this pie I used a refrigerated pie crust (Pillsbury). When I’m not in the crust making mood, I still use that, or a frozen pie crust.
Now, most of the time I make my favorite All Butter Pie Crust recipe. It’s easy and so good once it gets soaked with the filling. The butter makes it turn out perfect every time – no dry, burned crust here!
How do you prepare apples for apple pie?
This is where my recipe differs from most apple pie recipes and why it’s better: I cook my apples before adding them to the pie.
I hate crunchy apples in pie. My secret to the perfect apple filling? I cook the apples before adding them to the crust.
I peel, core, and slice my apples (using my handy dandy apple peeler, get one, it saves your sanity) then quarter the apple rings and boil them for just a few minutes in a pot with a bit of water.
You don’t want them to get mushy and turn to apple sauce; you want them to just be turning opaque, then immediately strain them and let them cool a few minutes. This creates the PERFECT apple filling.
Cooking the apples for a few minutes before adding them to the pie creates the perfect apple texture!
PRO TIP
What is crumble topping made of?
Dutch apple pie topping is a buttery crumble mixture made with sugar and flour. It’s actually the perfect topping for ANY fruit pie!
Ingredients in Crumb Topping:
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour
- Butter: You can use either unsalted or salted (omit salt if using salted butter)
- Sugar: Brown or granulated sugar – I use granulated for this recipe but you can use a mix.
- Salt: Add if you’re using unsalted butter.
To make the crumble topping, add all the ingredients to a large bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour/sugar until it resembles small crumbs the size of peas.
There is a LOT of crumb on this pie and it has a lot of butter and sugar which makes it SO FREAKING GOOD. The crumb cooks together in the oven so it turns into a crunchy layer on top of the perfectly cooked apples. I don’t ever even want apple pie without crumb. Heck, I’d put this on a pudding pie, a lemon pie, ANY PIE. It’s that good.
FAQ
When the top is browned and the crust is golden, the pie is done. It usually takes a good amount of time in the oven. I recommend using a pie crust shield to make sure your pie crust doesn’t get too brown (if you’re using a refrigerated crust this is more important – those cook faster than my all butter crust).
I highly recommend using Granny Smith Apples for this pie. The tart apples mixed with the sugary crumb topping are the perfect combination. Granny Smith apples are also a bit firmer and can withstand the cooking then baking process. Other apples (i.e. Gala, Fuji, Macintosh) are softer and will become mushy if you use them in this recipe.
I use about 5-7 large apples to make a 9-inch pie. Sometimes the apples are smaller, so I use more. It just depends: the apples in the you-pick section of the store of often bigger than the ones that come in the 3-pound bags. I’ll use about 5 large ones or a full 3-pound bag of smaller ones.
I do because I don’t like crunchy partially cooked apples. I simply par-cook them for just a few minutes and they end up soft but not soggy.
I always bake the pie at 425°F for about 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 350° – this helps cook the bottom crust.
Yes – you should store leftovers in the refrigerator. They’ll last about 3 days.
Yes you can – wrap it well and freeze for up to 2 months, or freeze slices in plastic baggies.
I love serving it warm, with ice cream or whipped cream.
Other pie recipes you’ll love:
- Crumble Topping for any fruit pie
- Apple Cider Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- How to make a lattice crust
- Raspberry Double-Crust Pie
- Mini Apple Crumble Pies
- Blueberry Crumble Pie (with brown sugar crumble)
Serve this pie at the holidays with:
Have you made this recipe?
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Dutch Apple Pie (Apple Crumble Pie)
Ingredients
For the pie:
- 1 All Butter Pie Crust or you can use a refrigerated pie crust
- 6-7 Granny Smith apples about 3 pounds
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the crumb:
- ⅔ cup (133g) sugar
- 1 ½ cups (186g) flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter slightly softened
Instructions
- Roll out your pie crust according to recipe or package directions and place in your 9″ pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Peel and core the apples, then slice into thin slices. I like using my 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.
- While apples are cooking, add the crumb ingredients to a large bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the ingredients together until they form coarse crumbs, about the size of a pea.
- Drain apples very well. Let them sit in the strainer for a few minutes to cool, then place them in pie crust. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon over apples. Add your crumb mixture evenly on top. Place pie on a cookie sheet to avoid mess in the oven. Cover outer edge of crust with thin strips of foil or a pie crust shield.
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Remove pie crust shield during the last 15 minutes of baking to ensure that the crust browns.
- Pie may be made a day in advance. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
See more of my ultimate pie recipes here!
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Last Updated on June 1, 2021
I would like to make The Best Crumb Apple Pie in a 9×13 – would that work with this recipe?
Love all your recipes , what a talented lady you are. The pictures have me drooling, the ingredients have my mouth watering. Thanks so much for posting them. Because of all the info you give about yourself, I feel I know you. Thanks again, Carol Anne
I had pinned your previous post, then when that one disappeared, pinned this one. It is a delicious pie and is also the best pie crust EVER. (I’ve tried a lot of pie crust recipes and this has been my go-to for at least a few years). Thank you for sharing!
I am so excited you like this pie! It’s my favorite too. 🙂
Just had to drop by and say this is literally the BEST apple pie we’ve ever had. I made it for Christmas last year because apple is my father-in-law’s favorite, and it was loved by all (even me, and I don’t like apple pie much). This will be my go-to apple pie recipe, and I’ve even made it a couple of times since just because I was craving it–it’s that good.
Hi! I hate crunchy apples too 😉 Do you think microwaving them for like 5 – 10 minutes would work as well? Love your blog as always!!!
I think that would work too! Just watch them, if they get too done they’ll turn to mush. Let me know how it works!
This pie was a disappointment. The filling was mushy and the crust was not flakey. It looked beautiful though.
I’m sorry you didn’t like it! The filling is not as crisp as a “regular” apple pie by design, as I said because I don’t like crunchy apples. It shouldn’t have been mushy, there is a chance that the apples were pre-cooked too long or not drained well. As for the crust, all butter crusts are more shortbread-like than crunchy/flaky. If you like it more flaky you can use your favorite crust recipe – I just prefer the all butter crust.
This pie turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever had/made. I did not pre-boil the apples, but did slice them thin and added 15 minutes to the overall time. The crumb topping browned beautifully without drying out, and the apples were perfection. Just another route to take if you don’t want to pre-boil.
Side note: Everything I’ve ever made from this blog is terrific. Thank you! 🙂
Oh yes, that looks delicious! Many thanks for sharing
What a fun idea to re-do old recipes! My blog is so new and my pictures are still lacking, but someday I hope to do the same 😉
Sounds amazing! But I must stop reading your blog this time of day cuz now I want dessert again! Lol
Looks great. Crumb pies are my favorite, thanks for sharing
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