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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.
Table of Contents
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 pie filling and the crumble topping to get the BEST ever dutch apple pie recipe!
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.
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.
Apple Crumble Pie Recipe
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 Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
See more of my ultimate pie recipes here!
Favorite Fruit Pies
Last Updated on May 30, 2023
This recipe is amazing. I’ve used the same recipe for 40 years and it was just not “crumbly” enough. I hesitated using 1 1/2 c. flour, but that was what was missing in my old recipe. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
This is by far the best Dutch Apple pie I have ever made, and is my go-to receive!! Thank you for sharing!!
I am not one to leave reviews but this is the second recipe i have tried from this website. The first was the peach pie and I have to say.. it’s amazing! I had many people coming up to me asking for the recipe and felt so happy for doing something that everyone at the table enjoyed. Congratulations!
I just made this for my husband (he eats a lot of apple pie) He Loved It! Thank you. I have only made one other pie from scratch in my life.
No thickening agent?
I am so glad I ran across this recipe. Pre-cooking the apples! Why didn’t I think of that?! I never liked the crispness of apples in apple pies and now I think you’ve hit on the solution. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you so much.
I’m shopping for an apple peeler. Which of the dozen or so peelers on your link do you recommend?
Hi, I’ve tried your all butter crust and love it!
Would love to taste your crumb apple pie but I live in Portugal, no american cups here, just pure old metric sistem. Do you by any chance have the weights for the ingredients for the crumb apple pie? Thanks
Hi Dorothy. I loved your tutorial on pie crust and apple crumb pie is my favorite! Your story behind it and the start of your blog is so cute. Honestly all your apple crumb pie pics look delish to me. It sooo reminds of pie baking at holiday time with my Mama when I was growing up. We made all kinds of pie together. She was a gourmet cook. Didn’t matter the food or recipe it was delish! I miss all this & her every year starting in October to the point I could cry. She was so loved. So, your pie video pulled up a big black pic & I couldnt get it to play. Can you fix it please? I’ve already bookmarked the crumb pie recipe! THANKS for everything. I love crazyforcrust!
Pre cooking the apples makes this the best pie. I used Truvia baking blend and it turned out excellent. Whole family loved it. I will use this recipe from now on.
I would like to make this in a 9×13 pan – would this recipe work here?
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