This Dutch Apple Pie is made with a flaky buttery pie crust, perfectly sweetened apple filling, and a cinnamon flavored crumble topping. This cross between a traditional apple pie and an apple crumble is the perfect pie!
I am a huge fan of a Classic Apple Pie, especially one made with a homemade, buttery crust. This Dutch Apple Pie takes a classic apple pie and adds a crumbly, buttery twist. Instead of the traditional top pastry crust, a delicious streusel topping flavored with cinnamon tops the delicious pie. Baked until golden brown, the crumble topping adds a nice sweet crunchy contrast to the tender apple filling beneath it.
You really can’t beat the comfort and delight of a perfectly spiced apple pie filling. For this dutch apple pie, juicy apple slices get coated in sugar and warm spices and then bake up until tender, making their own glossy sauce in the process.
Sandwiched between a buttery homemade pie crust and that delicious cinnamon streusel layer, you really can’t go wrong. The end result is a buttery, cinnamon-scented, rustic pie that is perfect with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why we love this recipe
- It’s delicious! Perfectly spiced, sweet, with a touch of tartness. It has all the makings of a perfect apple pie!
- A homemade buttery pie crust is easy to make in a food processor. If you want to make this pie even easier, you can use a store-bought pie crust.
- The crumble topping adds a crunchy texture and more cinnamon flavor to the pie. It also makes a sweeter pie than a traditional double crust pie since the steusel topping contains more sugar.
- A streusel topping is the easiest way to top a pie! No rolling out an extra pie crust, no finicky lattice crusts, just a simple crumbly top.
What is the difference between a Dutch Apple Pie and a regular Apple Pie?
While a regular apple pie contains a double crust – a bottom crust and a top crust, Dutch apple pies replace the top crust with a buttery crumble or streusel topping. The result is a sweeter pie than a traditional double crust pie since the crumble topping contains more sugar (whereas the pie crust does not contain any sugar).
Essentially, Dutch apple pies are a cross between a traditional apple pie and an apple crumble. Just like these two traditional desserts, they all go so well with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients for Dutch Apple Pie
- Apples: peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick. You will need about 4 large apples for this pie. I prefer honey crisp but other varieties such as Granny Smith, Pink lady, Braeburn, and Golden delicious work as well. Opt for firm varieties so that they hold their shape when baking.
- Vanilla extract: Added flavor.
- Sugar: granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in both the filling and the crumble topping.
- Flour: Used in the pie crust, the filling (as a thickener), and the crumble topping.
- Lemon juice: A little lemon juice is added to the filling.
- Cornstarch: Used to help thicken the filling.
- Warm spices and seasonings: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Butter: Cold butter is used to make the pie crust and melted butter is used for the crumble topping. I prefer to use unsalted butter and then add salt as needed to the pie components, but you can use a salted butter – just be mindful of how salty the brand you use is as you may need to adjust or omit the extra salt in the recipe.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
How to make Dutch Apple Pie
Dutch apple pie requires 3 components to be made and then you can easily assemble the pie before baking. Essentially, you need to:
- Prepare the filling.
- Make the pie crust.
- Make the crumb topping.
- Assemble and bake.
Prepare the filling:
- To make the filling, add all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and toss together to coat the apples evenly. Set aside.
Make the pie crust:
- Preheat oven to 425F. To make crust, add flour and salt in food processor. Add cold butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons of ice cold water and pulse a few times. The dough should be beginning to clump together. If it is not, add more water and pulse.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and set it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your pie.
Make the crumb topping:
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter. You should end up with a sandy mixture with some clumps. Place the topping in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble and bake the pie:
- Place the pie dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the pie dough disk to be slightly larger than your pie dish. Carefully transfer it onto the pie plate and trim the overhanging dough, leaving about an inch of overhang. Fold the overhang underneath and then crimp the edges of the pie crust.
- Fill the pie crust with the apple filling.
- Sprinkle the pie with the crumb topping mixture, ensuring the whole pie is covered.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425F and then reduce temperature to 350. Bake for 40-50 more minutes or until the crust is a nice golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove the pie and let it cool slightly before slicing to allow the filling to set. Slice and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Storing Dutch Apple Pie
Dutch Apple Pie can be stored at room temperature for a day or two or up to 5 days in the fridge. Once the pie has cooled, cover it well with plastic wrap for storage.
Baked Dutch apple pie can also be frozen for longer storage. Once your baked pie has cooled, wrap it well with plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil or transfer it to a freezer bag. This will prevent the pie from getting freezer burn. You can freeze the pie for up to 3 months.
You can defrost a frozen pie in the fridge overnight and then pop it in the oven at 350F to warm it up again when you are ready to serve.
FAQs
I opt for using unsalted butter for my pie and then add salt to the pie components. You can certainly use salted butter for this pie. Just be mindful of how salty your particular brand of butter is and adjust the salt in the recipe as needed – or omit it altogether.
Yes, you can! The pie crust can be made using a vegetable shortening such as Crisco instead of butter. For the crumble topping, you can use a mild-tasting oil instead of the melted butter. A dairy-free butter substitute can also be used.
You can definitely use a store-bought crust to save you some time. You only need one prepared pie crust for this recipe.
Yes! Dutch apple pie can be made ahead of time, making this the perfect dessert for holidays and pot lucks. Once baked, you can store the prepared pie at room temperature for a day or two, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. See the section on storing your apple pie for storage tips.
Looking for more apple treats? Check out:
Classic Apple Pie
Apple Cake (Greek Milopita)
Apple Ginger Galette
Apple Roses with Puff Pastry
Puff Pastry Apple Tarts
Apple Pie Bars
Air Fryer Apple Chips
Healthy Apple Oat Muffins
Apple Nachos
Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake
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Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the apple pie filling:
- 4 large apples peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Pie Crust
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter cold, cubed
- 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water
Fro the crumb topping:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Make the filling:
- To make the filling, add all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and toss together to coat the apples evenly. Set aside.
Make the pie crust:
- Preheat oven to 425F. To make crust, add flour and salt in food processor. Add cold butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons of ice cold water and pulse a few times. The dough should be beginning to clump together. If it is not, add more water and pulse.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and set it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your pie.
Make the crumb topping:
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter. You should end up with a sandy mixture with some clumps. Place the topping in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble and bake your pie:
- Place the pie dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the pie dough disk to be slightly larger than your pie dish. Carefully transfer it onto the pie plate and trim the overhanging dough, leaving about an inch of overhang. Fold the overhang underneath and then crimp the edges of the pie crust.
- Fill the pie crust with the apple filling.
- Sprinkle the pie with the crumb topping mixture, ensuring the whole pie is covered.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425F and then reduce temperature to 350. Bake for 40-50 more minutes or until the crust is a nice golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove the pie and let it cool slightly before slicing to allow the filling to set. Slice and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
