Dutch Apple Pie

A classic Dutch Apple Pie Recipe with a flaky, buttery homemade pie crust, a perfect homemade apple pie filling with a touch of cinnamon, loads of crumb topping, and just the right balance of tartness and sweetness. This pie always gets rave reviews from friends and family. With just a few easy steps and some helpful tips, you too can serve this apple pie at your next holiday celebration, dinner party, or family feast.

We just love fresh homemade pie, just like Grandma used to fix. It brings back such wonderful memories of past holidays and festive times. This pie, Blueberry Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, and Easy Southern Pecan Pie are just a few of our favorites.

What is different about a Dutch Apple Pie

The difference between a Dutch apple pie (aka apple crumble pie) and a classic apple pie recipe is the topping. A Dutch Apple Pie has a delicious crumble streusel topping made of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. While a traditional pie has a flaky pastry crust for both the bottom and the top. It is a nice change of pace and one of our favorite apple pies.

How to make a Dutch Apple Pie

Start with the pie dough

Start by freezing your butter and chilling the water. Then whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Now shred the frozen butter right into the bowl with the flour and stir to coat as you go so the butter does not clump together. Next, stir the water and cider vinegar together. Now add the water mixture a tablespoon at a time mixing with a fork just until the dough starts to clump and pull together. Use your hands to finish mixing it. Next, form into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Then chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

After the dough has thoroughly chilled, gently roll out the disk to a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Then fold the piecrust or roll it around your rolling pin to move it to the pie plate. Next, gently tuck it into the pie pan, trim the edge about an inch over the side, tuck it in along the edge, and flute it or crimp it. Next, carefully and gently tuck an aluminum foil overhang into the pie crust. Fill with sugar, dried beans, or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil. Then prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Make the crumble topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using a fork, add the flour stirring just until mixed. Then place the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes while you make the pie filling.

Make the apple filling and finish the pie

Now in a small saucepan, combine the butter, water, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over medium low heat bringing the mixture to a boil while stirring frequently. Then simmer for 3 minutes. Pour over the sliced apples and toss to coat. Now spoon the apple mixture into the pie crust, laying the apples flat as you go. Then, remove the crumb topping from the fridge and use a fork to break it up. Sprinkle the crumb mixture in an even layer over the apples and place the pie dish on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for several hours before slicing. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• Pro-tip – make the piecrust the night before, shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate it. It gives the gluten strands in the dough time to relax, makes it so much easier to roll out, and limits quite a bit of shrinkage. It also helps make pie day a little less stressful with one task already being completed.
• Work on a well yet evenly floured surface so your crust does not stick. You can always use a fine, dry pastry brush to remove excess flour.
• Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick.
• Spritz your sliced apples with a little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
• Layer the apple pie filling as best you can into the pie crust with the apple pieces lying down.
• For a change of pace, add finely chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb topping.
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and take this recipe over the top.
• Fruit pies are best baked on a baking sheet since the pie filling needs to bubble for 6-10 minutes in order to set properly.
• If the pie browns too fast, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
• It is best to refrigerate the crumb topping for 15 minutes so the mixture forms into crumbs more easily and spreads over the top with little effort.
• For an extra special treat, drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
• Serve this pie chilled or at room temperature.
• Cover with plastic wrap or foil and store on the counter for 2 days. Then refrigerate for up to 2 more days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

What can you use for pie weights?

Pie weights keep the crust from puffing, shrinking, and slumping. Granulated sugar makes the best pie weight because it is already in your kitchen, it is heavy, and it fills all those little nooks and crannies. First, use aluminum foil to cover the crust. Then, gently press the aluminum foil into the corners and let it overhang over both ends of the pie plate. Then, simply fill it with sugar and bake according to recipe directions. Once baked, let it cool a bit, then scoop the sugar out using a measuring cup or large spoon and place the sugar in a large zipper bag. Once there is enough weight removed, maneuver the aluminum foil like a funnel and pour the sugar into the bag. Do it over the sink to keep messes to a minimum.

For an added bonus, keep the sugar in the pantry for the next pie or use it in another baking recipe in which you would enjoy a little more complexity from lightly toasted sugar. Of course, you could also use dried beans, popcorn kernels, or rice. However, they will be too dry to use in a future recipe, but you can use them again as pie weights.

Best apples for baking

My go-to apples for baking are crisp tart apples like Granny Smith Apples or Honey Crisp Apples. Other good choices are Braeburn Apples or Pink Lady Apples (also known as Cripps Pink). You can also do a mixture of all of these or any of these for more texture and flavor. Cut your apples into chunks or slices that are at least 1/4-inch thick to help keep a little bit of firmness through the baking process. For best results, stir them with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning while you are making your way through the recipe.

Other apple recipes you will love

Best Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

A homemade Dutch Apple Pie with a fresh flaky crust, tender granny smith and pink lady apples, and oodles of butter crumb topping.

4.99 from 59 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 625kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Pie Crust Recipe

• 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter frozen
• 4-5 tablespoons chilled water
• ½ teaspoon cider vinegar

Crumble Topping

• 7 tablespoons butter melted
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup flour

Apple Pie Filling

• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 ½ lbs. granny smith and pink lady apples cored peeled, and cut in 1/4 inch slices (or honeycrisp)

Instructions

• Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Shred the frozen butter right into the bowl with the flour and stir to coat as you go so the butter does not clump together.  Stir the water and cider vinegar together. Add the water mixture 1 tablespoon at a time mixing with a fork just until the dough starts to clump and pull together. Use your hands to finish mixing it. Form it into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• After the dough has thoroughly chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Gently roll out the disk to a 12-inch circle on a well-floured surface.  Fold the pie crust or roll it around your rolling pin to move it to the pie plate. Gently tuck it into the pie pan, trim the edge about an inch over the side, tuck it in along the edge, and flute it.
• Carefully and gently tuck an aluminum foil overhang into the piecrust.  Fill with pie weights.  Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil. Using a fork prick the bottom of the pie crust about 10-15 times.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Using a fork, add the flour stirring just until mixed.  Cover and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine the butter, water, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Cook over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring frequently.  Simmer for 3 minutes.  Pour over the sliced apples and toss to coat.
• Spoon into the pie crust, laying the apples flat as you go.  Remove the crumb topping from the fridge and use a fork to break it up.  Spoon the mixture evenly over the apples and place the pie on a baking sheet.  Bake uncovered in a 375 oven for 50-55 minutes.  Cool on a rack for several hours before slicing.

Notes

• Pro-tip - make the piecrust the night before, shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate it. It gives the gluten strands in the dough time to relax, makes it so much easier to roll out, and limits quite a bit of shrinkage. It also helps make pie day a little less stressful with one task already being completed.
• Work on a well yet evenly floured surface so your crust does not stick. You can always use a fine, dry pastry brush to remove excess flour.
• Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick.
• Spritz your sliced apples with a little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
• Layer the apple pie filling as best you can into the pie crust with the apple pieces lying down.
• For a change of pace, add finely chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb topping.
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and take this recipe over the top.
• Fruit pies are best baked on a baking sheet since the pie filling needs to bubble for 6-10 minutes in order to set properly.
• If the pie browns too fast, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
• It is best to refrigerate the crumb topping for 15 minutes so the mixture forms into crumbs more easily and spreads over the top with little effort.
• For an extra special treat, drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
• Serve this pie chilled or at room temperature.
• Cover with plastic wrap or foil and store on the counter for 2 days. Then refrigerate for up to 2 more days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 1093IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

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