Best Old Fashioned Dutch Apple Pie
This Dutch Apple Pie recipe layers cinnamon-spiced apples under a buttery crumb topping for the coziest slice of fall. It's easier than a lattice crust and every bit as impressive.
Why This Dutch Apple Pie Recipe Wins Every Time
If you have ever stood in front of a bakery case wondering whether to get the classic double crust apple pie or the one with the golden crumb topping, this recipe solves that dilemma for good. Dutch Apple Pie takes everything you love about a traditional apple pie, tender cinnamon spiced apples in a flaky crust, and tops it with a buttery, crumbly streusel instead of a second layer of dough. The result is a pie that is simpler to assemble, endlessly forgiving, and honestly just as impressive on the table.
This is the Best Dutch Apple Pie recipe I make every single autumn, and it has become the one my family requests over any other version. No lattice weaving required, no crimping a top crust to make it look pretty. Just a few extra minutes rubbing butter into flour and sugar, and you get a topping that turns golden and crisp in the oven while the apples underneath go soft and syrupy.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A sturdy pie dish that conducts heat evenly prevents a soggy bottom crust, and a good pastry cutter makes quick work of the crumb topping without warming the butter too much with your hands. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
Choosing the Right Apples
The apples are the heart of this Dutch Apple Pie Recipe, so it pays to choose well. You want a variety that holds its shape during the long bake but still softens enough to be tender. My go-to combination is:
- Granny Smith for tartness and structure
- Honeycrisp for natural sweetness and juice
- A mix of the two, if you can find both, for the most balanced bite
Slice the apples about a quarter inch thick. Any thinner and they will turn to mush, any thicker and they may not fully soften in the bake time.
Chef's Tip: Toss your sliced apples with the lemon juice right away. It slows down browning and adds a bright note that keeps the filling from tasting flat or overly sweet.
The Secret to a Crumb Topping That Stays Crisp
So many crumb toppings turn soft and sandy after baking. The trick to a topping that stays satisfyingly crunchy is keeping your butter cold and not overworking it. When you rub the butter into the flour and sugar, stop as soon as the mixture looks like coarse, pea sized crumbs. If it starts to look like dough, it has gone too far and will bake up dense instead of crisp.
This is also what separates a true Old Fashioned Dutch Apple Pie from other streusel desserts. The topping should shatter slightly when you cut into it, giving way to the soft apples underneath.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Best Old Fashioned Dutch Apple Pie
This Dutch Apple Pie recipe layers cinnamon-spiced apples under a buttery crumb topping for the coziest slice of fall. It's easier than a lattice crust and every bit as impressive.
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade, unbaked, fitted into a 9-inch pie dish
- 7 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced, Granny Smith or Honeycrisp preferred
- 3/8 cup granulated sugar, for the apple filling
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed, for the apple filling
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, to thicken the filling
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 tsp salt, divided between filling and topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, for the crumb topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, for the crumb topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed, for the crumb topping
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges, and set aside in the fridge while you prep the filling.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated.
Pour the apple mixture into the chilled pie crust, mounding it slightly in the center since the apples will shrink as they bake.
Make the crumb topping: in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and remaining salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work it in until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs.
Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples, covering the filling completely.
Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
If the topping browns too quickly, loosely tent the pie with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing to let the filling set.
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Baking sheet
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Make Ahead Tips
This pie is best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream melting into the crumbs. Slicing it while it's still hot from the oven will give you a beautiful puddle of filling rather than clean slices, so patience really does pay off here.
If you are wondering How To Make Dutch Apple Pie ahead of a holiday gathering, you have options. Bake it up to two days in advance and keep it loosely covered at room temperature, or prep both the filling and the crumb topping separately the day before and assemble just before baking for the freshest results.
Leftovers, if you have any, keep beautifully. Store slices covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five. A quick ten minute reheat in a low oven brings the crumb topping right back to life.
However you serve it, this Dutch Apple Pie is proof that you do not need a fussy lattice top to make a pie that feels special. Just good apples, warm spices, and a crumb topping worth fighting over.
