This homemade Dutch Apple Pie is a showstopping holiday-worthy dessert. It is everything you love about a classic apple pie, but the bubbly pie filling is topped with an irresistible buttery crumb topping in place of the top crust. It’s simple to make and assemble, but really wows on the dessert table!
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We love apple recipes from Classic Apple Pie, Apple Turnovers, and Baked Apples to Apple Coffee Cake (which is my idea of a perfect morning!). There is nothing like the sweet smell of homemade apple desserts, especially in the Fall when apples are ripe and in season.
Dutch Apple Pie Video Tutorial:
Watch Natasha make this Dutch Apple Pie recipe, and be sure to listen for our quick apple-slicing tip in the video. It really does make prepping apples super fast and fun.
What is a Dutch Apple Pie?
Dutch Apple Pie is a crumb-topped apple pie or a mash-up between apple pie and apple crisp. We use a traditional homemade butter crust to line the pie plate, and then we fill it with our fan-favorite apple pie filling as you would for classic Apple Pie.
Then, instead of topping it with another woven crust, we switch it up, using a heavenly mixture of Fall spices, sugar, butter, and chopped pecans, like the streusel of an Apple Crisp, and sprinkle it over the apples. The result is so tasty and makes my house smell amazing.
Ingredients for Dutch Apple Pie
Check your pantry and fridge for everything you need to make this Dutch Apple Pie recipe. It’s the simple ingredients that make it so unforgettable!
- Pie Crust – our homemade pie crust is easy to make and worth the extra few minutes. Use one from the recipe and freeze the other. You can also use a pre-made pie crust.
- Apples – 1.25 lbs of Granny Smith apples equals about 6 apples. See our list below for apple substitutes.
- Filling – cinnamon, butter, flour, water, sugar
The Best Apples for Dutch Apple Pie
We highly recommend using Granny Smith Apples for most apple desserts because the tangy apples contrast the sweetness of the filling. While Granny Smith works best, here are some tips for substitutions:
- Crisp/tart apples that are not overly ripe work best, like Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady or Honey Crisp.
- Adjust the sugar – For sweeter apples, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over your apple slices to balance the sweetness and reduce the sugar in the filling.
- Mix and mingle – For more flavor, you can mix apple varieties such as sweet Honeycrisp with tart Granny Smith.
Ingredients for the Crumb Topping
- Flour – we use all-purpose flour to give the crumb structure
- Sugar – we combine brown sugar and granulated sugar,
- Spice – cinnamon adds warmth and compliments the filling and salt balances the sweetness
- Unsalted Butter – helps the crumbs stick together and crisp up
- Chopped pecans – add nutty flavor and crunch
Pro Tip:
You can leave out the pecans if you don’t prefer nuts or have an allergy. You can also replace them with chopped walnuts, sliced or slivered almonds, shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds or even some rolled oats.
How to Slice Apples for Dutch Apple Pie
You can peel, core, and slice the apples by hand with a knife, but the fastest and easiest way is to use an Apple Slicer. It does all of the prep in one step. Watch the video tutorial above to see this in action. We recommend cutting the slices 1/4″ thick for this Deep Dish Dutch Apple Pie.
How to Make Dutch Apple Crumb Pie
A Dutch apple pie sounds fancy but the process is simple and you will impress everyone with your stunning finished dessert. This recipe has a generous amount of filling so we recommend a deep-dish pie pan.
- Prep the Oven – Preheat to 375°F and place one oven rack on the bottom and one in the center.
- Make the Crust – roll a chilled pie disk and then transfer it to a pie pan. Crimp the edges.
Pro Tip:
The easiest way to transfer a pie crust is to wrap it around your rolling pin and then unroll it into your pie pan, like in the photos above.
- Prep Apples – Peel, core and slice the apples to 1/4″ thick. Toss with cinnamon.
- Make the Apple Filling – in a saucepan, melt butter, then whisk in flour. Add sugar and water. Stir sauce into sliced apples then pour apples over the bottom crust.
- Make Crumb Topping – using your hands or a pastry blender, form pea-sized crumbles from flour, brown and granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter, then add pecans. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples.
- Bake Uncovered at 375˚F for 55 minutes and allow to cool for 1 hour before serving. This helps the filling set and it will be easier to slice.
How to Know When Dutch Apple Pie is Done
The pie is done when you see bubbling juices at the edges coming through the topping. You can also check with an instant-read thermometer. Pectin breaks down and softens the apples at 175˚, so you want your pie filling to reach 175˚F.
How to Serve Dutch Apple Pie
Dutch apple pie will get all the attention on a Dessert Table. It’s truly delicious and smells heavenly! After baking, you’ll want to cool it for about an hour so it sets up a bit for easier slicing. I like to serve it warm, but you can also serve it at room temperature or chilled right out of the fridge.
If you want to make the pie even more decadent, serve it with:
- Vanilla Ice Cream scooped over each slice
- Caramel Sauce drizzled over the pie
- Whipped Cream lightly sweetened like in our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Make-Ahead
We love to make and serve the pie the same day it is made but you can pre-make portions of the pie or even bake the entire apple pie with crumb topping ahead.
- Pie Crust – The homemade pie dough can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use. You can even mold it in the pie pan ahead, cover it, and refrigerate it a day ahead.
- Crumble Topping – you can make the topping a day ahead, cover it, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Storing the Finished Pie – the pie can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated a day ahead. Bring the pie to room temperature or slightly warm it in the oven before serving.
Everything about this Dutch Apple Pie is good, from the flaky pastry dough to the warm gooey apple filling and crisp buttery pecan topping. It’s a must-try for your next Holiday Menu!
More Holiday Desserts
If you love this Dutch Apple Pie recipe, then you won’t want to miss these holiday desserts. These are the fan favorites that are most popular for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
- Pumpkin Cake
- Tiramisu
- Red Velvet Cake
- Toffee
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Baklava
- Banana Bread
- Tres Leches Cake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
Dutch Apple Pie Recipe (Apple Crumb Pie)
Ingredients
For the Dutch Apple Pie:
- 1 pie crust , (1/2 of our pie dough recipe)
- 2 1/4 lbs granny smith apples, 6 medium apples
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For the Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F with a rack on the bottom and a rack in the center of the oven.
- Roll out your chilled pie dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12” diameter circle. Transfer to a 9” pie pan. Tuck excess pie dough into the dish and crimp the edges.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice apples to about 1/4” thickness. You should have 7 cups of sliced apples. Place them in a mixing bowl and stir in 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/4 cup water, 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering for 3 minutes, whisking frequently then remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat the apple slices. Pour apples over bottom crust.
- To Make the Crumb Topping, stir together dry ingredients: flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter and work it into the mixture with our hands until pea-size crumbs form throughout the mixture. Stir in pecans. Spread the crumb topping evenly over your apples
- Bake uncovered at 375˚F for 50-60 minutes (we found 55 minutes to be perfect), or until the center of the pie registers 175˚F. Place a sheet of foil on the bottom rack to catch any drips from the pie. If topping is browning too much, cover with a sheet of foil. Remove from oven and cool 1 hour to allow the filling to set so it’s easier to slice.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I just made this for my family for Sunday lunch. Served it with double cream. Wow! Not a crumb left – it was so delicious that everyone was quiet as a mouse whilst eating, which in our house is very unusual. At the end, I received a chorus of “scrumptious”, “best pie ever”, “to die for” etc.; and one very clean pie dish! Thought you should know that, Natasha – those words should be for you as it’s your recipe! 🙂
Very easy to make, wouldn’t change a thing. I would have used all granny smith apples but I only had two so had to use the bramley apples I had as well. The combination of the two was amazing. But next time will use all granny smiths.
Well done, Natasha! Your recipes always work and are full of flavour. I can see that you put a lot of work into what you do and I for one definitely appreciate it – you work hard.
Thank you so much for your excellent comments and review! We appreciate and we’re glad that you love this recipe.
I used your Dutch Apple pie recipe
for Christmas.
I had a bushel of apples that I had purchased from my grandsons FFA (future farmers of america) program. I used half to can some apple butter for gifts and the rest .well, I used your pie recipe and made nine pies for family and neighbors, Every said how delicious. Thank you.
I love cooking with you
I’m so glad you gave this recipe a try, Betty! That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
By far, the best apple pie I have ever made!! I was at my daughter in laws house so I didn’t make the crust from scratch, opting for a frozen one. Would recommend the deep dish if you choose to go with a frozen crust. Can not say enough about the pie, it was amazing & I am not even a huge apple pie fan!!
Hello Julie, thank you for your amazing comments and feedback. We’re happy to see this great review!
Thanks for this recipe. I made the pie for our holiday gathering yesterday. Everyone commented on the crumble. I followed the directions as written and it baked perfectly
Glad to her that it was a success!
Nice pie and I’m sure it tastes good. But, it’s not a Dutch apple pie. The real Dutch apple pie ‘appeltaart’ is not with crumble. But again, it looks yum~.
Dutch apple pie is indeed with crumbly toppings. Natasha has it right.
I like to use half a cup of brown sugar in my sauce which is more than plenty. Wonderful recipe.
Made this pie for Thanksgiving. Everything about the recipe is wonderful. I did tweek one ingredient. I used good quality apple juice for the water (Simply brand because I cannot get quality apple cider where I live now). I am not a fan of Granny Smith apples. That was what I could get so that was what I used. Pie was very good, but I broke down and ordered Northen Spy apples today from my home state of Michigan. Soon as they arrive, I will make the pie again. Natasha, I am 71 years old and my first memory of food is helping my mother can tomatoes at 4 years old. I made food my profession. I have many nieces and they often reach out to me for a recipe. I frequently send them to your site because you do it so well. They love the videos.
Thank you so much for the love and support, Cathy! I’m so glad you loved this recipe.
We made this at Thanksgiving and people are still talking about it. We left out the pecans due to allergy and it was still delicious.
That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Happy (early) Thanksgiving!
I love making this apple pie! I will be making a few for tomorrow and was wondering if I can pre-make the pies, cover and store them in the fridge overnight and bake them in the morning?
Happy Thanksgiving, Alicia! Yes you may. Please read the Make-Ahead Tips in the middle portion of the recipe.
Had to rewrite this comment as the website reloaded just as i was about to click submit 😭 I’ve only made this recipe once before last year and it was a crowd pleaser! However my butter sauce came out clumpy this time. I followed instructions to a tee besides using half the sugar and maybe letting cook a 1-2 too long. I was whisking constantly. Do you know what could of caused that? I’m still going to use it in my pie, do you that’ll be fine? Thank you for all your lovely recipes! Happy Holidays!
Hi Joselyne, if it’s overheated, that could happen, but not to worry! It will all come together in the oven, just go ahead and mix it with the apples as best you can and let the oven do the work.
So excited to make this pie for Thanksgiving. Just want to make sure, I don’t need to blind bake the pie crust before adding the apple mixture?
Hi Jenny! No, you do not need to pre-bake it. I hope you love the recipe.
Hopefully I am not the only one so happy you showed how to use the apple peeler tool! lol I have one and was like hmmm Thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂
I have a question! I would like to try freezing it like you said and then baking it from the frozen state, if I take the pie out the freezer that’s in the dish and then put it in the oven won’t it Crack? Should I bring it back up to room temperate? I know its a silly question I just want to do it right!
Hi Lindsey! Baking it from a frozen state is recommended. Thawing it can lead to soggy pie.
Natasha, you mentioned the pie bakes up well if frozen in the comments. Can I make the pie and then freeze it uncooked? Or do you recommend baking, cooling and then freezing it? The recipe is amazing. I am out of town the next 5 days before thanksgiving and wanted to make it ahead so I can bake it fresh that day.
Hi Heather, yes- you can freeze it unbaked and then bake it from a frozen state.
Hi Natasha…For Thangsgiving my granddaughter asked me to make her a Dutch Apple Pie. I came across your recipe so tried. Filling and topping were great. Now the crust! I knew I was going to have trouble with it and I did. Everything was very cold. I don’t have a blender so used my pastry cutter. The pastry was cracker like and hard. I tried to cut a piece and couldn’t get pie out of the dish. It was like glued to the bottom of the dish. As the pie baked there was a great deal of the sugar mixture on the bottom bubbling away. Maybe this caused it to glue to the dish bottom. I’ve always used my grandmother’s crisco recipe. This was a little different. HELP!
Hi Karen! I’m sorry to hear that. Sticking usually happens when there is a crack in the pie crust and the filling leaks out, baking between the crust and the pan. The hard crust could also have been a result of using too much flour or possibly the type of pan you used. Different pans distribute heat differently and can cause the crust to get too hard (over-cooked) or undercooked. Here is my amazon affiliate link to my pie dish. I recommend watching my tutorial on how I measure my ingredients. I hope that helps.
Hello Natasha!
I’ve made your delicious apple pie recipe before and planning on making again for Thanksgiving. Is it possible to make the filling ahead of time and freeze it? Then thaw and bake a few days ahead?
Thanks!
~Maria
I have tried making it ahead and refrigerating it. I recommend checking the Make-Ahead Tips in the middle of the recipe.
As a Dutchman I am missing gin soaked raisins in the apple mixture, but apart from that it is a great recipe and tasty too!
What a great recipe! I substituted brown sugar for white in the sauce…. really turned out caramelly. I used your all butter crust recipe and method. So simple! Great results. thanks!
Hello Marnie, lovely to know that it worked so well too! Thanks a lot for sharing.
What a great recipe! I substituted brown sugar for white in the sauce…. really turned out caramelly. I used your all butter crust recipe and method. So simple! Great results. thanks!
Good to know that you loved the result!
Great pie! I went with Granny Smith and honey crisp apples and the pie was a huge hit! Will be my go to from now on. Thanks!
Yay that’s great, Gina!
Best apple pie I have ever made. I love this recipe. I used macintosh and granny smith apples.
Aaaw, thank you! You’re the sweetest!
Made this delicious recipe using Fuyu persimmons Instead of apples. Added the juice of 1 lemon to add some tart. The rest of the recipe I kept the same. Everyone loves it! All Natasha’s recipes are a hit in my house!
Good to know that this recipe was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing, Joann.