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.
Made this with my daughter came out so good .
That’s great to hear, Laura!
Easy to make and very tasty. Wanted to try a new recipe and this will now be my go to recipe for Dutch apple pie.
This is so delicious, I’ve made 2 in the last 2 weeks! What is the best way to store this pie?
Hi Marcia, you can leave it at room temperature overnight and refrigerate if storing for longer. Once it cools to room temperature, cover it so it doesn’t dry out.
Every holiday gathering it’s been requested i bring the apple pie thanks to this recipe ❤️
You are so very welcome!
Making this pie today for Thanksgiving. I want to add gluten free oats, what measurement should I use?
Hi Jayne! I haven’t tried making this crumble topping with oats. One of my viewers reported good results using oats, but I am not sure if she made any adjustments to the measurements.
I followed the crumb recipe to a T, I doubled the amts because my pie was a little bigger and I wanted to make sure it was covered, but it came out more like cookie dough instead of a pea-sized crumb topping. Not quite sure what I did wrong.
Hi RB! It sounds like either the butter was too soft, or the dough was over worked.
Have an order to make a Dutch apple pie and your recipes never let me down so decided to go with this one. However wondering if I should use a disposable pan or if I use a glass pan how to get it out to I can package for the customer! Any advice?
Hi Lauren! I have not tested a disposable pan but they are typically smaller so you’ll need to adjust there (I use a 9” deep pie pan). They also tend to bake faster so you’ll have to watch it in the oven.
The best pie I have made and I have tried quite a lot thank you it’s the only one I make now after finding your recipe I highly recommend
Made this pie last year and it was great! Although I am afraid my dish was too big. What is the best size pie dish to use?
Hi Emily, I used this deep-dish pie pan. You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
I posted but forgot to include 5 stars. Such a delicious pie!!!
I made this pie yesterday, using apples from our tree that were frozen , but I thawed before baking. The pie was the best Dutch Apple I’ve ever had. However today when we had another slice, the apples were rather mushy and the crumbles did not crunch as it did yesterday Any advice?
Hello Carlene! There could be several causes for that but you can try these suggestions. You can pre-cook or drain the apples, consider blind baking the crust, let the pie cool completely before storing it and choose a firmer apple variety. Hope that helps.
Yummy! Made it today. Love the idea of cooking the flour, etc. then adding to the filling. Pie wasn’t runny at all. I did change the topping to my oatmeal crumble, but everything else was the same. Definitely a keeper. Looking foto trying more of your recipes.
So easy and so yummy. Came out perfectly, thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Soooo delicious and easy! I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago. I asked my husband & son what they wanted me to bake today, this was their choice. It’s definitely on repeat for Thanksgiving too!
Your recipes are so awesome, whenever I want to try a new recipe your’s are my go to. I also always recommend your recipes to family and friends.
Hi Kathleen! That makes me so happy to hear. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
This is an easy desert. It is delicious and full of apples. The pecan crumble topping is awesome!!
Hi Sandra! I’m glad you love the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
What is the brand of your apple peeler and where can I purchase one?
Hi Mary Ann, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
I made it today. Raining outside and the perfect weather for filling my house and yummy with this scrumptious pie. Awesome!
I bet your home smells so cozy right now, so perfect pie to make this time of year! I hope you love it, Linda!
that was excellent it is becasue you are so organised and you love what you do you make it look easy. that machine you have got looks good well done
I made this yesterday. Best Dutch Apple Pie I have ever eaten! Got so many compliments! Thank you for sharing!
Can I make the apple mixture ahead of time and freeze it until Im ready to bake?
Hi Abbie! Please check the Make Ahead instructions part of the recipe for some tips.
Can I bake, cool, then freeze the entire pie? If so, how would I reheat it before serving? Thank you.
Hi Serenity! Yes, you can. I would let it thaw and then if you want to serve it warm, pop it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for maybe 20mins or until it’s warmed through.