Dutch Apple Pie

I love a granny smith apple pie as much as the next person, but when I am aiming to impress my guests I almost always opt for this Dutch apple pie instead. I get so many complements on the crumbled streusel topping that no one believes me when I tell them how easy it is.

When I make this pie, I prefer to use a homemade butter pie crust or my best pie dough, but you can save some time by using a store-bought crust. Either way, it will certainly turn out delicious.

🍎 Apple Pie vs Dutch Apple Pie

The difference is all in the topping. A traditional pie has a double crust while a Dutch apple pie has no crust on top, but a brown sugar streusel topping instead.

🥘 Ingredients

Dutch Apple Pie (above, left)

• Apples - Cored, peeled, and sliced. One medium apple will give you about ¾ cup of cubed or sliced apples. A larger apple will usually yield about 1 cup. You don't have to use only Granny Smith apples to make this pie, many other varieties hold up well to baking. Take a look at my page on the best apples for apple pie for more.
• Lemon Juice - The addition of lemon juice slows down the browning process for the apples.
• Sugar - I used white granulated sugar because I only had enough brown sugar for the topping, but brown sugar or dark brown sugar can also be used here.
• All-Purpose Flour - Flour will help to thicken your apple filling.
• Apple Pie Spice - Try my homemade apple pie spice, use an apple pie spice substitute, or use your favorite store-bought brand.
• Salt - A small amount of salt is always a great addition to sweets.
• Butter - Melt your butter and let it cool slightly.
• Butter Pie Crust - I used my butter pie crust recipe for this pie, but any store-bought pie crust works, too. I left this pie dough unbaked so the raw apples would have enough time to soften. If using my apple pie filling (which is already cooked), you can par-bake the pie dough if desired.

Streusel Topping (above, right)

• Light Brown Sugar - Some light brown sugar for sweetness.
• All-Purpose Flour - Flour to help bind everything together.
• Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon for flavor.
• Nutmeg (optional) - I always add a small amount of nutmeg, but it is up to your preference.
• Salt - Some salt to balance the flavors.
• Butter - Use cold butter sliced into tablespoon-sized pats or smaller cubes.

🔪 How To Make Dutch Apple Pie

Peeling and coring the apples is the hardest part, the rest is a breeze. To get started, grab a sharp knife, a cutting board, a large mixing bowl, a 9-inch pie pan, and a silicone spatula.

I usually slice my Dutch apple pie into 12 slices. You can always make larger slices (or make more pies).

Mix The Pie Filling

Step 1: Peel and core apples. Peel and core 6 cups (750 grams) of apples, then slice them into ½-inch cubes or ¼-inch thick slices. Place them into a large mixing bowl (photo 1) and toss them with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.

Step 3: Add butter. Add 2 tablespoons of cooled melted butter to the bowl with the sliced apples and stir well (photo 2).

Step 4: Make the filling. Add the ½ cup (110 grams) of sugar, ⅓ cup (41 grams) of flour, 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice, ⅛ teaspoon of salt (photo 3), and gently stir to combine (photo 4).

Assemble Pie

Step 2: Prepare the crust. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C/Gas Mark 7). Roll out 1 unbaked pie crust and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan (photo 5).

Step 4: Add the filling. Pour the apple pie filling into the prepared pie crust (photo 6).

Step 5: Bake. Bake in the oven on the middle of the center rack at 425°F (220°C/Gas Mark 7) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your topping.

Streusel Topping

Step 6: Make streusel. Add ¾ cup (73 grams) of brown sugar for the streusel topping, ¾ cup (31 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, the optional ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt to a medium mixing bowl.

Step 7: Cut in the butter. Add 6 tablespoons of sliced cold butter to the crumb mixture (photo 7) and use a fork, pastry cutter, food processor, or a pair of butter knives to cut the butter (photo 8) into the dry ingredients until it forms small pea-sized crumbles (photo 9). Set in the fridge until needed.

Finish Baking

Step 8: Add the topping. Remove the pie from the oven (photo 10) and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top (photo 11). Return the pie to the oven at 425°F (220°C/Gas Mark 7) for 10-15 more minutes to finish baking.

Step 9: Cool. Once the pie has finished cooking, remove it from the oven (photo 12) and allow it to set and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Use enough apples. One medium apple will give you about ¾ cup of cubed or sliced apples. A larger apple will usually yield about 1 cup.
• Try a variety of apples. For a more complex flavor profile, try a combination of apple types. For suggestions, see my page on the best apples for apple pie.
• Use different spices. In place of apple pie spice, try ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon in a pinch.
• Upgrade with scratch-made crust. Store-bought pie crusts are convenient and will work just fine for this recipe. However, for a true made-from-scratch pie, my butter pie crust or best pie dough are my go-to choices.
• Let it set. A warm pie fresh out of the oven may be hard to resist, but to keep it from falling apart it is best to let your pie cool and set for at least 2 hours before you dig in.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Once your pie has cooled completely, you may cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. 

Freezing

There are 3 ways you can freeze this pie:

First, place the crust, apple pie filling, and topping in individual freezer bags with any extra air removed. Freeze for up to 2 months, thaw in the fridge before assembling, and bake as directed. *Plan on adding 15-20 minutes of baking time due to cold ingredients.

Second, you may assemble the pie in the pie pan. Wrap it with a double layer of plastic wrap followed by a double layer of foil to prevent it from drying out. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before baking as directed. *Plan on adding 15-20 minutes of baking time due to the pie being cold.

Third, you may freeze the baked pie. Once it is 100% cool, you can double wrap it in plastic wrap then double wrap it in foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating

Reheating

Leftover slices of pie can be quickly reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. To reheat a whole pie that has already been baked, first cover it with foil so the topping and crust do not burn and pop it in the oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 30 minutes or until warmed through

📖 Recipe Card