Description
This Dutch Apple Crumble Pie combines tender, cinnamon-spiced apples with a buttery, crumbly topping for a classic dessert that’s perfect for any occasion. Using a medley of apples and a homemade pie crust, the pie balances sweet and tart flavors with a satisfying crunchy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 homemade single pie crust (1 sheet of pie dough)
Apple Filling
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- Juice from half a lemon (2 tablespoons)
- 5 pounds apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious mix recommended), peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumble Topping
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less for table salt)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (melted, 1 1/2 sticks)
Instructions
- Choose your apples: Select 5 pounds of apples, ideally a mix of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious, for balanced flavor and texture.
- Prepare lemon zest and juice: Zest 1/4 teaspoon of lemon peel into a 12-inch high-sided skillet (heat off), then add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the skillet to prevent browning and brighten flavor.
- Peel and slice apples: Peel and slice apples into 1/8 inch pieces one at a time, adding slices to the lemon juice and stirring occasionally to coat and prevent browning.
- Cook filling on stovetop: Set the skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional cardamom. Stir gently to combine without breaking apples.
- Simmer apples: Cover the skillet and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Ensure apples become fork tender but hold their shape. Add water sparingly if sticking.
- Finish filling: Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Chill filling: Transfer filling and all juices to a half sheet pan. Spread evenly and cool completely in fridge or freezer (30 minutes in freezer).
- Prepare pie crust: Roll out pie dough into a 9-inch pie dish, fold edges under, and crimp. Chill crust in fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes for flakiness.
- Preheat oven: Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven’s center rack and preheat to 425°F for 20-30 minutes.
- Make crumble topping: Whisk flour, white sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour melted butter over and stir until mixture has a wet, sandy texture with clumps. Chill until ready.
- Assemble pie: Remove chilled filling and crust from freezer. Scrape filling into crust, scraping all gooey juices. Spread crumble topping over filling evenly using about 1-2 cups; reserve remaining crumble chilled.
- Bake initial high heat: Place pie on preheated baking sheet in oven. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes until crust edge is lightly browned.
- Prepare foil shield: Fold tin foil to create a square with a center cut-out circle or use a pie shield to protect crust edges from burning.
- Lower oven temperature: Without removing the pie, reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake 10 more minutes.
- Add remaining crumble and bake: Remove pie, sprinkle remaining chilled crumble evenly over top. Place foil shield over crust edges, leaving center exposed. Return pie to oven and bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes more (total bake time 55-65 minutes) until crumble is golden and crust edges are brown.
- Optional browning: For deeper color, remove foil shield and bake 5-10 minutes longer.
- Cool pie: Transfer pie to a wire rack and cool completely for about 4 hours to set filling and maintain crumble texture.
- Serve: Slice and serve warm or room temperature, ideally with vanilla ice cream and optional salted caramel sauce for indulgence.
- Storage: Keep pie covered at room temperature up to 2 days, then refrigerate. See notes for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Use a mix of tart and sweet apples for best flavor and texture balance.
- Stir apples frequently while cooking to prevent burning and ensure even softening.
- The crumble topping is wet and clumpy on purpose for best texture after baking.
- Cooling the pie thoroughly is essential to prevent soggy crumble and runny filling.
- Freezing: The baked pie can be frozen wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- For a flakier crust, make sure to chill the pie dough thoroughly before baking.
- If apples start sticking during stovetop cooking, add water a tablespoon at a time as needed.
