Dutch Apple Pie – The buttery, flaky crust, juicy sweet-tart apples, and the melt-in-your-mouth streusel crumb topping all together is pure heaven. This super easy apple pie recipe takes very little hands-on time. Just let the oven do most of the work and enjoy the decadence.
I never understood the expression “as American as apple pie” until I moved to the States. But then I discovered that Europeans had their version long before the American colonies even existed.
This Dutch apple pie, for example. I fell in love the first time I tried it. I’m a happy camper with a cup of coffee with cream and a slice of this exquisiteness.
What Is a Dutch Apple Pie?
This beautiful creation is a topless deep-dish apple pie. Well, not completely topless because it’s covered with a fantastic crumb topping. Yum! This recipe has been around for centuries, so that means it has to be good.
While most apple pies have a top crust, Dutch apple pie is topped off with a decadent streusel made with butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. It just might be the perfect dessert. The original 1500s Dutch recipe recommends adding ginger, cardamom, mace, and cloves, so I may try that the next time.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pie Crust — Obviously, a homemade pie crust is best, but don’t miss out on this deliciousness just because you don’t have time. A store-bought pie crust will work, so no guilt. And a gluten-free pie crust is just as good if that’s what you need.
- Brown Sugar, Flour, and Butter — This mix, along with cinnamon, makes a gorgeous streusel topping. Gluten-free all-purpose flour or cornstarch works instead of flour, and lard or margarine will give you a dairy-free version.
- Spices — The classic apple pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice) amps up the flavors for the ultimate comfort food. I love to add cloves, cardamom, and a touch of anise for a completely soul-satisfying dessert.
- Vanilla Extract — This flavor enhancer is hardly noticed but terribly missed if it’s not there. Homemade vanilla extract is super easy, much tastier, and a whole lot cheaper.
- Apples — Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples give you the perfect combination of sweet and tart for a fabulicious Dutch apple pie filling. You can use any variety of sweet and tart apples for this pie. The ones that stay firm instead of falling apart when baked are best.
- Lemon Juice — The lemon juice’s acidity balances the sweetness in your pie filling and keeps the apples from turning dark.
- Crumb Topping — Flour, spices, oats, and nuts made even better with butter create the perfect crumble for this apple pie.
How to Make a Dutch Apple Pie
The Crust and Crumb Topping
- Prep the Pie Crust – You can make your own pie crust or purchase a ready-made one. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, gently fit it in, trim any excess dough hanging on the edges, then decorate the edges as desired. Refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes or until you’re ready to bake it. (Photos 1-2)
- Dry Ingredients — In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, then add the flour, nuts in flour, nutmeg, and salt. (Photos 3-4)
- Wet Ingredients – Pour the vanilla extract and melted butter over the oat mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Put the streusel in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie filling. (Photos 5-6)
The Apple Pie Filling
- Peel the Apples, then core and slice them about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Place them in a bowl of lemon water to prevent the apples from turning brown while you get the rest of the ingredients together. (Photos 7-8)
- Make the Filling – Drain the apples and place them in a mixing bowl. Add brown and granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt, and lemon juice. Mix well. (Photos 9-10)
- Fill the Pie Crust – Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan, evenly distribute the apples, and arrange the butter pieces over the apples. (Photo 11)
- Add the Streusel – Top the apple mixture with the oatmeal crumb mixture and evenly spread it all over the apples. (Photo 12)
- Bake – Place the pie on a baking sheet if your pies tend to spill over in the oven. Bake the pie until the apples are almost tender when poked with a toothpick, 40-45 minutes. Check the pie a few times throughout baking to ensure the crumb topping and crust aren’t over-browning. You may cover it with foil paper if it’s browning too fast.
- Cool and Serve — Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or barely warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Recipe Variations
No apples? No worries. Asian and bosque pears are an excellent replacement for apples; just reduce the sugar by half because they’re sweeter.
Increase this apple pie’s decadence by using a cinnamon graham cracker crust and replacing the flour in the crumb topping with crushed graham crackers. I might reduce the sugar by half in the topping so it’s not too sweet.
Grate half a cup of cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on the top of your apple pie five minutes before it’s done.
Tips and Tricks
- To avoid soggy apple pie, toss the apple slices with a little sugar first, and drain if they release too much water. That way, you’ll get a thicker pie filling. Not all apples release that much water, but this technique helps.
- The apple filling cooks down quite a bit, so don’t be afraid to overfill the pie crust. Make sure all the apple slices are flat on the surface, and you’re all good.
- Blind baking is baking the crust long enough to firm it up and keep the filling from soaking in and making it soggy. No need to brown it, so keep a close eye on it.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make this pie ahead and then freeze it for later. It will freeze well for a couple of months if well wrapped. Then you can place it on a cookie sheet to help keep the crust crisp and bake it frozen at 400℉/205℃ for about 30 minutes.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve your Dutch apple pie with a scoop of ice cream (rum raisin pineapple is my favorite) or a spoonful of homemade whipped cream to contrast with the pie’s sweet and tart flavors. Warm or room temperature is ideal, though I do like it hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Store unbaked apple pies in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. If cooked, store it at room temperature for three days or in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Reheat Dutch apple pie in the microwave or the oven at 200°F/95℉. It should take around 20 minutes or more if straight from the fridge.
FAQs
There are a couple of ways to avoid a soggy crust. First, brush the crust with a beaten egg before adding the filling. Or you could pre-bake your crust for a few minutes, just long enough to firm it up, not brown it.
Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Rome, Jonathan, Northern Spy, and McIntosh are some of the best apples for pie. They’re firm and don’t turn to mush when cooked.
That’s a personal decision. The peel is healthier and prettier, but the apples may not stick together when baked. And that may cause the apple pie sliced to fall apart when you serve it.
What to Serve With a Dutch Apple Pie
Dutch apple pies are fantastic with a huge spoonful of homemade whipped cream. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is also a traditional side dish for apple pies. And a nice hot cup of ginger tea or pumpkin spice latte is the ideal finish to a roast beef dinner. Oh yeah!!!
More Tempting Dessert Recipes to Try
Conclusion
That’s a wrap on the best Dutch apple pie recipe I’ve found. The smell wafting from the kitchen brought the whole family together, and we had a great time chatting over coffee and dessert. So go ahead and try this recipe, then let me know how it went in the comments below.
Watch How to Make It
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Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
Streusel Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup walnuts or pecan, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup raw rolled oats (not instant)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Apple Pie Filling
- 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼" thick (about 2½ pounds)
- ¼-½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3½ tablespoons cornstarch or flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, more if desired
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, more if desired
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice, more if desired
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
The Pie Crust
- You can make the pie crust or use a store-bought one.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, gently fit it in, trim any excess dough hanging on the edges, then decorate the edges as desired. Refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes or until you're ready to bake it.
The Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, then add the flour, nuts in flour, nutmeg, and salt.
- Pour the vanilla extract and melted butter over the oat mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Put the streusel in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie filling.
The Apple Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Peel the apples, then core and slice them about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Place them in a bowl of lemon water to prevent the apples from turning brown while you get the rest of the ingredients together.
- Drain the apples and place them in a mixing bowl. Add brown and granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan, evenly distribute the apples, and arrange the butter pieces over the apples.
- Top the apple mixture with the oatmeal crumb mixture and evenly spread it all over the apples.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet if your pies tend to spill over in the oven.
- Bake the pie until the apples are almost tender when poked with a toothpick, 40-45 minutes. Check the pie a few times throughout baking to ensure the crumb topping and crust aren't over-browning. You may cover it with foil paper if it's browning too fast.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- To avoid soggy apple pie, toss the apple slices with a little sugar first, and drain if they release too much water. That way, you’ll get a thicker pie filling. Not all apples release all that much water, though, but this technique helps.
- The apple filling cooks down quite a bit, so don’t be afraid to overfill the pie crust. Make sure all the apple slices are flat on the surface, and you’re all good.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Kate says
Re email for this recipe… where is the condensed milk?
“ Imagine whipping up this incredibly easy Dutch Apple Pie and setting it on the table in less than an hour. You got it! Condensed milk, crisp apples, and in-your-pantry staples promise mouthwatering apple goodness in a buttery crust and a cascade of crumbly streusel topping perfect for any occasion.”
Imma says
You’re right, this recipe doesn’t have condensed milk. ♀️ But feel to add a ¼ cup to the filling for extra richness.