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Dutch Apple Pie

Dutch apple pie uses a buttery topping to cover a pan of bubbling, cinnamon apples, sugar and a crispy pie crust. What’s tastier than that? This pie has won more than its share of baking contests and county fairs–now it’s yours!  

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a sliced apple pie on a table with a partially eaten slice

What is a Dutch apple pie? 

Dutch apple pie and “regular” apple pie are quite similar…pie crust bottom, yummy, gooey apple filling, and delicious with vanilla ice cream. Dutch apple pie is unique in that its topping is a crumbly streusel as opposed to pie dough. 

Is Dutch apple pie better than regular?

It depends on your taste buds! I personally prefer Dutch apple pie because of the way the streusel topping melts into the gooey apple filling. Yum! But, no.

One is not “better” than the other. Some prefer regular apple pie and some prefer Dutch apple pie. Try both and decide for yourself!

What is Dutch apple pie topping made of?

The streusel topping that makes Dutch apple pie unique is comprised of butter, flour and sugar primarily.

Sometimes cinnamon is added but if you have it in your apples, you don’t really need it in the crumble too.

It’s relatively quick and easy to throw together and sprinkle over your creation before baking up to bubbly perfection. 

What apples are best for apple pie? 

There are SO many different kinds of apples.

For pies, Granny Smiths take the prize. Their tart flavor provides a nice balance to the sweetness in the recipe AND they hold their shape well through the baking process.

Crispin and Honey Crisp apples are two other great choices. Play around and find your favorite!

Is a homemade crust necessary?

If you have the time, I highly recommend making your own crust.

The process is not very labor intensive and you can taste the difference. Check out my favorite butter crust recipe here and its accompanying YouTube video here.

You can use it in sweet OR savory recipes. Apple pie, peach pie, chicken pot pie…you name it!

Short on time? There are many store bought products out there. If you have Trader Joe’s in your area, go ahead and grab their pie crust.

Otherwise check out Pillsbury’s Refrigerated Crust or Marie Callender’s Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shell.

Looking for organic? Yay! I recommend Wholly Wholesom Organic Traditional Pie Dough.  

Just a few ingredients, so make them the best they can be

There is something so special about a simple recipe with few ingredients that really gives each a chance to shine.

In recipes like this, it is crucial to select quality, fitting ingredients.

As discussed above, it is important to pick the right apples. I do prefer Granny Smith, but any tart apple will do.

When selecting your sugar, make sure to grab organic cane sugar. Looking to cut back on sugar? Try maple sugar, coconut sugar, or even honey! When making the crust, opt for real butter (NO tub margarines or Crisco!).

Lactose intolerant? Refined coconut oil is a great dairy free alternative. Lastly, when choosing cinnamon, look for an organic product that hasn’t been irradiated, Organic Saigon Cinnamon is my favorite. This will yield the best flavor. 

Tips for the best apple pie

As with any recipe there are some tips and tricks that will leave you with an even better pie than you imagined. Here are mine: 

  • Slice your apples consistently to ensure even cooking. Try using a mandoline or the slicing attachment of a food processor. Careful with those fingers! 
  • Rotate your pie halfway through its cook time so as to ensure even cooking. 
  • Minimize cleanup by placing a baking tray beneath the pie itself to catch any drips…Dutch apple pie can get bubbly!
  • Heap your apples high before adding your crumb topping. The apples will shrink during the baking process and this will ensure that you don’t end up with a sunken pie. 
  • When making the streusel, keep your butter as cold as possible. This will ensure a more crumbly topping as opposed to a greasy one. 
  • Your crust might brown faster than you’d like it to. In order to give the apples a chance to catch up, you can use a foil shield to prevent the crust from getting overly browned. 
  • Resist the temptation to slice the pie straight out of the oven. Allow it to cool to room temperature first or you can chill it overnight to make sure the filling is nice and firm the next day. 

How to make Dutch apple pie

  • Peel, core and slice apples thinly
  • Toss with cinnamon and sugar
  • Prepare pie shell of your choice
  • Pile apples high in the shell

Make the crumble topping

  • Mix flour, sugar and cold butter cubes
  • Toss butter in flour to coat
  • Smash butter cubes with fingers then break up further to the size of large peas
  • Add the crumble to the pie

How to handle a juicy pie

There is a good chance that your pie will come out of the oven a little juicy. That’s A-OK! Once the pie cools, things will set.

So, I repeat, give it some time to come to room temperature before slicing. Refrigerating a pie also helps it firm properly.

Want warm pie? Pop a piece in the microwave!

How to know when the pie is done

Your pie is done once the apples are cooked thoroughly and the crust is done. Poke a knife into the center of the pie. If it meets little to no resistance, it’s ready!

Also, keep an eye out for some nice bubbles around the edges of the pie.

When it comes to the topping, look for a golden brown color. 

How long does Dutch apple pie last?

Dutch apple pie should stay good for up to 2 days at room temperature and then for about 3 extra days if moved to the refrigerator. 

How to store Dutch apple pie

Once your Dutch apple pie has cooled completely, wrap it in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. After 2 days, transfer it to the refrigerator for an additional 3 days. 

Can apple pie be made in advance? 

Apple pie is one of those things that is best made a day or two in advance. Allowing it to sit at room temperature gives the pie a chance to set, yielding better texture and more thoroughly melded flavors. 

What to serve with Dutch apple pie

Dutch apple pie is great on its own, but you can absolutely take it up a notch by serving it with ice cream or with homemade whipped cream.

When it comes to ice cream, at least in this case, I lean toward vanilla. Here are a few links to my favorite recipes if you would like to make your own:  

a slice of apple pie on a plate with a fork
a slice of apple pie on a plate with a fork

Dutch Apple Pie

The classic tart-sweet Dutch apple pie that's easy and perfect year-round.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients
  

For the pie

  • 7 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 refrigerated pie crust or homemade

For the crumble

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Assemble the pie

  • Add the peeled, cored and sliced apples to a medium bowl.
  • Add 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon and toss to coat. Set aside.
  • Place a pie crust into a regular 9-inch pie plate. (This can be refrigerated or homemade.) Flute or crimp the edges and add the apples, spreading them out evenly, set aside.

Make the crumble

  • In a small bowl add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and flour and mix well. Use a box grater to grate the butter in or break it in to small cubes and work it in to the flour and sugar until it's the size of small peas.
  • Sprinkle the top with the flour mixture, covering as much of the apples as possible.
  • Bake 40-50 minutes until the apples are tender. You may need to place a sheet of foil over the pie as it bakes if the top begins to brown too much.
  • Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Notes

Serving size: 1/8 of the pie. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 157mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 5gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 322IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @feastandfarm and hashtag it #feastandfarm
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Dutch apple pie

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thanks so much for that Rachel, that makes total sense and in fact is genius!!! I love your logic 🙂 The ATK tip is brilliant too! Removing the need for blind baking makes this recipe even MORE appealing!!

  2. 5 stars
    One day your daughter is going to figure out what moonshine is – what will she think of you??!!!! 😉 I have a question about the pie actually. I notice the pastry is not blind baked and I wondered if there was a particular reason for that? Thank you!

    1. Hey Nagi, that’s a good question. I have a few reasons I don’t blind bake this crust. The first is that I was taught it this way–;) That said you certainly can if you want to but because I use a Granny Smith apple that doesn’t have a lot juice the crust doesn’t get too soggy or wet. The other reason is that I recommend slicing the apples very very thin. That way the apples bake and are soft within the 40 minute cook time. If you are planning to use a very soft or juicy apple or make the apples thicker, a blind bake would be smart. And on a side note, America’s Test Kitchen recommends preheating a cookie sheet in your oven and then placing your pie plate on top of that to bake it transfers heat to the bottom of the pie pan and prevents a soggy bottom as well.

  3. So simple and oh-so-perfect. Seriously, Rachel. I love that (1) your daughter thought you have a surplus of moonshine in your garage (who doesn’t? haha) and that (2) your kids talk smack about this apple pie because it’s so good. That’s saying something.

    Can’t wait to try this out!

    Also, this is one of my favorite recipes from last week’s #thatsfreshfriday link-up! I’ll be sharing it on my blog tomorrow evening, and I hope to see you back there again this week sharing again. Happy July 4th, and keep up the great work!

    1. Well gosh Erin, doesn’t everyone keep 40 gallons of shine? Seriously. Where’s yours? Ha ha!! I don’t know what she was thinking! Thanks for sharing my recipe again too–that’s dandy 🙂

    2. Haha. EXACTLY. While we might not have moonshine, while I was in training for a marathon, I’m fairly positive we had probably about 20 gallons of miscellaneous beer in the inside fridge AND outside fridge. As you do. Because, apparently, running ridiculous amounts of miles makes me want to drink all the beer. Who’d have thunk?

      You’re welcome! This recipe looked too good not to share, and I absolutely cannot wait to make it at home!

  4. 5 stars
    So, Rachel…is Moonshine your “secret ingredient” in your award winning apple pie? Ha ha!!! Congrats on the Awards!!

    1. Gosh Anne, I make pie probably more in the summer than I do winter! My favorite pie apples (a Lodi) is ready in June so I guess that’s what does it. And yes, my kids are full of it. Moonshine. Honestly. Ha ha!!

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.