Dutch Apple Pie

This Dutch Apple Pie is the dessert of the fall season in our house. All the delicious flavors of the soft apples mixed with the wonderful spices, and topped with a crumb topping, makes this the best apple pie recipe you will ever make! 

Apple Pie is easily one of the best desserts of the fall season. (Forget pumpkin spice.) This Dutch Apple Pie recipe uses a crumb topping instead of placing another pie crust on top. My family loves apple pie made this way because the crumble topping gives it an extra sweetness that takes it over the top. If you haven’t made it this way, give it a try! I know you will love it!

This Dutch Apple Pie is a family recipe. It was handed down from my mother-in-law, and I make it often. It is so easy to make, and it is so delicious! My husband even requests a homemade dutch apple pie instead of a cake for his birthday.

What is Dutch Apple Pie?

The only difference between an apple pie and a dutch apple pie is the topping on the pie. Instead of using another pie crust to top the pie as you do with apple pie, you use a crumb or streusel topping. The easy crumb topping is made of flour, sugar, and butter and is so delicious.

• Pie Crust
• Apples – I like to use a mix of granny smith apples (tart apples) and sweeter apples, like pink lady or Honeycrisp apples, for my pie filling.
• Granulated Sugar – Not brown sugar.
• Apple Pie Spice (or Ground Cinnamon)
• Butter
• All-Purpose Flour

How to Make It

First, preheat your oven to 425°F so it can heat up while you prepare the pie.

Next, get the pie crust ready. Place it in a pie dish by gently pressing the pie crust into the pie plate and forming it up the sides. 

(I usually use a store-bought crust as it saves time. If you’re using a store-bought pie crust, follow the thawing directions on the package. You will only need one half of the crust. If you prefer to make a homemade pie crust, here is a great post on making one.)

After you have your pie crust in the pie dish, peel the apples and slice them into thin slices (about ¼” thick). Try to have all the slices about the same size. It is a good idea to have the apples sliced smaller and equal in size because they will cook down better.

Place all the sliced apples into the prepared pie crust. Make sure you fill that bottom crust up with a heaping amount of sliced apples. Once baked, the apples will cook down, and the pie will sink down a little once it is out of the oven and has cooled. 

One of the best (and easiest) steps in this recipe is that you don’t need to mix anything with the apples. After you fill the pie dish with the apple slices, just sprinkle the sugar and spices evenly over the apples.  

For the spices, you can use either apple pie spice or ground cinnamon. (Apple Pie Spice is a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice – you can even add cardamom and ginger if you want to really take it over the top. You can easily make your own Apple Pie Spice – or cinnamon will be fine to use.)

Dot the pie with butter by placing 6-8 small slices of butter evenly over the pie before adding the crumb topping.     

How to Make the Crumb Topping

Place the flour, white sugar, and softened butter in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or the back of a fork, blend the ingredients together until you form coarse crumbs. I like to use a pastry blender or pastry cutter to make the sweet crumble.

Using a spoon, carefully place the crumbs over the unbaked pie

Baking Tip: When doing this, hold the spoon towards the middle of the pie, so fewer crumbs fall off the pie. You might want to place a piece of parchment paper or foil under the pie dish while adding the crumbs to catch any extra and easy clean-up. It also helps to hold the bowl of crumbs over the pie, so you don’t have to move the spoon too far.

Baking Tip: Place your pie dish on a pie drip catcher. It catches any overflowing pie filling while it bakes, so there is less mess in your oven. A drip catcher also elevates the pie and allows airflow to the bottom and middle of the pie, so you don’t end up with a soggy crust or a soggy bottom. A perfectly cooked pie, clean oven…happy baker.

Finally, place your pie on the middle rack of your oven and bake it at 425°F for 50-55 minutes.   

Baking Tip: I would suggest gently placing a piece of foil over the pie (like a little tent) for the last 20 minutes of baking to keep the edges and the top of the pie from burning. 

The pie is done baking when the juices are bubbling, and the edges are golden brown. Remove the pie to a cooling rack. Let the pie cool a little before serving it. 

Serve the pie warm or at room temperature. Apple pie does taste so good warm with cold vanilla ice cream, doesn’t it?! 

Pie Serving Tips

• If you are serving pie once it has cooled, you can always place a slice of the pie on a microwave-safe plate and warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if you prefer it served warm.  
• To get the first slice of pie out easier, I use a pie server because it really helps to get the pie out easily and keeps the piece of pie looking pretty. 
• Best ways to serve the pie: Once you serve the pie on a plate, you can serve it as is or top it with whip cream or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips for Making Dutch Apple Pie

• Use a variety of apples. I usually buy some red and green apples and mix up the varieties as well. It gives your pie so much flavor!
• Slice the apples 1/4″ or so in size and keep them as equal in size as possible. By slicing the apples thinner, they cook down better.
• Using a store-bought pie crust to save time.
• Place your pie dish on a pie drip catcher. It catches any overflowing pie filling while it also elevates your pie so it can cook evenly.  
• Tent the pie with foil during the last 20 minutes of baking. Doing this will prevent the edges and the top of the pie from burning.

Crumb Topping Tips

• Make sure the butter is softened. The butter will be much easier to combine with the ingredients if softened. 
• Using a good pastry blender to make the crumbs really makes a difference!

Tips for Softening the Butter

• A good way to tell if butter is soft enough to use is to gently press down on the butter. If your finger makes a slight imprint on the butter, it is good to go. 
• It usually takes 30 minutes to an hour to get butter to room temperature. If you are in a hurry to soften the butter, here is a great post with a few great ideas on how to soften butter quickly.

How to Store Leftover Pie

Leftover apple pie can be covered with foil or plastic wrap and should be stored in the refrigerator. Reheat it in the microwave and serve it warm, topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

This pie is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert. It is a standard recipe for Thanksgiving in our house! Looking for more delicious recipes for Thanksgiving? Try my Baked Mashed Potatoes or Slow Cooker Turkey recipes.

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you. 

Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2015, but was published again in 2020 to include step by step directions and new photos.