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Made with a flaky pie crust, a combination of sweet and tart apples, and a buttery streusel topping, this Dutch Apple Pie takes homemade apple pie to the next level.
This Dutch apple pie recipe stands out because it combines everything you love about a classic apple pie and old-fashioned apple crisp into one delicious dessert. And it is easier to make than you may think!
Kristen's Keys for Dutch Apple Pie
A few small details make a big difference here.
- Use a Mix of Apples. Granny Smith apples keep things tart and sturdy, while Golden Delicious apples soften beautifully and add natural sweetness. This combo keeps the filling balanced instead of cloying.
- Keep the Butter Cold. Cold butter in the streusel means the topping bakes up crumbly instead of melting into the filling.
- Chill the Pie Crust. Whether using a homemade pie crust or store-bought crust, you want to ensure it is fully chilled, so that it delivers that flaky texture we all crave in a good pie crust.
- Grate your nutmeg. It's a small step, but freshly grated nutmeg from a whole bulb adds warmth and depth that ground nutmeg can't match.
- Bake in a 9-inch Deep Pie Pan: You need that deep pan to give room for both the apple pie filling and streusel topping.
- Protect Your Oven. Bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that may bubble over.
5-Star Reader Review
I have never been good at making apple pies but I decided to give it another try because this one just looked so good. I'm so thankful that I did because it was fantastic. Thank you! - Jessica ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make Dutch Apple Pie
As I stated, making homemade Dutch Apple Pie is easy. However, I do have a few tips along with to help ensure the best results.
Step One: Prepare the Crust
If using homemade or refrigerated dough, make sure it's chilled before rolling it out. Cold dough holds its shape and bakes into a flaky, tender crust. Once shaped in your pie pan, pop it back into the freezer for 15 minutes while you prep the filling. This quick chill keeps the butter solid, which creates those lovely, flaky layers.
👉🏻Frozen Pie Crust? If you are starting with a frozen pie crust, let it defrost for 15 minutes in the fridge before filling with the apple mixture.
Step Two: Prepare Apples
Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch thick slices. Toss the slices with sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice.
👉🏻Cut Carefully. Make sure your apples are sliced thinly and evenly, so the bake time is consistent.
Step Three: Prepare Streusel
Stir together brown sugar, flour, and warm spices. Add cubed cold butter and work it in with your fingers until crumbly. You're looking for pea-sized bits of butter throughout,which will melt and caramelize while baking, creating that irresistible texture.
Step Four: Assemble Pie
Spoon the apple filling into your chilled crust, but leave any extra liquid behind in the bowl, as that extra moisture that can make the crust soggy. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
Step Five: Bake
Bake the pie on a rimmed sheet pan, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
👉🏻Watch Crust Closely. If after 35-40 minutes in the oven, you notice the streusel topping or crust browning too fast, loosely cover the pie with foil.
Step Six: Cool and Serve
While it is tempting to slice the pie immediately, it is best to cool until just slightly warm or to room temperature, as this makes slicing the pie easier and allows for beautiful slices. Once sliced, serve plain, or take it over the top with a drizzle of caramel sauce, dollop with whipped cream, or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Once the Dutch Apple Pie has been cooled fully to room temperature, it can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat Before Serving: I highly recommend gently warming individual slices of apple pie before serving. To do so, place a slice of pie onto a heat-safe plate and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until just warmed through.
More Seasonal Apple Recipes
- Baked Apples
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Healthy Applesauce Muffins
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- Instant Pot Apple Butter
- Pork Chops with Apples
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Dutch Apple Pie
Video
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, frozen or chilled
For the Apple Filling
- 4 cups golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices (about 4 small apples)
- 4 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices (about 4 small apples)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh is best
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
For the Crumb Topping
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) and position an oven rack to be in the bottom third of the oven.
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon table salt until the flour, spices, and sugar evenly coat the apples. Set aside to prepare the crumb topping.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ½ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg until evenly mixed. Add in ½ cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed) and use your fingers to mix the mixture together, until crumbs form and the butter is well distributed through the flour and sugar.
- Spoon the apple mixture into a chilled pie crust. If there is excess liquid the apples released while sitting, discard that liquid. Adding it to the pie crust could result in a soggy crust. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly on the apple mixture.
- Place the assembled pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any liquid that may bubble up while baking. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crumb topping is golden. Check on the pie after 35-40 minutes of bake time. If the crust or crumb begins to brown too quickly cover the pie loosely with foil and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are fork-tender.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love the cozy, comforting flavors & layers of apples! Such a delicious dessert!
Hi Kristen,
I'm questioning the amount of apples called for in your Dutch Apple Pie. 4 small apples doesn't yield 4 cups of sliced apples. If I'm reading the recipe correctly, it's asking for 8 cups of apples total for a 9" pie? Thanks for clarification!
Hi Judy! The recipe calls for 4 golden delicious apples AND 4 granny smith, so that would be about 8 cups of apples total. And the # of apples is approximate, but ultimately you need 8 cups of sliced apples. I hope that helps. Some apples will yield a full cup of sliced apples.
This pie is AMAZING!!! Can I freeze it? My apple tree is bursting!
I am so happy you enjoyed the pie. Yes, you can freeze the pie once baked, as long as you use a pan suitable for freezing (some glass pans can break when frozen.) I would place the cooled pie on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then wrap in foil and place in airtight freezer bag. Freeze for 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using. Once defrosted warm the pie in the oven at 325 degrees or by the slice in the microwave.
Everyone raved about how good this dutch apple pie was.This will certainly be my new go-to-recipe.
We loved this so much better than apple pie with a double crust! Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is simply divine!
Thanks for sharing Kara! I love the crisp topping myself. Adds so much texture to the pie.
So so yummy! And thank you for the crumble topping idea. I am not so good at making a pretty pie crust on top.. this was easy and SO SO yummy! Thanks for this perfect fall recipe!
I am RIGHT there with you!!! I don't have the patience for a perfect pie crust. This solves the problem.
Oh my goodness!! That was amazing! I used all Granny Smith as the store didn’t have golden delicious and it was yummy! The spices & sweetness was just right. Being British my husband wanted custard with it and it was a real treat!
Thank you Kristen!!
You are so welcome Lynda! Thank you for sharing!