Dutch Apple Pie
Dutch apple pie in a buttery, flaky crust is the best way to enjoy juicy, sweet-tart apples. The melt-in-your-mouth streusel crumb topping 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 Makes This Apple Pie Dutch?
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.
How to Make a Dutch Apple Pie
The Crust and Crumb Topping
- 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, spices, and salt. (Photos 3-4)
- Mix the vanilla extract and melted butter with 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 ¼-½ 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)
- 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)
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan, evenly distribute the apples, and arrange the butter pieces over the apples. (Photo 11)
- 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.
- 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 Tips and Notes
- 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.
- Feel free to add more spices, like ginger, cardamom, and cloves.
- Grate half a cup of cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on the top of your apple pie five minutes before it’s done.
- 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 and Storage 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.
Baked apple pie will store at room temperature for three days or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also slice it and freeze individual slices to avoid the temptation of eating it all at once.
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 slices to fall apart when you serve them.
What to Serve With 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.
More Tempting Dessert Recipes to Try
By Imma
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 (90g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60g) chopped walnuts or pecans
- ⅓ cup (32g) rolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant)
- ⅓ cup (70g) packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (3-4g) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) allspice
- 4 ounces (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Apple Pie Filling
- 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼" thick (about 2½ pounds)
- ¼-½ cup (50-100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- 3½ tablespoons (26g) cornstarch or flour
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1½ teaspoon (5-6g) ground cinnamon, more if desired
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) ground nutmeg, more if desired
- ½ teaspoon (1g) ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon (1g) ground allspice, more if desired
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
- Transfer the store-bought or homemade pie crust 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.
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Peel the apples, then core and slice them ¼-½ 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:
- Place a baking sheet under the pie so if it bubbles over, it won’t mess up the oven.
- Any firm tart apple works fine for pie.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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.”
You’re right, this recipe doesn’t have condensed milk. But I love drizzling it over the top if I don’t have ice cream.