This Apple Crumb Pie Is So Good, You’ll Never Go Back to Plain Apple Pie

Apple Crumble pie with ice cream. — Photo credit:spatuladesserts.com

This mouthwatering Apple Crumble Pie will knock the socks off of your guests this holiday season! Made with fresh apples, sweet apple crumble, and a flaky, buttery pie crust, it will be impossible not to return for seconds. Serve it with a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate dessert!

Why This Is The Best Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

This Dutch apple crumble pie is one of my favorite desserts for the holidays, and once you try it, it will become yours, too!

There's nothing better than the taste of a freshly baked apple pie, and my crumble topped apple pie recipe takes it to the next level with a delicious, crunchy streusel. The best part is that everything is 100% made from scratch using everyday household pantry items.

Although this recipe requires some planning to make the crust, it is quite simple, even for beginners. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rest in the fridge!

Katalin´s Take On Whether to Pre-cook the Apples For the Pie or Not

One of the common questions when making apple pie recipes is whether to pre-cook the apples. While either way works just fine, I did not pre-cook the apples the first time I tried this recipe, and I regretted it! Here's why:

The apples shrink, settle, and lose a lot of volume during baking. So, although I piled my apples up very high beforehand, they sank, and my pie came out flat.

While the pie was still delicious, the next time, when I pre-cooked the apples, it allowed me to pile on more apples and have a much more voluminous pie with a beautiful "dome" in the center. Pre-cooking is best if you use a regular pie topping versus a crumble topping.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple pantry staples, such as butter, flour, sugar, and apples to make this recipe. For a printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities, visit the original Apple Crumble Pie recipe at Spatula Desserts.

Prepare The Pie Dough

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt (do not skip this step—it is crucial for flavor). Then, cut your cold butter into small pieces. Always use high-fat, unsalted butter (i.e., 82% fat).

Then, measure the water and apple cider vinegar separately. Freeze the dry ingredients, butter, vinegar, and water for 5-10 minutes.

Add the cold butter chunks to the dry ingredients and rub them together with your fingers until the mixture has a sandy texture. It's OK to leave a few larger butter chunks, as they'll encourage a flaky crust.

Next, gradually pour in the cold water and vinegar and stir it with a wooden spoon or spatula after each addition until no loose flour remains. Refer to my flaky pie crust recipe for details on effectively hydrating the dough.

Mix the dough with your hands on a lightly floured surface or silicone mat until it comes together. Avoid kneading or overworking it, as this will make the dough too warm and difficult to work with.

Press the dough into a disk shape, wrap it in plastic, and let it rest in the refrigerator (do not use the freezer) for at least two hours.

Laminating the Pie Dough

Once chilled, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes. It should remain cold but be warm enough to roll out without breaking.

Move the dough to a lightly floured surface or silicone baking mat and roll it out using a rolling pin. To keep the dough even, turn it by hand after each pass. If it gets too warm or sticky, pop it back in the freezer for a minute or so.

Once you've rolled the dough into a rectangle roughly 11x17 inches (28x43 cm), fold the left side over the right to reduce the width by half and make a double layer. Next, fold the bottom over the top to reduce the height by half. Lastly, fold the bottom over the top once more to create an eight-layer rectangle of roughly 5.5x4 inches (14x11 cm).

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least another two hours to rest.

Make The Crumb Topping for the Pie

Making crumble crust for apple pie is super easy! Begin by cutting your unsalted butter into small pieces and letting it sit at room temperature until softened.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and both sugars in a separate bowl. Once combined, add the softened butter chunks and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are coated with the butter.

Use your fingers to press the mixture together and adjust the size of the crumble pieces to your liking. Then, place the mixture in the fridge.

What Apples to Use & How to Prepare the Apples

When baking, you want to use firm, sweet apples that will hold their shape, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady. You can also use Granny Smith apples if you prefer a tart flavor. Avoid softer varieties, as they only become mushy.

Peeling the apples first is optional. Slice them into identical sizes so they bake at the same speed and have the same texture. I recommend ⅛-¼ inch thick slices.

Prepare the Apple Filling

To prevent the slices from browning, sprinkle them with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Next, coat the apples with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon, then set them aside.

If desired, pre-cook the apples for 5-10 minutes to shrink the apples and absorb excess moisture.

Assemble The Apple Crumble Pie & Bake

If you use a 9-inch / 23 cm pie dish, roll the dough out to a 10-inch / 26 cm diameter, then place the dough into your pie dish. Do not force or stretch the dough, which can warm it up and cause the pie crust to shrink. Fold the extra dough around under the crust then flute with your fingers.

Place the pie crust in the pie dish in the freezer for 30 minutes to keep it cold while you preheat the oven to 370 F / 200 C (without the oven fan).

Remove the frozen pie crust from the freezer. Then, remove any excess liquid from the apple filling (especially if you did not pre-cook it) and place it into a mound in the center of the crust.

Lastly, top the mound with a thick layer of the crumble.

Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes at 370 F / 200 C (without the oven fan). Then, reduce the oven temperature to 355F / 180C and bake for 40 minutes.

Once baked, let the pie cool to room temperature before enjoying it. For neat slices that do not ooze out the pie filling when cutting, let the pie chill first for a few hours!

Storing & Freezing

To store your apple crumb pie, first, let it cool to room temperature. Then, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven.

To freeze, let the pie come to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place it in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven.

Flavor Variations

Different fruit: Instead of apples, try using pears or peaches for the pie.

Additional Spices: Warm up the flavor by adding cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, or cloves to the apple coating or the crumble.

Different Sugar: For a more caramel-like flavor, omit the white sugar and use only brown sugar. You can also use all white sugar or use coconut sugar for a more tropical taste.

Other Add-Ins: Mix in chopped nuts, oats, or coconut. Or, add a touch of vanilla extract for a vanilla flavor!

See my crumble topping recipe for even more flavor variations!

Ingredient Substitutions

Gluten-Free: Swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour, as my flour guide explains. You can also make the crumble with oats, but you will want to pulse them in a food processor for the best turnout.

Dairy-free: Swap out the butter for one of these butter substitutes.

Remember that substituting ingredients may require reformulating the other ingredients in the recipe to keep the balance of flavor and texture!

Expert Tips For Making Apple Crumble Pie

Work in a cool-temperature kitchen for the best baking environment that keeps the pie crust dough intact.
Before baking the pie, place it on a baking sheet to catch any juices that may bubble over!
If you notice that the crumble topping or pie crust edges are browning too much during baking, cover them with aluminum foil.
Your baking time will vary depending on the type of baking dish you use. A glass or ceramic baking dish will take a little longer, whereas a metal dish may take less time.

What Equipment To Use

A digital scale is essential for baking, ensuring precise measurements of your ingredients.

A digital oven thermometer is also good to have, as oven temperatures can differ slightly between models.

While much of the dough preparation is done by hand, a good rolling pin is necessary to roll it out.

You'll need a 9-inch / 23 cm pie dish for baking!

If you liked this recipe, you'll also want to try some of my other mouthwatering pies:

See my Easy-To-Make No-Bake Pies roundup for even more delectable pies!