Dutch Apple Pie is made in a traditional pie crust filled with cinnamon-glazed apples and finished with a sweet, buttery crumb streusel. It’s essentially a hybrid of classic apple pie and apple crisp — a perfect holiday dessert.
Classic apple pie holds a special place for me — it was the dessert that sparked my interest in baking and led me to study Culinary Arts. I fondly remember helping my mom make holiday pies when I was young, and those memories are part of why I love baking.
While a top-and-bottom double crust is the classic approach, switching the top crust for a streusel creates a delightful variation. The crumb topping adds a contrasting texture that complements the tender apples beneath.
Dutch Apple Pie
Dutch Apple Pie blends the best of apple pie and apple crisp. You keep the flaky bottom crust but replace the top crust with a crumb streusel over a rich apple filling. The result is a comforting, textural dessert that still delivers that buttery pastry flavor.
The filling in this recipe comes from an instructor I had in culinary school. It uses fresh apples that are macerated, then a caramel-like sauce is cooked and poured over them before baking. Pre-cooking the sauce helps prevent the filling from becoming too watery while the pie bakes.
The Crumb Topping
Streusel styles vary. Some bakers make a light streusel of flour, sugar, and butter, while others use brown sugar and cinnamon for a deeper flavor. Oats or chopped nuts can be added for extra texture. For this pie I prefer oats combined with brown sugar and cinnamon — it yields a hearty, flavorful topping that crisps nicely in the oven.
I’ve also made a variation with a layer of cream cheese on the bottom — Dutch Apple Cream Pie — when I worked in a bakery. That version is rich and delicious as well, but the classic streusel-topped Dutch apple pie is a crowd-pleaser in its own right.
This pie is wonderful served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, though it’s also lovely at room temperature. It’s a family favorite and a must-have for many holiday tables.
Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) butter flavored shortening
- ½ large egg*
- ½ Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 ½+ Tbsp cold (ice) water
Apple Filling:
- 8 cups (744 g) apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (40 g) cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) butter
Streusel Topping:
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- ½ cup (40 g) oats (old fashioned or quick)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp (57 g) cold butter
Instructions
- Pie Crust: Stir flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or fork until small crumbs form. Whisk the egg and add half of it to the dough. Add the vinegar and water. Stir until the dough begins to come together, adding more ice-cold water by the tablespoon if needed. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.
- Apple Filling: In a large bowl combine sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss well and let macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes so the apples release some juices.
- Streusel Topping: Combine the streusel ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. You can use your hands to incorporate the butter better. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough from the center outward into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Fold in half and place into a deep 9-inch pie dish. Unfold and fit the crust to the pan; trim or tuck excess and crimp the edges.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pour the macerated apples into a strainer, reserving about 1/2 cup of the liquid. In a small saucepan combine the reserved liquid and 2 Tbsp butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a glaze. Cool slightly, then add the apples to the prepared crust and pour the glaze over them.
- Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the apples. Press gently if you want a more compact topping.
- Bake at 350°F for 60–75 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles in the center. If the crust browns too quickly, cover the edges with foil. Tip: place a baking sheet on the rack beneath the pie to catch any overflow.
Notes
*A thawed store-bought pie crust may be used in place of homemade.
**If you don’t want to use half an egg for the crust, double the pie crust recipe and freeze the extra dough for later.
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