It’s not a holiday feast without a big Dutch apple pie on the menu. This recipe has the best of both worlds, tender apples nestled in a flaky crust and a buttery crumble shell placed on top.

Table of Contents

1. The pie dough
2. Rolling out the dough
3. Pan selection
4. Forming the crust
5. Apple selection
6. Slicing the apples
7. Make the apple filling
8. Make a crumble topping
9. Bake time and cooling
10. Make-ahead tips
11. What to serve this with
12. FAQ
13. Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

Each year I make my classic apple pie, but this holiday I’m switching things up. Instead of a traditional layered double crust, there is a cinnamon streusel topping. The crumble contains sugar, spices, and butter. This combination delivers crunchy bites that add a pleasant contrast in texture when baked. The recipe may seem intimidating, but it’s pretty straightforward. 

The components are simply pie dough, apple filling, and crumble topping. You can even make some in advance so that it can be quickly assembled and baked the day of serving. What makes the Dutch apple pie style special is adding a touch of cream to the fruit that adds a luxurious element that you’ll love.

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The pie dough

I use a homemade pie crust recipe called Pâte Brisée. It’s a simple combination of all-purpose flour, butter, water, and salt. It only takes a few minutes to prepare. I use my stand mixer to quickly break the butter into coarse pieces, the size of a pea or smaller. This process will give a sturdy structure with a flaky texture, perfect for supporting the two pounds of sliced apples. 

The dough needs 4 hours to chill to rest the gluten proteins to prevent the dough from tasting tough. I always make this part of the recipe a day ahead to roll it out when I’m ready to bake.

Rolling out the dough

Let the disc sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling. The chilled butter pieces will be firm, so waiting a few minutes will help them be more pliable. Dust some flour on the board and rolling pin to help prevent sticking. Roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thick circle, about 12 to 13-inches in diameter. This size will be thick enough to hold the heavy fruit.

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Pan selection

I prefer to use a 9-inch glass pie pan to monitor if the sides of the crust are turning golden brown. I don’t use a deep-dish pan because I like a taller slice. It takes a little longer to heat than metal or ceramic, but glass holds heat well for carryover cooking once removed from the oven. The crust will become even more profound in brown color.

Forming the crust

This recipe is for a single-layer pie crust, with just the bottom of the pie pan covered with dough. Lower the rolled-out dough into the pan, pressing the bottom and sides to remove any air gaps. Trim a ½-inch overhang around the rim, then tuck the excess under to give a thicker edge. 

I like to make a pretty fluted edge using my fingers to crimp, or you can use the tines of a fork to make a pressed design. Make sure to freeze the shaped pie crust for 20 minutes before baking. This duration will help firm up the butter and create flaky layers during baking. 

Apple selection

I recommend using a combination of apples for a balance of sweet, tart, and juicy flavor. Granny Smith holds their shape well so that you can really bite into the fruit. Honeycrisp apples are sweet and provide more juices that reduce and coat the slices.

Fuji apples are a great substitute with a strong floral note. I like to use them year-round. Other suitable types of baking apples include Braeburn and McIntosh, which don’t get mushy when cooked.

Slicing the apples

For a dense pie, slice the apples to ¼-inch thickness. I then cut the wedges in half crosswise to make about 1 ½-inch pieces. This size allows the slices to be arranged tighter together. After peeling and coring, there is about 20 to 25% loss, about 2 pounds of apples per pie. When stacked up, it will look high, but as the fruit cooks and releases its juices, they will compact together.

Make the apple filling

To make a flavorful filling, I use plenty of bold spices and sweeteners. The apples are tossed in dark brown sugar for molasses notes and granulated sugar for pure sweetness. Warm baking spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are included in the mixture. A little bit of lemon zest adds a pleasant citrus taste without the sourness. Flour is added as a thickening agent. 

As the fruit cooks and releases its juices, the starches will absorb and swell, creating a lovely glaze over the apples. This prevents a runny slice. The finishing touch is vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream. The dairy is added in traditional Dutch apple pie recipes. I use just enough for richness, but not too much where it will cause sogginess. Make sure to layer the pieces closely together in the crust.

Make a crumble topping

The Dutch topping is a type of streusel. For my recipe, I use a combination of all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and butter for binding. Because the fat is melted, it can quickly develop deeper butterscotch notes as the dairy solids heat up in the oven. 

It’s called browned butter, and it’s delicious! I use it in my apple crumble for contrasting textures. Let the mixture chill to make it easier to break up and sprinkle on top of the pie. Cover the surface thoroughly with the pebbly pieces.

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Bake time and cooling

Bake the pie at 375-degrees. The process takes about 60 to 70 minutes for the crumbles to deepen in color and develop caramel aromas. During this time, the crust will also become golden in hue, and the crumbles should be dry to the touch. The apple should feel tender when pricked. 

The temperature of the filling should reach about 190 to 200-degrees when done baking. Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack to allow for carryover cooking of the filling and crust. The scratches in the filling will gel and set, trapping the delicious juices. A cool pie makes for cleaner slices!

Make-ahead tips

• Make the pie dough two days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. 
• Freeze the dough for up to 1 month, then defrost in the refrigerator overnight. 
• The crumble topping can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

What to serve this with

FAQ