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Dutch Apple Pie

This homemade Dutch Apple Pie has a flaky bottom crust, a tender cinnamon-spiced apple filling, and a buttery brown sugar streusel topping. The apples are cooked before baking to create a flavorful filling beneath the golden, chunky crumble.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Crust Chill & Setting Time4 30

Total Time5 45

Course: Dessert

Servings:

Calories: 507kcal

Author: Davinah

Ingredients

1 Pie Crust prepared 9-inch single, unbaked

Apple Pie Filling

3 large Granny Smith apples
3 medium McIntosh apples or Pink Lady apples
½ lemon juiced
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon Natural Ancient Sea Salt fine
½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
4 tablespoons Butter unsalted
2 tablespoons heavy cream optional

Brown Sugar Streusel Topping

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon Natural Ancient Sea Salt fine
½ cup Butter unsalted, cold and cubed

Instructions

Prepare the Streusel and Apples

Make the streusel: Add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold butter to a medium bowl. Use your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse, chunky crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Transfer them to a large bowl, add the lemon juice, and toss to coat.

Chill and Blind-Bake the Crust

Freeze the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the bottom and sides of the prepared pie crust with a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Add the pie weights: Press a sheet of aluminum foil snugly against the frozen crust, extending it beyond the edges of the pie plate. Fill with dried beans or pie weights.
Blind-bake: Bake for 15 minutes. Using an oven mitt, gently press down any puffed areas through the foil. Carefully remove the foil and weights, then return the crust to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°F.

Cook the Apple Filling

Season the apples: While the crust bakes, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, cornstarch, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla to the apples. Toss until evenly coated.
Cook the apples: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add the apple mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until the sugars dissolve.
Soften the apples: Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for another 5–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples begin to soften and the juices start to thicken. The Granny Smith apples should be tender but still firm, while McIntosh apples will soften more. Adjust the cooking time as needed for the apples used.
Finish the filling: Stir in the heavy cream, if using. Keep the filling warm without simmering until ready to assemble the pie, stirring as needed to prevent scorching.

Assemble and Bake

Fill the crust: Transfer the warm apple filling to the warm, partially baked pie crust. Spread the apples evenly, filling any gaps. The filling may form a dome in a regular 9-inch pie plate.
Add the streusel: Spread the chilled streusel evenly over the apples, covering the filling to the edges. Keep the exposed pie crust free of streusel.
Bake the pie: Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 25–30 minutes, until the streusel is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Loosely cover with aluminum foil if the topping browns too quickly.

Cool and Serve

Cool the pie: Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool until no longer hot. Refrigerate to finish setting, allowing at least 4 hours of total cooling and setting time before slicing. The filling will hold together best once chilled.
Serve: Slice and serve chilled or at room temperature. For a warm dessert, gently reheat individual slices and top with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, if desired.

Notes

Pie Crust: I used my homemade Cream Cheese Pie Crust for this pie. My All Butter Pie Crust or a prepared store-bought crust works too.
Apples: McIntosh apples soften more than Granny Smith apples. Pink Lady apples are a good alternative.
Pie Plate: A regular or deep-dish 9-inch pie plate works. The deep-dish version may need about 5 additional minutes of baking.
Cooling: Allow at least 4 hours for the filling to set before slicing. Chilled pie produces the cleanest slices.
Make Ahead: Refrigerate the prepared streusel in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition