Dutch Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

Name: Dutch Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 recipe pie crust, unbaked (homemade or store-bought); 6 cup tart apples, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well); 0.75 cup granulated sugar; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg, freshly grated if possible; 0.25 tsp salt; 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark both work); 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Dutch Apple Pie with Brown Butter Crumb Top

There's something deeply satisfying about a pie that skips the fussy lattice work and goes straight for rustic charm. This version pairs tender, spiced apples with a rich crumb topping that bakes into golden clusters — part streusel, part cookie crumb. The contrast between the jammy fruit and those buttery nuggets makes every bite interesting.

AmericanDessertVegetarianComfort FoodBakingFall

Prep30 min

Cook50 min

Total1 hr 20 min

Servings8

Difficultymedium

Nutrition

fat16g

carbs58g

protein4g

calories385

Ingredients

Crust

1 recipepie crust, unbaked (homemade or store-bought)

Filling

6 cuptart apples, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well)
¾ cupgranulated sugar
2 tbspall-purpose flour
1 tspground cinnamon
¼ tspground nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
¼ tspsalt
2 tbspunsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Crumb Topping

1 cupall-purpose flour
½ cupbrown sugar, packed (light or dark both work)
½ tspground cinnamon
½ cupcold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Instructions

Crank your oven to 425°F and roll out your pie crust, settling it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim any overhang to about 1 inch, then fold it under and crimp the edges however makes you happy.
Toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Use your hands to make sure everything gets coated — the flour prevents a soggy bottom and the spices need to reach every slice.
Pile the seasoned apples into your prepared crust, mounding them slightly in the center since they'll cook down. Scatter those 2 tablespoons of butter cubes over the top — they'll melt and create pockets of richness as the pie bakes.
Make your crumb topping by whisking together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter cubes and work them in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until you get a mixture that looks like chunky breadcrumbs with some larger butter pieces still visible.
Distribute the crumb topping evenly over the apples, pressing gently so it adheres. Don't pack it down — you want those loose bits that will turn golden and crispy.
Slide the pie into your hot oven for 15 minutes, then drop the temperature to 350°F and continue baking until the topping is deep golden brown and you can see the apple juices bubbling around the edges. The apples should feel tender when poked with a knife.
⏱ 35 min
Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before slicing — this gives the filling time to set up so it doesn't run all over the plate. The hardest part is waiting, but it's worth it.
⏱ 1 hr