Dutch apple pie is filled with tender baked apples, then topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble topping. It’s absolutely irresistible and the perfect way to use fall apples!
A classic double-crust apple pie is delicious, but a Dutch apple pie gives you the best of both worlds—a pie crust and a streusel topping. Think of it as a mash-up between apple pie and apple crisp or apple crumble! Kind of like an apple crumble pie.
Plus, when you don’t have to roll out that top pie crust—or cut it into strips and weave it into a lattice—you’ll save a lot of time! Mixing up that buttery brown sugar crumble topping is so much easier. Once it’s finished baking, all that’s left to do is slice it and top it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Or drizzle it with caramel sauce! Or scatter pecans and walnuts over the top. Yum.
Easy Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
When we go apple picking in the fall or pick up a bag of apples at the farmer’s market, I love using them to make this Dutch apple pie. I have a hard time getting my kids to stop picking at the topping while it cools, though—it’s pretty hard to resist!
Granny Smith apples are always a classic choice for a baked dessert because they hold their shape well and have a tart taste that keeps your baked goods from being cloyingly sweet, but don’t be afraid to branch out and try other varieties, too. This Dutch apple pie is great with Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, Pink Lady, and other firm, sweet-tart apple varieties.
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Store-bought pie dough – Or use your favorite homemade pie crust recipe.
- Granny Smith apples – I like to peel them first, which is the norm for Dutch apple pie, but you can leave the skin on if you like.
- Lemon juice
- Light brown sugar – Dark brown sugar is too strong for this recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour – This helps thicken the pie filling.
- Ground cinnamon – Or use apple pie spice.
- Vanilla extract
Topping
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Unsalted butter – Chill this and then cut it into pieces.
How to Make Dutch Apple Pie
1. Prepare
Preheat your oven to 375ºF.
2. Make the Apple Filling
Toss the sliced apples, lemon juice, sugars, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl until the apples are evenly-coated.
3. Make the Streusel Topping
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and use a pastry blender or fork to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse crumble forms. Squeeze the mixture together with your hands until all the butter is absorbed and your crumb topping comes together.
4. Assemble
Pour the apples into the pie crust, discarding any liquid. Sprinkle the topping over the apple pie filling.
5. Bake
Place the pie on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the apples are bubbling up and the topping is golden brown.
Tip: You can place the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any overflow!
6. Cool and Serve
Let the pie come to room temperature, then slice and serve with your favorite toppings.
How to Store Dutch Apple Pie
I recommend storing any leftovers in the fridge. Cover the pie loosely with foil or plastic wrap and it will keep for 3-4 days. You can also freeze slices of Dutch apple pie for up to 2 months—just be sure to wrap them tightly!
You can serve leftover Dutch apple pie chilled, at room temperature, or warm it up in the microwave a bit.
FAQs
The biggest difference is in the topping. Dutch apple pie has a crumb topping made with flour, sugar, and butter, while French apple pie has no topping at all. A Dutch apple pie is made in a deeper dish, and a French apple pie involves cooking the apples on the stovetop before baking.
There’s a little bit of controversy about this! Some people claim that the recipe originated in Holland, hence the name. They say the version we eat today is a variation of the Dutch appeltaart recipe.
Other people say that Dutch apple pie actually originated in Pennsylvania, not the Netherlands and that it’s called a Dutch apple pie because it was created by the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were German immigrants.
These days, you’ll find Dutch apple pies all over the United States.
No, Dutch apple pie and apple crumble are not the same. Both have a similar topping, but a Dutch apple pie has a bottom crust and it’s made in a round pie plate; a crumble has no bottom crust and it’s typically made in a square or rectangular dish.
An apple cobbler also has a topping, but it’s more like biscuit dough than the sweet brown sugar and butter topping used for Dutch apple pies. The dough is dropped in spoonfuls on top of the fruit before baking, giving it a “cobbled” appearance, hence the name.
More Reader Favorite Apple Recipes
Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch store bought pie crust
- 6 cups granny smith apples sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup chilled unsalted butter cubed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix to combine. Set aside.
- For the topping, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and, using a pastry cutter or fork, blend the mixture until coarse crumbs form. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture together until all the butter is absorbed and your crumb topping comes together.
- Spread the apples evenly into the pie crust, discarding any liquid from the apples. Sprinkle the topping over the apples.
- Bake the pie on the lowest rack for 50-60 minutes or until the apples and topping are bubbly and golden brown.
- Let rest to room temperature before slicing and serving.
