This recipe for Dutch apple pie with pecans streusel topping is perfect for fall. The combination of apples, cinnamon, and pecans makes for a delicious and comforting dessert. This pie is perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday, and what’s better, they’re easy to make! So make them ahead of time for a no-fuss dessert at your next autumn gatherings and family dinners.
This versatile recipe is delicious, but you can easily use different apples for different flavors and textures. Try it with different apples such as golden delicious, Rome, or Honeycrisp. The buttery, crisp crust will go perfectly with any apple combination.
Jump to:
- More about This Dutch Apple Pie
- What’s the Difference between Dutch Apple Pie and Apple Pie?
- What Are The Best Apples for Making Dutch Apple Pie?
- Dutch Apple Pie Ingredients
- Tools you’ll need
- How to Make Dutch Apple Pie
- Substitutions
- Variations
- How to serve
- How to Store & Re-heat
- Make-Ahead
- How to Freeze
- Tips for Making The Best Dutch Apple Pie
- FAQ
- More Amazing Pie Recipes:
- 📖 Recipe
More about This Dutch Apple Pie
This recipe for Dutch apple pie is a classic autumn dessert; made with a homemade buttery and crisp pie crust and apples of two varieties: Granny Smith for tartness and Honeycrisp for sweetness; the apples are then thinly sliced, then tossed with a mixture of sugar and warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, layered in the pie crust, then topped with a tasty pecan streusel topping and baked until golden brown.
What is Dutch Apple Pie?
Dutch apple pies, also known as Apple Crumb Pie, are a style of baked pie with a streusel topping; this top crust is sometimes called an apple crumble topping and includes melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Dutch apple pies have a buttery, flaky crumb topping that bakes well in deep dish pie pans and baking sheets with a large rim.
What’s the Difference between Dutch Apple Pie and Apple Pie?
The top layer is the main difference between a regular apple pie and a Dutch apple pie recipe. Dutch apple pies have a crumbly topping, while traditional apple pies have a top layer made from pie crust. Also, unlike other apple pie varieties like French apple pies, Dutch apple pies have a streusel topping that can require extra prep time and tools like a pastry blender.
What Are The Best Apples for Making Dutch Apple Pie?
The best apples for dutch apple pie have a tart sweetness that is bright enough to shine through the richness of a pie crust, with a firm texture that can withstand baking without dissolving into a mushy, applesauce-like consistency. Among them are Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, Cripps Pink apples, Pink Lady apples, Braeburn apples, Fuji, and Pink Pearl apples.
Dutch Apple Pie Ingredients
Note: The full ingredients list is provided in the recipe card below.
- Sugar: I use a combination of granulated sugar and Brown sugar. My Family enjoyed the level of sweetness and found thisDutch Apple Pie to be well balanced as written, but feel free to tweak it to suit your Family’s taste.
- Kosher salt & Pure vanilla extract: To enhance the flavor.
- Fats: I like to make the pie crusts with a combination of unsalted butter and shortening. The butter provides flavor and richness, while the shortening provides a flaky texture. Also, ensure the butter & shortening are very cold.
- Eggs: It provides structure, leavening, richness, color, and flavor to the pie.
- Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Flour: It helps to create a crust that is both sturdy and flaky. In addition, adding a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the apple pie filling helps set it and keeps it from being runny.
- Apples: I like to use a sweet and tart combo such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp; they are firm and hold their shape well when cooked.
- Lemon: Lemon juice protects the apples from oxidation, which keeps the slices from turning brown by acting as a barrier between the apple’s flesh and the air.
- Nuts: We use pecans for the streusel, but you can use walnuts if you’d like. However, I recommend toasting the nuts before using them, as this will give them a better flavor. Check out this recipe for How to Toast Nuts.
Tools you’ll need
- (1) 9-inch deep pie pan half-sheet pan
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Dry Measuring Cups
- Silicone Spatula
- Mitten Oven
- Food Thermometer
- Pie weights or dried beans
- Wire rack
- Food Processor or Pastry blender
How to Make Dutch Apple Pie
Note: The full instruction is provided in the recipe card below.
Making pie crust in a food processor: Dice the unsalted butter and shortening and place it in the freezer while preparing the flour mixture. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse flour, salt, and sugar to combine; add the chilled butter and shortening pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces, about 8 to 12 pulses.
In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of ice water and 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract. With the machine running, pour the ice water mixture down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the mixture is evenly moistened and very crumbly; don’t let the dough form into a ball in the machine.
Making pie crust by hand: Cut the butter and shortening into the flour in a large flat-bottomed mixing bowl using a pastry cutter or two forks; do not smash or smear. Instead, scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. If the fats are softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until it firms up, 2–5 minutes.
Sprinkling 3 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture, use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 1 more tablespoon of liquid and continue the mixing process. Finally, squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it’s ready. If it falls apart, add 1 more tablespoon of ice water, squeezing the dough to check if it holds.
Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of ice water; the dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated).
Form the dough: Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, turn the dough onto a work surface, and bring the dough together by hand. Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. (Note: Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.)
Roll the pie dough: Lightly grease a 9-inch deep pie dish with baking spray with flour or softened unsalted butter, including the rim, and set aside. Lightly dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Place chilled pie disk on the work surface and let the dough sit on the countertop for 5-10 minutes so that it’s malleable enough to roll; lightly dust it with flour and roll dough by starting at the center and lightly pressing down with the rolling pin to flatten slightly.
Rotate the pie dough and repeat, pressing down so it’s evenly flattened all around, about ⅛-inch thick. Then roll outward to make a circle, rotating the dough a quarter-turn at a time to keep it even. (If the dough is softening too fast, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2–5 minutes.) Finally, roll the dough until it’s about 2–3 inches larger than the pie dish, all the way around.
Overturn the pie dish onto the center of the pie dough circle, and use a pizza wheel to trim away the rough edges. (Save the scraps to make crust cookies, if desired!) Next, remove the pie dish and place it right side up on your work surface. Use the light indentation created by the rim as a guide for gently positioning dough into the center of the dish. (If the dough is softening too fast, put it back into the refrigerator until it firms up, 2–5 minutes.) Fit crust gently into the dish, pressing firmly against the side and bottom, careful not to stretch the dough.
Trim away the excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold it under; flute or crimp the edge with your fingers (lightly flour your fingers if the dough is sticking). Alternately you can use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Next, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to prevent bubbles; this keeps it from puffing as it bakes; place the crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while you heat the oven to 425 F degrees.
Blind Bake: Place the unbaked pie on a sheet pan and line the crust with parchment paper. Then fill the paper three-quarters full with pie weight or dried beans and bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges start to brown. Remove the pie weight and parchment paper (If you’re using dried beans, save the beans for another time), and bake for another 5 minutes. Then, reduce the pie crust from the oven and set it aside to cool while preparing the streusel topping and the filling.
Make the Streusel topping: Whisk together the flour, sugars, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Work in the softened butter with your fingers until evenly moistened with coarse crumbs; toss in the toated peans and keep in the freezer until needed.
Make the Filling: Peeled, cored, and sliced the apples, about ¼-inch thick, and placed in a bowl and tossed with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set apples aside to soften slightly and release juices for 20–30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugars, allspice, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Leaving behind excess liquid, add prepared apples to the sugar spice mixture. Gently toss the apples to coat.
Assemble: Tightly pack the apples into the chilled pie crust, mounding the apples slightly higher in the center. Dot with the butter, squeeze handfuls of the streusel topping and drop clumps of it on top of the filling to completely cover it. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, then bake the Dutch Apple pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and keep baking until the top is golden brown and the filling has puffed and set, about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer is inserted in the center and comes clean. If the crust browns too quickly, cover it with foil and continue baking.
Let cool completely on a wire rack; keep refrigerate after cooling. Serve it with vanilla ice cream or a hot cup of coffee—cover leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Substitutions
- Cream: Feel free to use beaten egg or milk for brushing the crust.
- Spice: I like combining cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for the apple filling. You can use whatever apple spice combo you like – just be sure to taste your filling to make sure it’s to your liking.
Check out this tasty Pecan Pie recipe on my website!
Variations
How to serve
Serve Dutch Apple pie cooled down or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
How to Store & Re-heat
Dutch Apple Pie can be stored, covered with plastic wrap or foil, at room temperature for up to 2 days or up to four days in the refrigerator. Apple Pie is best served at room temperature; however, if you want it warm, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds until it is heated or the desired temperature.
Make-Ahead
Baked and cooled crust can be stored wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to three days in advance. In addition, Dutch apple pie can be made a day ahead and stored, covered with plastic wrap or foil in the refrigerator for up to four days.
How to Freeze
Assemble and bake the dutch apple pie as directed in the recipe. Cool completely, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat in a 350 F preheated oven until heated, about 20 to 30 minutes, or desired temperature.
Tips for Making The Best Dutch Apple Pie
- Melt the butter for a better crumb: Incorporating the melted butter into the topping results in a dense crumb more like shortbread. Without a pastry cream-type filling to support it, the crumb can be too brittle and crumbly, causing it to sink and sink into the apple filling.
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup, then level the cup with the back of a knife or use the weight measurements. ( I use a 240 ml Dry Measuring cup)
- Use a ceramic or glass pie dish for baking the apple pie. A dark pan will cause too much browning, while a shiny pan will prevent the pie from achieving a golden-brown crust.
- To prevent the crust from burning, cover the edges with strips of foil 20 minutes into the bake time.
- Ensure all of your butter & shortening are very cold.
- A light spray of baking spray with flour should be enough to avoid the apple pie sticking to the pie dish.
- Do not overprocess or overmix; the pie crust will result in an overly dense pie crust.
- The Dutch Apple pie is done when the center is just set or when the internal temperature is at 375° F in a food thermometer.
- Let your Dutch apple pie cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting it. The filling will thicken as it cools, making it easier to slice.
FAQ
Can you Freeze Baked Dutch Apple Pie?
Assemble and bake the pie as directed in the recipe. Cool completely, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat in a 350 F preheated oven until heated, about 20 to 30 minutes, or desired temperature.
Can you Freeze Unbaked Dutch Apple Pie?
You may freeze the uncooked Dutch apple pie, but don’t brush it with egg. Instead, place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden it slightly, and then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, unwrap the pie, brush it with egg, and sprinkle with sugar—Bake, from the frozen state, in a preheated 375 F degree oven until golden brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
How long does unrefrigerated Dutch Apple pie last?
Apple pie can be left out of the fridge for up to 2 days; however, it must be refrigerated after that. If you’ve just baked your pie, make sure it’s completely cool before refrigerating it. If you have any leftover pie, keep it refrigerated.
Can Dutch Apple Pie be left unrefrigerated?
Dutch Apple Pie should be kept refrigerated after 2 days. If you leave it out at room temperature, it may spoil too quickly.
How do you know when Dutch Apple Pie is done?
Dutch apple pie is done when the pastry is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 60 to 70 minutes or until the internal temperature registers approximately 175 ºF.
How do you keep Apple Pie from being runny?
Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch or all-purpose flour to the apple pie filling helps set it and keeps it from being runny.
Do you have to cook apples before making Dutch Apple Pie?
Cooking the apples is just another method of making an apple pie; however, it isn’t necessary.
More Amazing Pie Recipes:
📖 Recipe
A Nutty Dutch Apple Pie Recipe for Fall
Tools
- (1) 9-inch deep pie pan
- half-sheet pan
- Food Thermometer
- Pie weights or dried beans
- Food Processor or Pastry blender
Ingredients
For the Dutch Apple Pie Crust:
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening , such as Crisco
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons ice-cold water
For the Dutch Apple Pie Filling:
- 2-1/2 pounds (about 5 -6) Use mixed baking apples such as granny smith and honey crisp or honey crisp and empire. (see note), peeled, cored, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- zest from 1 lemon
- 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 70g ( 1/3 cup )packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 19 g 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 19 g 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Streusel Topping:
- 1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter , melted
- 3/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts , chopped
Instructions
Make the dough in the food processor:
- Dice the unsalted butter and shortening and place it in the freezer while preparing the flour mixture. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse flour, salt, and sugar to combine; add the chilled butter and shortening pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces, about 8 to 12 pulses.
- In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of ice water and 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract. With the machine running, pour the ice water mixture down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the mixture is evenly moistened and very crumbly; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine.
Make the dough By hand:
- Cut the butter and shortening into the flour in a large flat-bottomed mixing bowl using a pastry cutter or two forks; do not smash or smear. Instead, scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. If the fats are softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until it firms up, 2–5 minutes.
- Sprinkling 3 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture, use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 1 more tablespoon of liquid and continue the mixing process. Finally, squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it's ready.
- If it falls apart, add 1 more tablespoon of ice water, squeezing the dough to check if it holds. Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of ice water; the dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated).
Form the dough:
- Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, turn the dough onto a work surface, and bring the dough together by hand. Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. (Note: Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.)
- Roll the dough: Lightly grease a 9-inch deep pie dish with baking spray with flour or softened unsalted butter, including the rim, and set aside. Lightly dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Place chilled pie disk on the work surface and let the dough sit on the countertop for 5-10 minutes so that it's malleable enough to roll; lightly dust it with flour and roll dough by starting at the center and lightly pressing down with the rolling pin to flatten slightly. Rotate the dough and repeat, pressing down so it's evenly flattened all around, about ⅛-inch thick.
- Then roll outward to make a circle, rotating the dough a quarter-turn at a time to keep it even. (If the dough is softening too fast, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2–5 minutes.) Finally, roll the dough until it's about 2–3 inches larger than the pie dish, all the way around.
- Overturn the pie dish onto the center of the dough circle, and use a pizza wheel to trim away the rough edges. (Save the scraps to make crust cookies, if desired!) Next, remove the pie dish and place it right side up on your work surface.
- Use the light indentation created by the rim as a guide for gently positioning dough into the center of the dish. (If the dough is softening too fast, put it back into the refrigerator until it firms up, 2–5 minutes.)
- Fit crust gently into the dish, pressing firmly against the side and bottom, careful not to stretch the dough. Trim away the excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold it under; flute or crimp the edge with your fingers (lightly flour your fingers if the dough is sticking). Alternately you can use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges.
- Next, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to prevent bubbles; this keeps it from puffing as it bakes; place the crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while you heat the oven to 425 F degrees.
Blind Bake:
- Place the unbaked pie on a sheet pan and line the crust with parchment paper. Then fill the paper three-quarters full with pie weight or dried beans and bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges start to brown.
- Remove the pie weight and parchment paper (If you're using dried beans, save the beans for another time), and bake for another 5 minutes. Then, reduce the pie crust from the oven and set it aside to cool while preparing the streusel topping and the filling.
For the Streusel topping:
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Work in the melted butter with your fingers until evenly moistened with coarse crumbs; toss in the toated peans and keep in the freezer until needed.
For the Dutch Apple Pie Filling:
- Peeled, cored, and sliced the apples, about ¼-inch thick, and placed in a bowl and tossed with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set apples aside to soften slightly and release juices for 20–30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugars, allspice, cornstarch, flour, vanilla, and salt. Leaving behind excess liquid, add prepared apples to the sugar spice mixture. Gently toss the apples to coat.
Assemble:
- Tightly pack the apples into the chilled pie crust, mounding the apples slightly higher in the center. Dot with the butter, squeeze handfuls of the streusel topping and drop clumps of it on top of the filling to completely cover it. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, then bake the Dutch Apple pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and keep baking until the top is golden brown and the filling has puffed and set, about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer is inserted in the center and comes clean.
- If the crust browns too quickly, cover it with foil and continue baking. Let cool completely on a wire rack; keep refrigerate after cooling. Serve it with vanilla ice cream or a hot cup of coffee—cover leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Use the scraps to patch any thin areas; in case of a tear.
- Be sure you roll out the dough large enough to fit in the dish with a little overhang.
- The pie dough can be made ahead and wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If you freeze it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
- The Dutch Apple Pie can be frozen after baking for up to 1 month after it is completely cooled; double-wrap it securely with plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- If you're omitting the vanilla extract in the pie crust recipe, substitute the same amount the recipe calls for with ice-cold water.
- Choose crisp and tartly-sweet apples such as Empire, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, or Cortland—as they hold their shape and aren't too juicy.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
