How to Make Dutch Apple Pie

Here are the ingredients you’re going to need! Quantities are listed in the recipe
below but here are the basics:

 Single pie crust

 Lemon juice
 Heck ton of apples (see below)
 Brown sugar
 Granulated sugar
 Flour
 Salt
 Cinnamon
 Nutmeg
 Cardamom (optional, but AMAZING, try it y’all)
 Vanilla
 Butter

Best Apples for an Apple Pie Recipe with

Crumb Topping
An apple pie can only be as quality as the apples themselves. Fortunately these
days we have access to a massive variety of apples to choose from. These are my
most important tips when it comes to apples:

 Use a ton of apples! The best way to get the MOST apple-y flavor in your pie
is to utilize the apples themselves! Most apple pies call for 2-3 pounds of
apples. We are using 5 pounds! Like 11 or 12 big apples.
 Use a variety of apples. I used Granny Smith (very tart), Honeycrisp (middle),
and Golden Delicious (on the sweet side). Using only one type of apple gives
you only one flavor profile. Using a blend means your pie will land somewhere
perfectly in the middle of tart and sweet. Here is a list of common apple
varieties, listed from most tart (Granny Smith) to sweetest (Fuji).
▪️Granny Smith
▪️Braeburn
▪️Macintosh
▪️Honeycrisp
▪️Red Delicious
▪️Golden Delicious
▪️Ambrosia
▪️Gala
▪️Fuji

If you like pies a bit more on the tart side, grab a few more Granny Smith. If you
like them a bit more sweet, go heavier on the Gala or Golden Delicious. I would
avoid Red Delicious (too mushy, and honestly if you don’t like to eat it plain why
would you want it in a pie? Are there people who actually still eat Red
Delicious??)

How many apples are needed for this pie?

Since apples can vary in size, it’s best to weigh them rather than to go by count.
However, there are about 3 medium apples in 1 pound. Buy at least 15 to be on
the safe side. With the large apples I used, I only needed about 12. If you have
leftovers, you have something to snack on while making your pie!

Apple Pie: Is it better to use cooked or raw

apples?
Cook your apple pie filling. My last tip is kind of super duper important: COOK
YOUR APPLES. So many apple pie recipes add raw sliced apples to a pie shell, and
bake a long time so the apples soften in the oven. I’ve tried this lots of times, and
just don’t love it. For one, you risk under baking your apples. Does anyone else
hate this as much as I do? Say no to crunchy apple pie! That is the absolute
worst!
Secondly, apples have a lot of water, and all that water ends up in your pie if you
don’t cook some of it off first. This means your apple pie is not as flavorful.

I tested this pie twice: the first one with uncooked apples and the second one
with cooked apples. The raw apple pie definitely had less flavor. It was bland
guys. I mean, still a passable apple pie, just nothing to write home about.

The pie with the cooked filling, on the other hand, had a darker, deeper flavor. It
was almost caramel-y, and there was more sauce in the filling. There’s no chance
of under-baking, and the flavor is INCREDIBLE.

I know it’s inconvenient to cook the filling (even more inconvenient when I tell
you that you’re going to have to cool that filling before adding it to the pie) but
hey, you didn’t sign up to make an apple pie because you needed a quick
dessert, did you? Take the extra 20 minutes to cook the filling. You won’t regret
it!

Best Dutch Apple Pie Recipe Filling

First gather up all your apples.

You need 5 pounds before coring and peeling. That’s about 11-12 large apples to
make 5 pounds.

Here’s how I slice my apples. You can use a mandolin if you want, but be sure to
use a metal glove. Those suckers are sharp!

Keep slicing around the core until you have these segments. Then slice to about
1/8 inch. You can slice thicker than that if you like (you may have to cook longer),
but I love thin apples in my pie.
As you are slicing up the apples, toss them in a 12 inch high sided skillet (heat
should be off) with the lemon juice and zest. Give it a stir to coat the apples with
lemon.

See, 5 pounds is a ton of apples! You could never fit this many raw apples into a pie crust (When
I tested this recipe with raw apples, I adjusted the ingredients to match 3 pounds of apples, and it
was mounded sky-high.)

Time to cook it down. Add some sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and spices. NO
extra liquid, the apples will release plenty!

Place it over medium heat and let cook for about 20 minutes. Cover the pan, but
stay nearby because you’re going to have to stir the mixture every couple
minutes, replacing the lid each time. This keeps the steam in and helps cook the
apples. You are going to get this glorious caramel-y sauce going.

Something magical happens when you gently cook the apple pie filling over a
longer period of time like this. The pectin in the apples is converted to a heat-
stable form. (Thanks Cooks Illustrated!) That means when you cook the apples
again in your pie in the oven, the apples won’t become mushy. Whatever level of
“al dente” they are at when you finish cooking them on the stove, that’s how it
will taste in your pie. So you can adjust the cooking time a bit to reach your level
of apple perfection. Cook longer if you like softer apples; shorter if you like them
more firm. You don’t have to calculate for further cooking in the oven. Crazy,
right? Science! 

How do you keep Dutch apple pie from

getting soggy?
The biggest trick to prevent a soggy or melting crust is to make sure all your
ingredients go COLD into the oven. This includes all 3 components of the pie: pie
crust, apple pie filling, and the crumble.

If you added this hot filling into a pie crust right now, it would melt your crust
into a sad heap of butter. Your crust will be soggy sad.
So we are taking that hot apple, caramel-y goodness and giving it a chill. Pour
the mixture onto a half sheet pan (any cookie sheet, one with a lip) and spread it
out evenly. I stuck mine in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes. You can put it
in the fridge, or just leave it in the pan you cooked it in and wait for it to come to
room temperature (a couple hours), if you are not in a hurry.

Now for the crust. I have an entire post about How to Make Flaky Pie Crust, you are
definitely going to want to check it out! The most important thing to remember is to keep
your pie crust super cold before putting it in the oven, so after crimping the edges to look
nice, toss it in the freezer for a half hour. Dozens of people have sent me pictures of their
apple pie crusts literally melting off because they went in the oven too warm. It’s about
the saddest thing to happen to a pie. Don’t skip chilling!

The other important step you need to take to avoid a soggy crust is to blast the heat in the
beginning of your cook time. Turn your oven up all the way to 425 degrees and stick a
pizza stone (or sheet pan if you don’t have one) on the center rack in your oven. Let it
preheat while everything is chilling, about 20-30 minutes. Having direct contact with that
really hot surface distributes heat evenly to the bottom of the crust, which results in a
firmer, crispier crust. Nobody wants a soggy bottom!

Once your apple pie filling is chilled, pour it into your cold pie crust.

Crumb Topping for Apple Pie

Now it’s streusel time! Besides the amazing flavor, one of the best things about a
crumb topping is just how easy it comes together.

WHAT IS THE CRUMBLE ON APPLE PIE MADE OF?

 Flour
 White and Brown Sugar
 Salt
 Butter
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE CRUMBLE FOR AN APPLE PIE?

Grab a medium bowl and add in the dry ingredients: flour, white and brown sugars, a
little salt. Whisk em up.

Then melt some butter and drizzle it over the top. Use a fork or spatula to mix it
together, but don’t overdo it! It’s going to come together like cookie dough
almost. Chill for a few minutes, then use a fork to break it up into crumbly bits.
I’m a sucker for HUGE bites of crumble, but you can mix it into a sandier texture if
you prefer.

This is after chilling.

Here’s all your components chilled and ready to assemble!

Top your pie with just enough crumble to cover the top. Don’t use all of it!
Probably about a cup. Stick the rest in the fridge for later.

I know you think this pie looks done. It’s not. MORE STREUSEL PLEASE.

Bake about halfway, then we’re lowering the oven temperature a bit and adding the rest
of the crumble. Adding the crumble in layers like this makes the topping nice and thick
how I like it, but crispy and golden all the way through. It’s the price you pay for a
ridiculous amount of streusel on your pie. I’ll take it! (we have to shield the crust anyway
so we’re already taking the pie out of the oven. See below)

At this point we’re also going to top the edges of our pie with a crust cover made
from super fancy tin foil. Tear off a square of foil about the same size as your pie.
Fold in half, then in half again, and cut out the center. Open it up again and voila!
You’re pie is ready for outer space! Just kidding. This will let the center of the pie
brown without burning the edges.

You’ll know your pie is ready to come out when the crumble is a nice, light golden
brown and the edges are brown.
Let the pie cool on a rack for at least 4 hours before digging in. I know, this is
killer! But if you cut into it now it won’t really be pie, it will be soup. The juices
need time to return to room temperature to be the right consistency.

This is a great pie for making ahead (see more below), but once you cut into it, it
needs to be eaten very soon afterward. The problem is that once the moisture
inside the pie touches the dry crumble on top, the wetness spreads and makes
your whole crumble wet. So it’s a great pie to make the day before your event,
just make sure not to sneak a slice, or your crumble won’t be crumbly. You must
resist!

Your pie is best served the day after making it, without any early cuts made. (This
is why it’s perfect for Thanksgiving!) Store leftovers on the counter loosely
covered with plastic wrap or foil for about 2 days. After that stick in in the fridge.

Freezing Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

Dutch Apple Pie is such a great candidate for making in advance: it freezes
beautifully. (Total life-saver during the holidays!)

There are 3 ways to make your pie ahead of time.

1. The first is to make the crust, filling, and topping and freeze each separately in
freezer ziplock bags. Thaw in the fridge, then follow the directions for
assembly and baking.
2. If you prefer, you can completely assemble the pie in the pie pan, then wrap
the whole pie, pan and all, really well in plastic wrap and then foil (I suggest
two layers of each to avoid freezer burn) and the second half of the crumb
topping in a small freezer ziplock bag. Store upright in the freezer for 1- 3
months. See notes for instructions on how to bake.
3. To freeze after baking the pie, allow the baked pie to cool completely, like a
full 8 hours. Wrap it really well in plastic wrap and then foil (I suggest two
layers of each to avoid freezer burn). Store upright in the freezer for 1- 3
months. See notes for cooking instructions!