Homemade pies are one of my favorite things to make. Fall is my favorite time to bake my favorite recipe is a dutch crumb apple pie.
The Fall season offers the best in flavorful apples so buy them, peel them and let’s bake!
A Streusel topped Apple Pie – Dutch Crumb Apple Pie
Dutch Crumb Apple pies are a staple in our home year-round, but especially in the Fall.
In the summer I try to make Dutch Crumb Peach Pies and dutch crumb peach blueberry pies because the streusel topping is amazing against any fresh fruit!
One thing is for sure, every fruit graced with a streusel topping instead of a pastry shell turns out perfect with my easy to recreate the recipe.
Any Apple? Dutch Crumb Apple Pie Is Not Particular
Here’s the thing, I am not partial to any particular apple.
Some might say, “hey that’s not the way to bake an apple pie.”
To that, I simply respond, “Have you tried it?”
When your fruit crisping drawer in the refrigerator is bursting with apples, wash them, cut them, and bake them into my Delicious and Easy Dutch Crumb Apple Pie Recipe.
You know, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, lol!
The rich Dutch Crumb topping is sweet and encloses the contents of the pie dish like a blanket.
Rather than a traditional pie crust topping, it’s a secondary crust with a crunch and sweetness like no other, a streusel.
My delicious and easy dutch crumb apple pie recipe gives depth to the contents within!
Time to gather your apples and bake them.
Delicious and Easy Dutch Crumb Apple Pie
Buy your apples at a grocer, or head to a farm for a day of apple picking, like I used to do with my Gramma Stella and Pap Pap Stan.
It’s all fun.
No matter how you get your apples, the end result will be fabulous.
The recipe is not about fancy, it’s about good eats with few ingredients.
In fact, this recipe has been handed down from my Mother-In-Law from her Mother, etc.
So now it’s yours and I know she’s watching from Heaven and blessing every dutch crumb apple pie being made in all of your ovens.
Dutch Crumb Peach Pie – Fall into Yum!
I am partial to pies that do not consume hours in the kitchen.
Therefore, I will be straight up with you, sometimes I make the crust and other times I buy a crust.
No matter what you choose to do, just make sure it’s a deep dish crust!
How do I get the best of both worlds?
I keep my recipes simple to recreate.
Therefore, small shortcuts that don’t alter the taste, afford me more time outdoors! Are you with me?
Apples & Prep for Dutch Crumb Apple Pie
As soon as you have a minute, wash a few apples, then, peel them.
Slice the apples into multiple pieces (only if you are ready to go otherwise they will brown!)
Now you are set to go!
Of course, you can use an apple slicer, but you still have to PEEL the apples first.
Make sure your slicer is smooth and glides which makes it easier to slice.
From that point, you can uniformly slice them. Use a good paring knife to keep the slices perfect.
And, order this Apple cutting board, it just looks great and makes me, even more, Apple Happy!
What do you think?
Grab your favorite pie dish and all the other ingredients below.
Now let’s proceed to create a masterful Dutch Crumb Apple pie, with very little effort. Oh, how I love those words.
Ingredients for an Easy Dutch Crumb Apple Pie
5-6 Large Peaches washed and uniformly sliced. (thinner is better for baking time)
3 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
1 Frozen Pie Shell – Deep Dish (Shortcut Item!) or you can make one from scratch.
2/3 – 1 C Brown Sugar
1 C All-Purpose Flour
3/4 C Butter Softened
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
Method
Preheat Oven to 400°F.
Next, it’s time to make the Dutch Crumb Topping for the apples.
In a large mixing bowl, combine, butter, flour, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
You can use your fingers to mix or a pastry cutter (I do that) and just make sure it is crumbly.
Set aside and prep the pie shell and fill the shell with apples.
Now, roll out the pie crust (if using refrigerated) and place into pie pan.
Or if you are using a frozen crust follow directions to use (thaw, etc).
Use the sliced apples and line the bottom of the crust.
Layer the apples over each other, tier after tier.
Sometimes I stack them, other times I just drop them in from the bowl.
One thing is that I never SKIMP on the apples, as they are going to bake down and reduce as they cook.
I try to fill it up without heaping too high and it makes a world of difference when I apply the Dutch Crumb Topping.
Note that if you stack the apples too high, the topping will not be able to fall back into the sides of the pie, instead, it will spillover.
Choices Of To Bake Or To Freeze
Now is the time to make a fast decision, are you going to do what I am showing you below and bake the pie?
That’s just fine, but what if you have so many apples, that you make multiple pies.
If you bake them all off, unless you give them away, they will surely go to waste before you can eat them!
Your alternate choice follows these pictures.
Did you know that you can make these to this stage and rather than baking them you can freeze them?
Yep, make and then freeze and use later!
Pack those apples in more deeply in the middle and to the top of the crust edges.
Then, once apples reach close to the top of the pan, it is time to place the dutch crumb topping on.
Make sure to cover the entire top and sides, you want a nice tight topping.
Place in oven and bake on 400°F for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Then serve.
Remember, the fruit will be piping hot and can burn your mouth so use caution when eating for up to a few hours after removing from the oven.
Refrigerate any leftovers.
Alternatively – Freezing a Premade Pie
As I promised, I am sharing how to freeze a freshly made pie.
You don’t want to bake this version.
Instead, you prepare the pie all the way through the Dutch Crumb Stage.
Once you are done with the dutch crumb topping, you then use Press-n-Seal wrap to seal it up for the freezer.
Did you know you could do this?
I learned it and have never stopped!
I make 2 pies at a time and always keep one in reserve for a drop-by company that pops in or for taking when we get a last-minute invite somewhere!
Next, slide it into a large 1-2 gallon sealing plastic freezer food storage bag.
Make sure to mark the date you made it and to Bake at 400° F for 50-60 Minutes.
It comes out perfect every time.