Perfect Dutch Apple Pie Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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This classic Dutch Apple Pie, with crisp buttery crust and crunchy almond oat topping, is bursting with tangy apples and autumn spices. It’s an Easy Apple Pie Recipe that will change what you think about pie making!

Perfect Dutch Apple Pie Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (1)

It’s Apple Pie Season

Every fall, we set a few Saturdays aside for apple picking.

We drive out to the apple orchards with a large blanket and a picnic lunch. We spend a relaxed afternoon laughing, hunting for the perfect apple tree, and smiling more than usual.

We pretend to pay close attention to the types of apple trees from which we’re picking, then nonchalantly place the apple in the basket without any further attempt to keep tabs of the varieties.

We eat hot apple donuts and drink cold fresh cider.

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Our Favorite Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

We lay in the grass with full bellies and piles of apples all around.

We go home happy, with dreams of Dutch Apple Pie in the near future.

And when it’s time to make that dream a reality, this is the Dutch Apple Pie Recipe we make.

I’m not a bragger. Really, I’m not. But can I just take a moment to tell you how good this Dutch Apple Pie is?

This is the Ferrari… the Cartier… the Louis Vuitton of apple pies.

Seriously guys, I’m patting my own back over this one. This my friends, is what all pies aspire to be.

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The Best Apple Pie Recipe?

There’s not really one thing I can point out that makes this Dutch Apple Pie Recipe better than most of the other pies I’ve made. It’s a combination of attributes, really.

The golden flaky crust is made with Gold Medal Flour, a combination of butter and shortening, and is laced with the boozy essence of Maple Crown Royal. I love using Gold Medal Flour for pie crust, because it always bakes up so consistently, that the even texture accentuates the prominent boozy buttery flavor.

The rustic crumb topping is mixed with oats, almonds, and brown sugar for a hearty nut crumble that breaks apart as you cut each bite.

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As for the filling, some people would argue that you must use granny smith apples or other specified varieties. Yet I feel that as long as you choose firm apples, not apples that are prone to getting mushy, you can’t go wrong.

In this case, we picked several types of apples, all firm with a sweet-tart flavor, and the apple pie was ridiculously good. Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Cortland apples.

I combined the sliced apples with lemon zest and juice, a little cornstarch to thicken the juices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. That’s it.

Simple homey flavors and textures that come together to form a Dutch Apple Pie masterpiece.

That is what every apple pie should be, and this one certainly makes the cut!

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Best Apples For Apple Pie

As mentioned above try to pick firm apples that don’t turn mushy when cooked. We like…

  • Honeycrisp
  • Granny Smith
  • Jonagold
  • Fuji
  • Mutsu
  • Braeburn
  • Cortland
  • Jazz

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How To Make Dutch Apple Pie

  1. Chill the Fat. Cut the butter and shortening into cubes and place in the freezer to get them really cold while you pull out the rest of your ingredients.
  2. Pulse the Crust. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Pour apple brandy over ice to chill. Place the butter and shortening in the food processor, and pulse until it breaks up into small pea-sized chunks. Add the cold liquor one tablespoon at a time to the mixture and pulse to combine.
  3. Dutch Apple Crumb Topping. Divide 1/3 of the dough out for the topping and place in a medium bowl. Break the dough into little pieces, then add the oats, almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  4. Prepare the Apples. Place the lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Peel and thinly slice all the apples tossing in the lemon juice as you add them to the bowl. Add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and spices to the apples and toss to coat.
  5. Roll the Pie Crust. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a large round circle approximately 12 inches across. Carefully lift the plastic wrap and flip the dough circle over into a deep-dish pie pan. Fold the rough edges under and pinch-crimp the edges with your fingers.
  6. Fill the Pie. Scoop the apple filling into the pie crust. Shake a little so the apple slices settle into place. Then sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples, covering completely.
  7. Bake! Bake the pie for 60-80 minutes, until golden and bubbly. If the crumble topping starts to get too dark, loosely cover with foil while baking.

Get The Full (Printable) Dutch Apple Pie Recipe Below

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Easy Apple Pie Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • Store-bought pie crust – Sometimes, it’s perfectly fine to use a refrigerated roll-out pie crust from the grocery store. However, this brandy pie crust is special. And you do have to make the dough for the crumble topping anyway, so in this recipe we think you should make the entire pie crust from scratch.
  • Chill the fat – It’s important to use cold components in the pie crust. Cold dough bakes into flaky pie crust! If your pie crust gets too warm before baking, place the pie pan in the refrigerator to re-chill.
  • Peeling tips – Yes, you must peel all the apples to have a smooth consistent texture once the pie is baked. You can use a vegetable peeler or an apple peeling tool. To keep the apples from browning, toss them in lemon juice after you peel and slice each apple.
  • Wait to cut – The hardest part of making apple pie from scratch is waiting to cut it. It will smell so good straight out of the oven, but if you cut it right away, all the hot juices will run out. The baked apple pie needs to rest before cutting, so the juices can firm up!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this pie last?

This pie can be left out at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Make sure to cover it with foil. Or you can place it in the fridge for up to 4 days, loosely covered.

Can you substitute another ingredient for the shortening?

Yes, if you want to avoid using shortening, then you can substitute it for pure butter, or a butter and coconut oil mixture.

Can you freeze apple pie?

Yes, make sure to tightly cover the pie with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure to let the pie thaw out in your fridge for 24 hours before serving.

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More Amazing Apple Recipes

  • Instant Pot Spiced Apples
  • Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apples
  • Apple Coffee Cake
  • Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
  • Caramel Apple Slab Pie
  • Curried Apple Turnovers
  • Brandy Apple Hand Pies

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Print Recipe

5 stars (10 reviews)

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Perfect Dutch Apple Pie

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

This classic Dutch Apple Pie Recipe with crisp buttery crust and crunchy almond oat topping is bursting with tangy apples and autumn spices.

Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For the Crust:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose Gold Medal Flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 9 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 6 tablespoons cold shortening, cut into cubes
  • 4-6 tablespoons ice-cold booze, I like apple brandy or maple Crown Royal

For the Crumb Topping:

For the Apple Pie Filling:

Instructions

For the Crust:

  • Cut the butter and shortening into cubes and place in the freezer to get them really coldwhile you pull out the rest of your ingredients.

  • Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pour 6 tablespoons of apple brandy (or your booze of choice) over ice to chill. Place the butter and shortening in the food processor, and pulse until it breaks up into small pea-sized chunks. Without scooping up the ice, add the liquor one tablespoon at a time to the mixture and pulse to combine. Once the dough starts to pull together into a mass, stop adding liquid and dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap.

  • Divide 1/3 of the dough out for the topping and place in a medium bowl. Then shape the remaining dough into a disk, wrap well in plastic, and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

  • Break the divided dough into little pieces, then add the oats, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix and crumble with your hands, then place in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Filling:

  • Place the lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Peel and thinly slice all the apples (1/8- to 1/4-inch thick) tossing in the lemon juice as you add them to the bowl. Add the sugar, salt, cornstarch and spices to the apples and toss to coat.

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degree F and place the rack in the lowest position. Place a piece of plastic wrap (or foil) out on the counter. Flour the plastic wrap and place the chilled dough on the floured work surface. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a large round circle approximately 12 inches across. Carefully lift the plastic wrap and flip the dough circle over into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Gently fit the pie dough down into the pie pan—don't stretch it. Then fold the rough edges under and pinch-crimp the edges with your fingers.

  • Scoop the apple filling into the pie crust. Shake a little so the apple slices settle into place. Then sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples, covering completely. Place the pie in the oven, and LOWER THE TEMPERATURE TO 375DEGREES F. The extra heat from the beginning gives and crust a little head start in baking. Bake the pie for 60-80 minutes, until golden and bubbly. If the crumble topping starts to get too dark, loosely cover with foil while baking.

  • This is the hard part... DO NOT cut the pie until it has cooled down to room temperature. I know it smells amazing and is very hard to resist, but the filling needs time to settle and set, so it's not soupy. If you cut your pie too soon, it will fall apart.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 607kcal, Carbohydrates: 86g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 433mg, Potassium: 350mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 50g, Vitamin A: 515IU, Vitamin C: 10.4mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dutch

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. All opinions are my own.

This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.

Perfect Dutch Apple Pie Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

What are the 5 tips for pie perfection? ›

5 Tips To Make The Perfect Pie, From America's Test Kitchen
  1. Measure By Weight, Not Volume.
  2. Don't Overwork Your Pie Dough.
  3. Keep The Dough Cool.
  4. Pretreat The Filling (And The Crust)
  5. Be Patient Before Serving.
Nov 26, 2019

What is the topping made of on a Dutch apple pie? ›

Let me fill you in: dutch apple pie is traditionally made with a streusel topping made up of butter, flour, brown sugar and sometimes, nuts or oats. It's just slightly sweeter than traditional apple pies made with a lattice crust or regular crust on top and perfect with ice cream on top.

What's the difference between Dutch apple pie and regular apple pie? ›

Dutch apple pies have a crumbly topping while traditional apple pies have a top layer made from pie crust. 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.

How long should you chill a pie before baking? ›

Tip: At this point, it helps to return the pie to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes; this chills the fat, which ultimately increases the crust's flakiness and helps the crimp hold its shape.

What is the best temperature to bake a pie? ›

No soggy bottom pie crust Not nessary to blind bake! Just bake a filled pie at 425° for the first 15 min to set the crust then reduce temperature to 350° for the rest of the time.

How do you keep Dutch apple pie from getting soggy? ›

Here are some tips to prevent runny apple pie.
  1. Precook the filling. ...
  2. Reduce the juice. ...
  3. Experiment with different thickeners. ...
  4. Vent the top crust. ...
  5. Try a lattice or crumb top crust. ...
  6. Bake thoroughly — and then some. ...
  7. Let the pie cool completely — preferably overnight.
Sep 19, 2018

What's the difference between a Dutch pie and a regular pie? ›

What Makes it “Dutch”? The unique crumb topping of butter, sugar, and flour is what sets this dessert apart. While traditional apple pie boasts a regular double crust (a crust on the bottom and a crust on top), a Dutch apple pie has a regular bottom crust, but a crumble topping.

Why is my Dutch apple pie runny? ›

If you don't bake your pie at a high enough temp your thickener doesn't get to the necessary temperature for a long enough time to thicken your filling. Also, that high temp is needed to get your pie crust light & flaky. If needed, use a pie shield to help protect your crust from burning.

What are the three best apples for apple pie? ›

The best apples for making apple pie
  • Braeburn. This apple is a descendant of Granny Smith, but slightly sweeter. ...
  • Cortland. ...
  • Crispin (Mutsu). ...
  • Golden Delicious. ...
  • Granny Smith. ...
  • Honeycrisp. ...
  • Jonagold or Jonathan. ...
  • Northern Spy.
Oct 8, 2021

What kind of apples make the best apple pie? ›

  • Which kind of apples are best for baking apple pie—and why? Ree Drummond's favorite is Granny Smith for her Caramel Apple Pie. ...
  • Crispin. This sweet, refreshing apple is also called Matsu. ...
  • Honey Crisp. ...
  • Granny Smith. ...
  • Envy. ...
  • Gala. ...
  • Braeburn. ...
  • Pink Lady.
Oct 30, 2023

What is the best thickener for apple pie? ›

Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste. For full effectiveness, make sure the pie filling is bubbling up through the crust before removing your pie from the oven.

What apples not to use for pie? ›

For more on all these apples, including what they look and taste like, see our baking apple guide below. There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›

The Most Common Pie Crust Mistakes (And Ways To Avoid Them)
  1. The ingredients are too warm. ...
  2. The pie dough is overworked from excessive mixing or rolling. ...
  3. The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill. ...
  4. The pie dough is shrinking down the sides of the pan.
Oct 18, 2022

What are the pies strategies? ›

In the strategy presented, the mnemonic PIES is used to describe a 4-step process for solving word problems in which the acronym is described as P=Picture (draw a simple sketch) based on the situation described by the word problem), I=Information (circle key words in the problem and write next to picture), E=Equation ( ...

How do you slice a pie perfectly? ›

The Secret of the Third Cut

The law of clean pie slicing states that it's always easier to lift out that tricky first slice when a second slice has also been cut. So, use your chef's knife to cut the first slice—but don't remove it. Then be sure to make that third crucial cut, marking the second slice.

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