Dutch Apple Pie – Immaculate Bites

What Is a Dutch Apple Pie?

This beautiful creation is a topless deep-dish apple pie. Well, not completely topless because it’s covered with a fantastic crumb topping. Yum! This recipe has been around for centuries, so that means it has to be good.

While most apple pies have a top crust, Dutch apple pie is topped off with a decadent streusel made with butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. It just might be the perfect dessert. The original 1500s Dutch recipe recommends adding ginger, cardamom, mace, and cloves, so I may try that the next time.

Recipe Ingredients

• Pie Crust — Obviously, a homemade pie crust is best, but don’t miss out on this deliciousness just because you don’t have time. A store-bought pie crust will work, so no guilt. And a gluten-free pie crust is just as good if that’s what you need. 
• Brown Sugar, Flour, and Butter — This mix, along with cinnamon, makes a gorgeous streusel topping. Gluten-free all-purpose flour or cornstarch works instead of flour, and lard or margarine will give you a dairy-free version. 
• Spices — The classic apple pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice) amps up the flavors for the ultimate comfort food. I love to add cloves, cardamom, and a touch of anise for a completely soul-satisfying dessert.
• Vanilla Extract — This flavor enhancer is hardly noticed but terribly missed if it’s not there. Homemade vanilla extract is super easy, much tastier, and a whole lot cheaper. 
• Apples — Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples give you the perfect combination of sweet and tart for a fabulicious Dutch apple pie filling. You can use any variety of sweet and tart apples for this pie. The ones that stay firm instead of falling apart when baked are best.
• Lemon Juice — The lemon juice’s acidity balances the sweetness in your pie filling and keeps the apples from turning dark.
• Crumb Topping — Flour, spices, oats, and nuts made even better with butter create the perfect crumble for this apple pie.

How to Make a Dutch Apple Pie

The Crust and Crumb Topping

• Prep the Pie Crust – You can make your own pie crust or purchase a ready-made one. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, gently fit it in, trim any excess dough hanging on the edges, then decorate the edges as desired. Refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes or until you’re ready to bake it. (Photos 1-2)
• Dry Ingredients — In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, then add the flour, nuts in flour, nutmeg, and salt. (Photos 3-4)
• Wet Ingredients – Pour the vanilla extract and melted butter over the oat mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Put the streusel in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie filling. (Photos 5-6)

The Apple Pie Filling 

• Peel the Apples, then core and slice them about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Place them in a bowl of lemon water to prevent the apples from turning brown while you get the rest of the ingredients together. (Photos 7-8)
• Make the Filling – Drain the apples and place them in a mixing bowl. Add brown and granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt, and lemon juice. Mix well. (Photos 9-10)
• Fill the Pie Crust – Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan, evenly distribute the apples, and arrange the butter pieces over the apples. (Photo 11)
• Add the Streusel – Top the apple mixture with the oatmeal crumb mixture and evenly spread it all over the apples. (Photo 12)
• Bake – Place the pie on a baking sheet if your pies tend to spill over in the oven. Bake the pie until the apples are almost tender when poked with a toothpick, 40-45 minutes. Check the pie a few times throughout baking to ensure the crumb topping and crust aren’t over-browning. You may cover it with foil paper if it’s browning too fast.
• Cool and Serve — Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or barely warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Recipe Variations

No apples? No worries. Asian and bosque pears are an excellent replacement for apples; just reduce the sugar by half because they’re sweeter.

Increase this apple pie’s decadence by using a cinnamon graham cracker crust and replacing the flour in the crumb topping with crushed graham crackers. I might reduce the sugar by half in the topping so it’s not too sweet.

Grate half a cup of cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on the top of your apple pie five minutes before it’s done.

Tips and Tricks

• To avoid soggy apple pie, toss the apple slices with a little sugar first, and drain if they release too much water. That way, you’ll get a thicker pie filling. Not all apples release that much water, but this technique helps. 
• The apple filling cooks down quite a bit, so don’t be afraid to overfill the pie crust. Make sure all the apple slices are flat on the surface, and you’re all good.
• Blind baking is baking the crust long enough to firm it up and keep the filling from soaking in and making it soggy. No need to brown it, so keep a close eye on it.

Make Ahead Instructions

You can make this pie ahead and then freeze it for later. It will freeze well for a couple of months if well wrapped. Then you can place it on a cookie sheet to help keep the crust crisp and bake it frozen at 400℉/205℃ for about 30 minutes.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve your Dutch apple pie with a scoop of ice cream (rum raisin pineapple is my favorite) or a spoonful of homemade whipped cream to contrast with the pie’s sweet and tart flavors. Warm or room temperature is ideal, though I do like it hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Store unbaked apple pies in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. If cooked, store it at room temperature for three days or in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

Reheat Dutch apple pie in the microwave or the oven at 200°F/95℉. It should take around 20 minutes or more if straight from the fridge. 

FAQs

What to Serve With a Dutch Apple Pie

Dutch apple pies are fantastic with a huge spoonful of homemade whipped cream. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is also a traditional side dish for apple pies. And a nice hot cup of ginger tea or pumpkin spice latte is the ideal finish to a roast beef dinner. Oh yeah!!!

More Tempting Dessert Recipes to Try

Conclusion

That’s a wrap on the best Dutch apple pie recipe I’ve found. The smell wafting from the kitchen brought the whole family together, and we had a great time chatting over coffee and dessert. So go ahead and try this recipe, then let me know how it went in the comments below.

Watch How to Make It