Perfect Dutch Apple Pie

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!

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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. 

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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5 from 10 votes

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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:

• 1/3 of the pie crust dough, broken into small pieces
• 2/3 cup oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Apple Pie Filling:

• 4 pounds firm apples, Pick a firm variety that is sweet and tart, or a combination of apple varieties
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of one lemon, + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

For the Crust:

• 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.
• 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 375 DEGREES 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

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

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