I know, I know…Thanksgiving dessert recipes are all about pumpkin pie, but dare I say that in our house we all prefer apple pie? Specifically Dutch Apple Pie. When I was growing up my mom had a church recipe book, kind of like an early blog, where all the ladies at church submitted their best and favorite recipes and then they gathered a bunch together and printed and bound them so everyone could have a copy. This Dutch Apple pie recipe is from that little orange laminated three-ring cookbook. I wish I knew who to credit for the original recipe, I only know that it’s now been passed down a few more times and it is our family favorite.  I make this dutch apple pie recipe three times a year…at Thanksgiving, Christmas and for the 4th of July. It’s always a hit!

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When it comes to Thanksgiving recipes, I love to find any way I can simplify, prep, make ahead etc. It’s always such a busy week with so many things to make, it can feel overwhelming!

I love this dutch apple pie recipe because I can prep the apples two days before and then bake the pies a day ahead of everything else. It works really well. Here’s my tip for cutting the apples ahead of time and keeping them from turning really brown.

Slice your apples and once they are sliced, keep them in a bowl of ice water with a splash of lemon juice. Once they are all sliced and ready, transfer the sliced apples and ice water into gallon sized ziploc bags. Fill each bag about 1/2 full and then put them in the fridge until you are ready to use them. As soon as you’re ready to use them just drain them and pat dry.

The recipe calls for coating the apples in a flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and sugar mixture. These apples lose a lot of juice, so the cornstarch and flour help thicken the juice they lose into a sweet syrup. 

They start looking pretty irresistible once they are coated in all that cinnamon and sugar. 

I use pre-made pie shells. I know. But I have not perfected pie crust yet…actually I don’t even like pie crust which is probably why I haven’t taken the time to try and master it. 😉 They make life a lot easier when there are a million other recipes to make on Thanksgiving!

Fill those pie shells high with delicious apples and then dot with some butter. Delish!

Now it’s time for the crumb topping. Remember how I said I don’t like pie crust? Well, dutch streusel topping to the rescue. This amazing crumbly topping pairs so well with the tart granny smith apples. The sugary, buttery crisp crumb topping is made with just a few ingredients and by cutting cold butter into the dry mixture with a pastry cutter.

This pie is piled HIGH, but once the apples bake down it will shrink quite a bit. 

I like to bake mine on a baking sheet covered in tin foil so that any messes or spill over in the oven land on the foil, rather than inside the oven. It’s WAY easier to clean up!

Let that topping get nice and golden brown, but be sure to watch it so if it’s getting too dark you can cover it up with some more foil so that it doesn’t burn. 

Look at those irresistible layers of tart cinnamon sugar covered apples and sweet crumb topping. Guys, this is SO good!! Warm it up and top it with some ice cream and it will be your new favorite too. 

MY MUST-HAVE SUPPLIES FOR PIE MAKING

Are you ready to make this Dutch Apple Pie recipe yourself? Here you go!

Yield: 8 slices

Dutch Apple Pie

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• For the Pie:
• PIE CRUST
• 1 9oz unbaked pie crust
• FILLING
• 6 Medium/Large Granny Smith or other tart Apples - about 5 lbs
• 1/2 of a lemon (optional)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 TBS cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 TBS. Butter
• CRUMB TOPPING
• 1/2 Cup Butter (bring to room temperature)
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Sifted Flour

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 450F.
2. Line your pie pan with a pie shell and crimp edges.
3. For the filling:
4. Peel and slice your apples into thin slices. If you are worried about your apples browning while you slice them, you can add them to a large bowl and toss them in 2 TBS of lemon juice. If I use this method, I add the juice from one half of a lemon to my large bowl, then as I slice my apples I add them to the bowl and toss them in the juice.
5. Mix together your sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Coat your sliced apples in this mixture.
6. Arrange your coated apples in your pie shell and pour any remaining cinnamon sugar mixture from the bowl over them. Dot the top of your apples with the 2TBS butter.
7. For the Crumb Topping: Mix flour and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Cut your room temperature butter into 4 chunks and cut it into your flour/sugar mixture with a fork or pastry cutter until your mixture is a bunch of small crumbs. Do not mix until it's smooth! You want it crumbly.
8. Sprinkle the top of your pie with the crumb topping. Cover it completely.
9. Place your pie on a sheet pan covered in tin foil.
10. Bake your pie for 10 minutes at 450 F.
11. Reduce the heat to 350 F and continue baking for another 30 minutes.
12. Check your pie with about 15 minutes left to bake and see how it is browning. If the crust is looking like it might get too dark or burn, cover your pie with a tent of tin foil to keep it from getting too brown.
13. Remove your pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. This will take several hours. But be patient! The filling sets as it cools.
14. Serve and Enjoy! Be sure to serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the ultimate treat.

There can’t be a Thanksgiving in our house without Homemade Orange Rolls. Be sure to check out this family favorite recipe here. 

And stuffing? Don’t miss this delicious recipe. 

Looking for more delicious recipes?  You can find even more in our recipe library.

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Happy cooking!

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Tammy