Baking pies is something I hold near and dear to my heart. In fact, a lot of the pie recipes I make have never ended up on the blog simply because I’m baking them for pure comfort and joy. I don’t think about making them perfect or how I’m going to photograph them for the blog, instead I bake them with somebody special in mind, aka my husband.
What I love most about pie baking is that I get to work creatively with my hands, which somehow feels therapeutic and soul soothing, especially this time of year.
So, what do you say? Wanna throw on that Mariah Carey Christmas album (it’s never too early), put on your pajamas and spend time by yourself for a few hours making the most delicious homemade magic? If so, then this dutch apple pie recipe is for you.
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What’s the difference between regular apple pie and dutch apple pie?
You might be wondering: what the heck is a dutch apple pie and why is this chick telling me it’s a must make?! 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.
Basically, a dutch apple pie is what happens when a classic apple pie and apple crisp had a baby. And yes, you very much need it in your life.
Ingredients in dutch apple pie
This homemade dutch apple pie is filled with warming spices, tender apples and a perfectly sweet dutch apple topping. It’s truly incredible and perfect for fall, winter & all holidays. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Homemade pie crust: you’ll use my best-ever homemade pie crust recipe to kick off this amazing dutch apple pie.
- Butter: you’ll cook down the apples to tender perfection in a bit of butter.
- Apples: I recommend using firm, sweet-tart apples like honeycrisp, braeburn or pink lady.
- Spices: we’re using cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg to spice the filling.
- Sweetener: you’ll need a mix of brown sugar and regular sugar to sweeten the filling.
- Secret flavor trio: for an even more incredible flavor you’ll add bourbon or amaretto, vanilla extract & apple cider vinegar to the filling.
- All purpose flour & cornstarch: you’ll use a bit of flour and cornstarch to thicken up the apple filling.
- For the dutch apple topping: you’ll need some more all purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, rolled oats and butter to make a golden dutch apple topping.
Can I use store bought crust?
Yep! Feel free to use your favorite store-bought crust. The pie will still be delicious.
What makes this apple pie extra special?
I made this pie twice in one month two years back: one for fun and one for our friendsgiving. Both times it got rave reviews; as in, people were practically begging me for the recipe! Here are the secrets to really, really good apple pie:
- Use a good pie crust. A good, flaky pie crust is essential. I used my all butter flaky pie crust, which can be made ahead of time and kept in your fridge for up to a week or freezer for 3 months until ready to use.
- Peel your apples. Don’t forget to peel your apples. It’s annoying but worth the effort.
- Use thicker apple slices. Cut your apples into 1/4th inch slices and then pre-cook them down a bit so they are tender, but still have a nice bite. Trust me, this makes all the difference! Keeping them as slightly thicker slices helps them maintain their texture, and cooking them down a bit in sugars and spices helps to release their flavor before baking.
- Use both sugars. My recipe calls for both brown sugar and regular granulated sugar. Brown sugar adds a nice hint of molasses and caramel flavor. Bonus points if you use dark brown sugar.
- Add the special trio. To make this apple pie extra special, I add three special ingredients: a splash of bourbon, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar. This, along with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice make this apple pie recipe absolutely PERFECT.
How do you make dutch apple pie?
- Make your crust. Roll out your dough, place it in the pie dish, shape your crust as desired and then cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to add your apple pie filling.
- Peel your apples and cut into slices. You should end up with about 9-10 cups of sliced apples. Pay attention to how thick you are cutting them. 1/4th inch is perfect.
- Make your apple pie filling. You’ll add a little butter to a skillet then stir in your apple slices. Add in brown sugar, sugar and spices a cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes until apples begin to soften a bit. Finally stir in the bourbon, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, flour and cornstarch. Cook for 3-5 minutes more until sauce thickens up a bit. Cool filling for 30 minutes.
- Make your dutch crumb topping. In a large bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter and mix together until a crumb topping forms. Place in the refrigerator.
- Assemble the pie. Add the pie filling to pie crust, top with dutch topping mixture and bake! I recommend baking your apple pie on a baking sheet just in case the filling bubbles over. The pie is done when the filling is bubbly and the topping is slightly golden brown.
- Allow pie to cool for at least 4-6 hours. This is necessary to help the filling set. If you cut into it earlier, it’s likely to not be ready and the filling may not hold up as well.
What kind of apples are best for pie?
It’s best to use a sweet, yet slightly tart, firm apple in this dutch apple pie recipe. I recommend honeycrisp, braeburn or pink lady. A mix of honeycrisp and granny smith apples would also be delicious!
Do not use a soft apple or your apple pie filling won’t hold up as well.
Make it ahead of time
If you’re prepping this for the holidays or a special occasion, feel free to bake this pie 2-3 days ahead of time. It will hold up well at room temperature, then after a few days should be transferred to the fridge for optimal freshness.
How to store & freeze apple pie
- To store: after baking, you can keep the pie covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, then it’s best to transfer to the fridge and store for up to 3 extra days.
- To freeze: you can freeze dutch apple pie after baking by wrapping the pie tightly with aluminum foil and placing it in a heavy freezer bag. Pie can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once ready to eat, defrost the pie in the fridge and then reheat at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until warm.
More desserts you’ll love
- Best Ever Healthy Pumpkin Pie
- The Best Tart Cherry Pie You’ll Ever Eat
- Vegan & Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Best Healthy Apple Crisp Ever!
Get all of our delicious dessert recipes here, and our fav Thanksgiving recipes here!
I mean come on, how delicious does this apple pie look? It’s perfect to bake for Thanksgiving or the holiday season! I hope you love it as much as my husband does — don’t forget to top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you make this dutch apple pie recipe, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe. I LOVE hearing from you and it helps other readers know how you liked it. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Tony’s Very Favorite Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 recipe for pie crust
- For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 ½ pounds sweet-tart, firm apples (honeycrisp, braeburn or pink lady are great), peeled and cut into 1/4th inch slices (about 10 cups sliced apples)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon bourbon or amaretto
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- For the dutch apple topping:
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (107g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (24g) rolled oats
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- For serving:
- vanilla bean ice cream
Instructions
- Make the pie dough and shape the crust in a pie pan ahead of time, then store covered in the fridge. You can follow my recipe for an all butter flaky pie crust, use your favorite recipe, or a store-bought crust.
- To make the apple pie filling: Melt butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the sliced apples to the pan and stir to coat the apples with the butter. Sprinkle brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg over the apples and stir well to combine. Lower heat to medium low and cook for about 5 minutes or until apples soften. Next stir in bourbon, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, flour and cornstarch, and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes so that the sauce thickens up. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the dutch crumble topping: in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Add in the melted butter and stir together with a fork until it begins to form into crumbles and resembles wet sand. You may need to use your hands/fingers to form into nice crumbles. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Remove pie pan with pie crust from the refrigerator and place pie pan onto a large baking sheet. I do this to avoid any spillage that may happen as the pie filling bubbles and bakes. Pour cooled apple pie filling into the crust, then top apple pie filling with the dutch crumble topping.
- Bake for 50-65 minutes or until the filling is very bubbly and the crumble is slightly golden brown. Check pie after 30 minutes to make sure the crust isn’t burning. If it is getting too golden brown, simply cover pie edges with foil or pie shield.
- Allow pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before cutting into (this is annoying, but if you cut into it before then the pie filling won't be set). The longer the pie rests, the easier it is to serve! Serves 9. Great with vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 3, 2020, republished on October 27, 2021, republished on October 11th, 2022, and republished on November 3rd, 2024.
AMAZING! This was the first apple pie I had ever made and it came out soooooooo good! I brought it to thanksgiving and everyone left the store bought pies alone and devoured this one!
Love it!!
This pie is amazing!!!
I am wondering if I can double the recipe and bake it in a 13×9 or other pan for a large crowd on 12/25/25? Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried making pies in a 13×9 – I’d suggest, rather, making 2 separate pies!
Wow, this was delicious!! WIll definitely be making again. I used a store bought crust because I knew I wouldn’t have time to make one from scratch. My apples were quite crunchy even after the pie was fully baked- I probably should have sauteed them a bit longer during that step- but the flavor was so good, no one cared about the crunch. I usually make the AK Healthy Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving but tried this instead this year and now I think I’ll have to make them both every year because it will be too hard to choose!
So glad this was a hit! Yes, next time feel free to soften the apples a bit more before baking, but I personally don’t mind a little crunch either 🙂
I make this pie every year with honeycrisp and granny smith. The flavor is fantastic, but I run into the same issue every year where my sauce does not want to thicken up.
I think I ended up putting 5 or more tablespoons of cornstarch, and it still was pretty liquid-y. My cornstarch and flour are both in date. Does anyone else have this issue? Any tips?
I have made this pie probably 10 times and have never had this issue. I’m not sure if it is the apples you are using but the measurements are accurate as is! It would be very odd to use 5 tablespoons of cornstarch in a pie recipe! My suggestion is to make sure you cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Perhaps it just wasn’t long enough?
This was good, I used a store bought pie crust and unfortunately it wasn’t fully cooked on the bottom. Probably needed to be pre baked. 🙁
Shoot! You typically shouldn’t need to pre-bake crusts in fruit pies like this one. Were the edges nice and golden or were they also underbaked?
This turned out absolutely fantastic!! I didn’t have bourbon so I used extra vanilla instead. I also didn’t have enough apples, so I only used 2 1/2 pounds and it still turned out fine. Family who claimed they didn’t like apple pie gobbled it up over all the other pies. Everyone said it was the best apple pie they had ever had. Love the spice mixture and how the apples don’t get mushy. Thank you!!!!
Perfect! So happy it was a hit with the whole family!
I’ve made this a couple of times and it’s great. People always ask for the recipe. I now have lots of apples from my tree and would like to know how best to freeze without making a whole pie now. Can I make the filling and freeze it ? Should I freeze the topping or just not make it till ready to make the pie? Should I freeze the filling in a pie pan or just a freezer container?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
So glad you love this one! I’d freeze the filling in a freezer-safe container or bag, then thaw and add it to your pie crust as directed 🙂
Hands down this is the best apple pie recipe Dutch or not. Because the filling is cooked ahead of time it thickens up nicely and is always the perfect consistency. It slices like a dream so you don’t need to worry about the slices falling apart because there is too much liquid. And it tastes out of this world.
So happy to hear that!!
Came out great and flavorful! Loved it! Definitely coming back to this one again!
So happy to hear that!
Hi! I’d love to make this recipe for the holidays, but I have diabetic family members. I know you sometimes recommend alternative sweeteners in your recipes. Do you know if Betsy’s or Lakanto’s monk fruit based sweetners would work well as a substitute in this one? If not, do you have a recommendation for a good alternative that won’t affect the texture or flavor too much? Thank you!
Hi! I don’t typically bake with alternative sweeteners, so I’m not sure how much I’d substitute in here. I’m afraid that monk fruit, etc. will be too sweet!
OMGahhhhh! This pie was SO good and worth every minute of the prep/bake/wait time. It did take a bit longer to make in general but that included the time for making the homemade crust referenced. I am absolutely making this again and if you know any apple pie lovers they will not be disappointed in this! Thanks AK for another goodie!
So happy you loved it!!
This apple pie was so tasty! I was surprised that the sheer volume of apples could fit in a 9″ pan, but it did work. I used the TJ’s GF crust which I would not recommend for future pies. I would probably cut down on the volume of crumble because mine was a tad dry. The GF flour I used (1:1) probably could account for that as well. Excellent recipe.
I’m glad you still loved it!
I made this pie for the first time last year and made it multiple times for myself, friends and family, and the holidays. It has never ceased to amaze me or anyone else and I will continue to use this recipe for years to come!!
So happy to hear that!!
Can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving, I’m hoping you can suggest a substitute for the bourbon? I’ve read all posts hoping someone had made a pie using something other than bourbon, not one so please any suggestions???
Hi! Feel free to omit it 🙂
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it several times and everyone always gives rave reviews. It’s something special! Thank you!
So happy to hear that!!
I am planning to make this recipe for Thanksgiving this week! Is it possible to make the apple filling ahead of time and refrigerate it, and if so, would you recommend letting it thaw outside of the fridge for a bit before putting it in the crust to bake? Also can you confirm the crust shouldn’t be parbaked before the filling is added? Just want to make sure my bases are covered!
Hi! Hmm I think that would be fine for the filling – it may just get a bit thicker than it normally is. Feel free to bring it closer to room temp before adding it to your crust, and you’re correct, no need to parbake the crust beforehand!
Hello!
Planning on making this for Thanksgiving with a GF crust. Is there any need to blind bake the crust beforehand? Or does it depend on the crust that you use? Thanks in advance!
Hi! I don’t typically blind bake my crust, but I’d check the instructions for your gluten-free crust to be sure!
This looks delish! Any thoughts on making it GF? Certain GF flour you recommend if so?!
I haven’t perfected a gluten-free pie crust, so I can’t suggest a swap! Sorry!
Can I substitute the bourbon? What options can I have for substituting this?
Hi! Feel free to leave the bourbon out 🙂
I made this pie exactly as written using Granny Smith apples from my tree and Sweet Tango and Honeycrisp apples fro trader Joe. Took it to a Christmas party and it was a hit. The hostess asked for the recipe. I made a butter crust from Melissa Clark which is easy and good. Be sure to cook the apples till they are as tender as you like. I left mine a little crunchy which the guests liked but some people like a very soft cooked apple
Amazing! Glad everyone loved it!
I love making this pie for the holidays. It’s always a hit and my son loves it especially. Tastes amazing and the recipe is easy to follow.
So happy to hear that! One of our family favs, too 🙂
I think part of the recipe should be to mix the cornstarch with a cold liquid before adding. Mine got clumped!
Hi! Yeah, sometimes cornstarch gets clumpy in the container — it’s helpful to sift it before adding to recipes if that happens. Or you could mix it with the bourbon + cider vinegar before adding!
Monique, this apple pie recipe is hands-down the best apple pie I have ever made or tasted. If you truly let it stand, it is not runny at all. My favorite Pink Lady apples were the perfect amount of tartness and firmness to hold up in the pie. Your crust recipe is also amazing, as is the strussel topping. I’m definitely making this every time I’m craving apple pie. Thank you!
Ahh thank you SO much! I am glad you loved this pie and it turned out fabulous for you!
My husband praised this pie and made me take the 2 leftover pieces home before anyone else snagged them haha! I took a shortcut on the crust with Wholey whole wheat frozen crust but it still turned out perfect.
YUM! Glad this pie was a hit
I just tried this recipe for the first time, I used dark brown sugar so bonus points for me lol. The filling turned out absolutely amazing
YUM! Always a favorite around here, glad it turned out amazing for you!
What brand of bourbon or amaretto do you use for this recipe?
Can you make this with a store-bought graham cracker crust instead of pie crust?
I haven’t tried it with a graham cracker trust, but I am sure it’ll be fine. Just make sure it is deep enough.
Hi this looks delicious; i have one question – what size pie tin? Also one comment – it would be really helpful to have the ingredients in metric measures too. Thanks
9 inch pie pan! Noted -thanks for your feedback!
So you don’t have to blind bake it to get the crust partially cooked ahead before putting apple mixture in?
Nope!