The Best Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

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5 from 4 votes
Published: November 19, 2021Updated: January 31, 2022Author: Camille Beckstrand
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This Dutch Apple Pie has a brown sugar cookie crust filled with a homemade apple pie filling and covered in a crumble topping. Not only is this Dutch apple pie easy to make, but it is absolutely delicious and will leave everyone asking for more.
The Best Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

If you need a quick and easy pie, this Dutch Apple Pie is our favorite!

I don’t love traditional pie crust, but the cookie-like crust and crumble topping on this pie are amazing.

It is always a crowd favorite and perfect for Thanksgiving!

dutch apple pie in a glass pie pan with red and green apple in the corner

Ingredients needed for Dutch Apple Pie:

  • flour
  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • quick oats
  • sugar
  • cornstarch
  • water
  • Granny Smith apples
  • vanilla
  • cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice

What are the best apples for apple pie?

One of the most popular baking apples are Granny Smith apples.  They are tart, tangy and perfectly firm to use in apple pie.

If you are looking for a sweeter apple, try Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Jonathan apples.

We have another delicious apple pie recipe. Be sure to make our easy and delicious Disney’s Caramel Apple Pie recipe. It’s amazing!

granny smith apples being peeled and sliced to go into the pie

What is a Dutch Apple pie vs a traditional apple pie?

The difference between a Dutch apple pie and a regular apple pie is the streusel topping.

Dutch apple pie has an amazing crumble topping made up of butter, flour and brown sugar that gives it a sweet and crunchy topping.

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How to make Dutch apple pie (The secret!):

The secret to this being the best homemade apple pie recipe is the delicious brown sugar oatmeal crust.  It literally tastes like a cookie!

To make the crust, mix together flour, brown sugar, butter and oats with a pastry blender. We used a hand held blender like this.

brown sugar crumble topping mixed together

It will create a crumb mixture, so set aside 1 cup of it to sprinkle on top before baking.

Press the remaining crumb mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan.

To make the apple pie filling, bring sugar, cornstarch and water to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Once it’s boiling, let it boil for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.

sliced apples in pie crust pressed into pan

Remove from heat and add apples, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, then pour into the prepared crust.

Top apples with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for about 45 minutes, let it cool and enjoy!

Items needed for this recipe:

Glass Mixing Bowl: I use this bowl for everything.  This glass bowl is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.
9-inch Pie Pan: These pie pans are great for pies, lasagnas, casseroles, cakes, breads, and cobblers.  The glass is non-porous, so it won’t absorb food odors or stains.
Saucepan: This nonstick saucepan is a staple in our household.  I love that the handle stays cool even when the pan is over high heat.

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If you are planning Thanksgiving dinner, be sure to check out all of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes:

sliced of dutch apple pie on a square white plate

More delicious homemade pie recipes:

Serves: 8

The Best Dutch Apple Pie (Crumble Topping) Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Brown sugar cookie crust filled with a homemade apple pie filling and covered in a crumble topping make the Best Apple Pie Recipe you will ever taste.
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup butter cold
  • ½ cup quick oats

Filling:

  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 5-6 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced or diced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, butter and oats with a pastry blender. Set aside one cup of mixture for crumb topping.
  • Press the remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie pan; set aside.
  • In a sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water over medium-high heat.
  • Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly (it will thicken up quickly so it's important to keep stirring the whole time!).
  • Remove from heat and fold in apples, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.
  • Pour apple mixture into prepared crust and sprinkle seet-aside crumb topping on top.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender.
  • Let cool before serving.

Notes

  • One of the most popular baking apples is Granny Smith. It’s tart, tangy and perfectly firm to use in apple pie.
  • If you are looking for a sweeter apple, try Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Jonathan apples.
  • You could make this pie a day in advance and it would still taste amazing.

Nutrition

Calories: 528 kcal · Carbohydrates: 90 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 18 g · Saturated Fat: 11 g · Cholesterol: 46 mg · Sodium: 164 mg · Potassium: 215 mg · Fiber: 4 g · Sugar: 55 g · Vitamin A: 593 IU · Vitamin C: 5 mg · Calcium: 44 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Equipment

  • pie pan
  • Large Mixing Bowl

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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  1. Librarian Lavender says:
    June 15, 2014
    I love apple pies! My dad makes such a good one with a crust that tastes like cookies. Great recipe!
  2. Happy Valley Chow says:
    June 16, 2014
    That looks sooooo good! I love pie way to much, I wanted to have it for my wedding instead of cake, but my wife wouldn't have it haha. Happy Blogging! Happy Valley Chow
  3. dc says:
    June 16, 2014
    I'm totally a pie person. Not thrilled about the crust...but I'll eat it to get to the filling!!!
  4. Diane says:
    June 26, 2014
    Unfortunately we thought this was absolutely awful and had to throw it away. Sickening sweet. Love the concept, though. The cornstarch/water mixture resulted in a horrid glue like (and visually disturbing) filling. Hated having to waste all those ingredients.
  5. JanC says:
    August 20, 2014
    This was great! I don't understand the previous reviews. My pie was beautiful and it was not too sweet. The only thing I changed was I added cinnamon to the crust and filling. It is an apple pie, after all! (Maybe that was a forgotten ingredient??)
  6. saske says:
    August 29, 2014
    No DUTCH pie!! No oats in Dutch apple pie!!!
  7. J Bells says:
    September 14, 2014
    I made this pie today with my daughter. Of course as soon as it came out of the oven my husband and father in law were hanging over my shoulder to eat it. Their review was, "it tastes like hot apple oatmeal." I have to admit when I was mixing the cornstarch mixture with the apples I immediately regretted choosing this recipe. Its just weird. I'm a texture person so that doesn't help. A thick sticky filling just didn't seem right. I'll admit it, it tasted good, Maybe some cinnamon would help...
  8. DJ says:
    September 27, 2014
    I think trying this out will make the Wife very happy :) thanks for the ideas. Diane you must have baked it wrong or mix'd it wrong because I see no way how it could be like a glue like nasty filling...
  9. JBeck says:
    October 13, 2014
    I am not sure why people said it didn't work for them- I made this and it was amazing!! I don't really like pie crust either, so this was the perfect alternative. I will be keeping this recipe on file for the future! Thanks!
  10. Shannon says:
    October 15, 2014
    Made this tonight. Didn't use the topping as my crust, just used a regular frozen one. Cut the topping ingredients in half to just do the top of the pie. Added 1 tbsp of cinnamon...because, well, this is an apple pie! The filling mixture just reminded me of the filling in a store bought pie. The apple filling didn't turn out solid after baking, but instead, fell apart. Nonetheless, it was delicious and will have no trouble disappearing in my house!
  11. Michelle says:
    November 22, 2014
    A friend of mine said after having a slice, "It's not terrible, but it's not good either."
  12. Hilary says:
    November 23, 2014
    I am getting ready to make this recipe today and got it from your new christmas cookbook. I noticed in the description it said there were oats, but none were in the ingredients list. I'm glad it was listed on your site because I've been searching for a good dutch apple pie recipe. Can't wait to try it :)
  13. LuAnn says:
    November 23, 2014
    Made this and loved it!! The topping is what made this pie to me- and the filling was perfect!
  14. Belinda says:
    November 28, 2014
    Loved this recipe! My hubby loves Dutch Apple pie and I decided to try this for Thanksgiving. I did add some cinnamon and a little nutmeg to the filling but otherwise I kept the recipe the same. We love regular pie crust but this "cookie" crust was a delicious surprise. Will definitely make it again and again!
  15. Marcel says:
    December 23, 2014
    I bake a lot. And I am very good at it. But I had never made a Dutch Apple Pie before, only old fashion apple pies. I followed the recipe explicitly, and in the end, this was the worst thing I had ever baked. It lacked any real flavor. The oatmeal in the crust I thought was an ingenious idea, but instead made the crust SO hard and taste like a mouthful of dry oats. The filling itself was just as awful, being nothing more than a gelatin mold with chunks of apple. I didn't notice until I was putting it in the oven, that this recipe doesn't call for any spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are staple ingredients in most apple baked goods. Not even a pinch of Apple Pie Spice could have saved this pie though. Thankfully I was doing a trial run before I made it for Thanksgiving. I saved myself from what surly would have been an embarrassing moment at our family gathering. No one finished there slice of pie, and the kids just ate the middle. I threw the rest out before it even cooled down. Save yourself the time and stress, and the waste of apples. Your house won't even smell good after baking this disastrous pie.
  16. Starr says:
    March 30, 2015
    I made this tonight and this was actulaly my first time making apple pie. This pie was absolutely AMAZING. OMG, I love love love. Thank you so much for this recipe. I feel almost like the best baker in town with this recipe. lol lol the right amount of sweetness, tang from the granny smith's, the crunch from the crust. Oh yea, this was everything.
  17. Lori Griffin says:
    August 1, 2015
    This is not a true 'dutch apple' pie. The original recipe for that very old-fashioned pie that originated in Pennsyvlania Dutch country has a lovely brown sugar/sour cream or heavy cream mixture that is spooned over the top of the apples before baking. It's delicious. It's very flavourful and it's beyond yummy.
  18. Lori Griffin says:
    August 1, 2015
    You're right. It's not.
  19. Elsie says:
    August 10, 2015
    This recipe REALLY needs some spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or apple pie spice. I wish I had thought of that as I was mixing the ingredients. Oh well, it was my first time baking pie so I guess I will keep that in mind next time I look for a different recipe.
  20. Jess says:
    September 23, 2015
    I absolutely love this recipe! So much so I added it to my ultimate apple recipe roundup...I hope you will come by and take a look! Have a great week xo http://dreamingofleaving.com/2015/09/21/worlds-best-apple-recipe-roundup/
  21. Shana says:
    December 26, 2015
    I am in love with this pie! It is amazing! I would choose this pie over chocolate.
  22. Caroline says:
    September 19, 2017
    I am Dutch :) and everyone I make it for, always asks if I can bake it again. I put some salt in crumble bottom, and add cinnamon and raisins to the Apple filling. I sprinkle apples with lemon juice Best Apple pie ever.
  23. Vickie Sanders says:
    November 24, 2017
    Our family liked the recipe. One piece of advice. Don't press the bottom layer of crust down. We also used allspice instead of cardamom. It tasted great!
  24. Lisa Liel says:
    November 26, 2017
    It's not Dutch Apple Pie. But I don't care. It's scrumptious! And it's about the simplest and quickest pie recipe I've come across. Everyone raved about it. Thank you so much for the recipe!
  25. Melanie Cash says:
    March 18, 2018
    This pie was delicious. I did add cinnamon to it. Easy to make also
  26. chicook13 says:
    April 3, 2019
    I didn't make this filling but the crust/topping is heavenly! I made two pies on consecutive nights because it was so delicious. I did also add Vietnamese cinnamon to my topping/crust. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
  27. Lori says:
    October 31, 2020
    This has become a fall favorite in our house. I tend to go heavy with the cinnamon and add some pie spice as well.
  28. Amanda says:
    November 25, 2020
    You changed the recipe in the last couple weeks 🤔
  29. Momma Cyd says:
    November 25, 2020
    We updated the pictures on the post. We added a few spices. You can easily leave them out if you want. Other than that, it's all the same!
  30. JaneDoe says:
    September 15, 2021
    I loved this recipe so much!
  31. Tracy Cramer says:
    September 16, 2021
    I read some of the reviews and some of them are strange.. the “glue” is just like any other pie filling. Over all we loved this dish! Made with apples I grew on our farm. I’ve already made it twice in the last 24h. Sooo yummy.

    5 stars

  32. Brittany millard says:
    November 23, 2021
    Best pie I have ever had and first pie I have ever baked. Family raved and now want one for thanksgiving!!!

    5 stars

  33. Momma Cyd says:
    November 23, 2021
    Brittany, this is wonderful! Have a Happy Thanksgiving with your family!
  34. Charlene Vogel says:
    November 24, 2021
    I love this recipe!!! It was simple to make and was amazing! This is now my apple pie go to. Thank you for sharing.

    5 stars

  35. Angel says:
    December 14, 2021
    I love apple pie! I have never made a pie before. Today is my 43rd birthday so I thought why not make a pie. It was so easy and so good!!

    5 stars

  36. Janice Weaver says:
    January 31, 2022
    The pie is in the oven now. So I'm not sure how it will turn out. Questions: Is the butter supposed to be cut into the flour/sugar mixture? Melted? What? Would like a gauge on cups of apples. I didn't use granny smith. I assumed around 4 cups. But I'm prepared for it to boil over the sides.
  37. Momma Cyd says:
    January 31, 2022
    You'll want the butter to be cold and we used a pastry blender to mix the dough together. And you'll be fine with 4 small apples the size of Granny Smith apples. About 4 cups.
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