Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

This delicious and easy Dutch apple pie was something my mother always made. One crust with a sweet crumb topping makes this dessert shine.

I'm really not a big fan of pie. So many of them have this gooey filling, and the crust can be dry, however, my mother used to make a Dutch apple pie that I loved.

Instead of a traditional apple pie with an upper-crust, she used a buttery crumb topping like a streusel topping or somewhat like apple crisp. It was a family favorite. To this day we still joke about the memory of my mother's apple pie, because we knew that if she made it, chances were good that our Uncle Bill was going to visit.

Sadly, my mother's specific apple pie recipe went to the grave with her, so I've had to come up with my own version. Luckily one of my best girlfriends shared with me some of her secrets for her apple pie recipe, which is pretty close to mom's original.

Ingredients

• 6 large Granny Smith Apples cored, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 frozen deep dish pie shell
• 1 cup flour
• 1 stick of butter melted 1/2 cup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Options and Substitutions

Apples: I like to use Granny Smith apples because they are crisp and tart. You can really use any apple variety you like but I think the crisp and tart apples work best. Honeycrisp apples are good but pricey. Other good ones are Braeburn and Empire which are also great for snacking.

Crust: I also confess to using frozen pie shells, because when you're making three pies for a holiday dinner you need 18 apples and that is a lot of cutting, peeling, and chopping. Making your own pie crust takes just that much longer.

Dutch Apple Pie Tips 

1. Make sure that you cut up the apple into small somewhat even slices. Large pieces won't cook down enough and depending on the kind of apples the apple filling won't taste as good.
2. When filling the pie shell make sure that you mound up the apples in the center, then do your best to spread on the crumble topping. As the pie cooks the apples will shrink down and settle into place.
3. Place a cookie sheet under the pie. Chances are good that juices from the apples will bubble over, and onto the bottom of the oven if you don't.
4. Check on the pie about 2/3 of the way through the cooking time. If the pie crust is brown but the topping is not, cover it with a bit of foil to prevent burning.

Of course, nothing goes better with a slice of warm or even room temperature Dutch apple pie than a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However, I think this one is good enough on its own.