This Semi-Homemade Dutch Apple Pie recipe has a flaky bottom crust, a spiced homemade apple pie filling, and a generous buttery crumble topping.

It costs about $9.50 to make eight servings of this Dutch Apple Pie recipe. That is just $1.19 per serving! 

Fall time is apple time! For more apple recipes, you don’t want to miss this yummy Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip, this homemade Apple Pie Spice for all your apple baking needs, or this Bacon Apple Stuffing to complement any fall meal!

A slice of Dutch Apple Pie on a white plate with two scoops of vanilla ice cream.

This is the BEST Dutch Apple Pie recipe not only because of its simplicity but also because of the great taste. The thick layer of buttery crumb topping over the sweet apple pie filling is divine. You really cannot go wrong with this perfect Fall dessert.

On Thanksgiving, I have the good intention of having all of my recipes planned out precisely (thanks to my FREE Printable Thanksgiving Planner), but somehow I always seem rushed, or I fall behind on a recipe or two. So, to ease my Thanksgiving cooking and baking this year, I came up with the Quick Dutch Apple Pie recipe semi-homemade.

I’ve streamlined the process in this recipe by using a frozen pie shell, preparing an easy apple pie filling, and pre-baking the streusel topping so the final pie bakes quicker in the oven.

Ingredients and Cost

Per Serving Cost: $1.19

Recipe Cost: $9.50

  • 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie shell – $1.19
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour – $0.24
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar – $0.08
  • 1 Tablespoon cornmeal – $0.03
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.80
  • 2 ½ pounds Granny Smith Apples – $2.24
  • 2 pounds Golden Delicious Apples – $3.44
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice – $0.07
  • 3 cups apple juice – $0.45
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon cornstarch – $0.04
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar – $0.06
  • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar – $0.04
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.40
  • 1 ½ teaspoon apple pie seasoning$0.41
  • ¼ teaspoons salt – $0.01

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.

All of the ingredients needed to make this Dutch Apple Pie recipe.

Instructions

  1. First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Poke the pie crust with a fork and pre-bake the pie crust. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and use pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the pie crust. 
  2. Next, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  3. Make the dutch apple pie topping and spread it into an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes and cool until needed. 
  4. Next, make the apple pie filling and then pour it into the pre-baked pie shell. 
  5. Finally, sprinkle the topping over the pie filling. Bake for 5-10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

A picture collage of how to make this Dutch Apple Pie recipe.

Recipe Variations

  • Some Dutch Apple Pie recipes have golden raisins in them, for me it’s not my taste so I leave tem out. If you’d like golden rasins in yours, then add ¼ cup of them to the filling when you add the apple pie spice.
  • For a creamier apple pie filling, use 1 ½ cup of apple juice and 1 cup of heavy cream or melted vanilla ice cream.
  • Granny Smith apples are a must, so please do not substitue those. You can, however, substitue the golden delicious apples. In their place you can use McIntosh, or Gala.

Storage Tips

SERVE: This pie is best served warm or at room temperature. I like to serve this pie with a scoop of my Vanilla Custard Ice Cream or some of my Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Topping! Sometimes I even add a drizzle of my Salted Caramel Sauce, too! 

STORE: Cover and keep the pie in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

MAKE AHEAD: You can make this pie ahead of time by preparing and storing the pre-baked pie shell, the Dutch Apple Pie topping, and the apple pie filling separately. Then when it’s time to bake the pie, assemble and bake it until it’s heated through.

FREEZE: Technically, you can freeze this pie, but it doesn’t hold up well in the freezer. The crumb topping doesn’t stay as crisp, and the pie loses its shape. Because of these issues, I do not recommend freezing this pie.

A slice being taken out of the Dutch Apple Pie.

Recipe FAQ’s

What is the difference between a Dutch apple pie and an apple pie?

The main difference between a Dutch Apple Pie and a classic Apple Pie is the topping. A classic apple pie will have a double crust, meaning a crust on the bottom and a crust on the top of the pie. Meanwhile, a Dutch Apple Pie will have a crust on the bottom and a crumbly strudel topping on top made of flour, butter, cornmeal, and sugar. The Dutch Apple Pie topping is a delicious, crunchy twist to the classic apple pie! 

Is Dutch apple pie really Dutch?

Dutch Apple pie was made popular in America by French colonists living in Pennsylvania Dutch country. So, whether or not a Dutch Apple pie is actually Dutch depends on how you interpret the facts.

What is the best apple for apple pie?

Granny Smith apples are definitely the best apple to use when baking a pie. Granny Smith apples are firm, which makes them better for baking. Adding in Golden Delicious apples is a bonus because they add a sweet, almost apple-cider-like taste to the pie filling. You can substitute Honeycrisp apples for the Golden Delicious apples as they are sweet tasting with a little more tang.

Cook’s Tools

  • foil
  • pie weights or dry beans
  • wire rack
  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • mixing bowls
  • vegetable peeler
  • apple slicer and corer
  • blender
  • heavy-bottomed pot
  • slotted spoon
  • whisk
  • pie spade
An overhead picture of a slice of Dutch Apple Pie with caramel sauce and two scoops of ice cream.

More Apple Dessert Recipes:

A close up picture of a slice of pie being taken out of the whole pie.
5 from 11 votes

Dutch Apple Pie

Recipe Cost $ $9.50
Serving Cost $ $1.19
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
8 people
This Semi-Homemade Dutch Apple Pie has a flaky bottom crust, a spiced homemade apple pie filling, and a generous buttery crumble topping.

Equipment

  • parchment paper
  • foil
  • pie weights
  • baking sheet
  • mixing bowl
  • apple corer and peeler
  • heavy-bottomed pot
  • mixing spoon
  • whisk
  • Slotted spoon

Ingredients
  

PIE CRUST:

  • 9 inch frozen deep-dish pie shell thawed

DUTCH APPLE PIE TOPPING:

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • cup granulated sugar
  • cup light brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

APPLE PIE FILLING:

  • 2 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples 4-5 medium
  • 2 pounds Golden Delicious apples 3-4 medium
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups apple juice divided
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

FOR SERVING:

  • vanilla ice cream
  • freshly whipped cream
  • caramel sauce

Instructions

BAKE PIE CRUST:

  • Move oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Poke defrosted pie crust with a fork about 30 times (make sure you get the sides of the pie shell, too!).
  • Loosely fit lightly greased foil into pie shell so it covers the bottom, sides, and top of the pie shell. Fill the lined pie shell with pie weights or dried beans.
  • Bake pie shell for 15, and then remove the liner and weights and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until the pie shell is golden. Place pie shell on a wire rack to cool until you’re ready to fill it.

MAKE DUTCH APPLE PIE TOPPING:

  • Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugars, and cornmeal until combined. Drizzle the melted butter over the flour and use a fork to stir until the flour mixture is evenly moistened and the topping forms into pea-sized pieces.
  • Spread the Dutch Apple Pie topping into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the topping until it’s golden brown, about 5-10 minutes (make sure you watch it carefully!).
  • Move topping to a wire rack to cool until needed.

MAKE APPLE PIE FILLING:

  • Prep the apples by peeling, coring, and slicing them into 1/4 inch-thick slices. Place the apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice; set aside.
  • Add 1/2 cup apple juice, cornstarch, and sugars in a blender. Pulse for 3-second increments until the mixture is combined and there are no visible cornstarch clumps; set aside.
  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of apple juice, butter, apple pie spice, and salt and place the apples in an even layer in the pan (some will be stacked on top of each other).
  • Bring the juice mixture to a simmer, and adjust the temperature to keep the heat at a simmer, and cook the apples until they are fork tender, stirring them every couple of minutes, for a total of 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to over-cook the apples because they will turn mushy!
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the apples from the pan, leaving most of the apple juice in the pan. Place the apples in a bowl while you make the sauce.
  • Make sure the burner heat is on medium, and slowly whisk the apple juice and cornstarch mixture into the hot apple juice in the pot.
  • Continue to whisk constantly until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
  • Pour the sauce over the apples, and toss to coat them in the sauce. Pour the apples into the pre-baked pie shell.

FINISH THE DUTCH APPLE PIE:

  • Sprinkle the topping over the pie filling, and set the pie on the now-empty baking sheet. Bake the pie until the topping is deep golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and/or caramel sauce (all optional). 

Notes

The nutrition information for this Dutch Apple Pie Recipe is just for the apple pie and not for the ice cream or whipped topping. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 605kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

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Recipe Rating




18 Comments

  1. Rebecca Hubbell says:

    Dutch Apple Pie is one of my all-time favorite fall desserts, nothing beats that crumbly topping!

    1. Exactly, it’s all about the topping!

  2. My family loves Dutch apple pie so I’m going to give your recipe a try. It’s sure to become a new favorite.

    1. Yay, I hope your family love it!

  3. This apple pie looks incredible. I love the crumble topping. Saving this recipe to try!

  4. Marie – Not Enough Cinnamon says:

    This looks so juicy and perfect! OMG I need a slice right now!

  5. Linda Nortje says:

    It is definitely always a hit with our family ! Delicious and a Fall favorite 🙂 Never actually thought about the difference between Dutch and classic apple pie, but good to know now !

  6. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says:

    Apple pie is one of our family favourites and this looks SO good! Definitely a winter warmer!

  7. I’ve always used oats for the topping. I’ve never seen cornmeal before. Why the difference?
    Thank you! I love your recipes!!

    1. I find that the cornmeal helps the topping be a little more crunchy.

  8. This looks so warm and comforting. I love apple pie!

  9. This dutch apple pie is delicious!

  10. This is such an amazing pie recipe! It was a huge hit at my house!

  11. Mouth watering deliciousness and so super easy! Love this recipe … another winner! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  12. I love the look of all those layers of apple, and it all looks delicious. I like the idea of that little bit of cornmeal in the topping to add a little texture.

  13. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says:

    This is a great pe and I love the combination of homemade and a few shortcuts to make life easier!