This Quick Dutch Apple Pie recipe has a flaky bottom crust, a spiced homemade apple pie filling, and a generous buttery crumble topping. Make sure you Pin this recipe so you have it for the holidays!
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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. To ease my Thanksgiving cooking and baking this year, I came up with the Quick Dutch Apple Pie recipe.
This Quick Dutch Apple Pie recipe is not as easy as dumping canned pie filling into a frozen pie shell, BUT it is much quicker than making everything from scratch. In this recipe I’ve streamlined the process 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.
MORE APPLE RECIPES I’M WHIPPING UP THIS FALL:
- Apple Crisp
- Caramel Apples
- Apple Dump Cake
- Apple Muffins with Crunchy Brown Sugar Topping
- Fried Apples
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Bacon and Apple Stuffing
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Deep Dish Apple Pie
Common Dutch Apple Pie Recipe Questions Answered!
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 that’s 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.
Cook’s Note – Dutch Apple Pie:
- 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 just assemble and bake the pie until it’s heated through.
- I like to serve this pie with a scoop of my Vanilla Custard Ice Cream or some my Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Topping! Sometimes I even add a drizzle of my Salted Caramel Sauce, too!
- I like to save a little money by making my own spice blends at home. Check out my recipe for Apple Pie Spice.
Cook’s Tools – Dutch Apple Pie Recipe:
ONE YEAR AGO: Pumpkin Honey Muffins
TWO YEARS AGO: Overnight Blueberry Almond Muesli
THREE YEARS AGO: Healthier Orange Chicken
Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
PIE CRUST:
- 9- inch frozen deep dish pie shell, thawed
DUTCH APPLE PIE TOPPING:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
APPLE PIE FILLING:
- 2 1/2 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 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoon apple pie seasoning
- 1/4 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
Nutrition
Jillian
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Rebecca Hubbell
Dutch Apple Pie is one of my all-time favorite fall desserts, nothing beats that crumbly topping!
Jillian
Exactly, it’s all about the topping!
Lisa
My family loves Dutch apple pie so I’m going to give your recipe a try. It’s sure to become a new favorite.
Jillian
Yay, I hope your family love it!
Marie
This apple pie looks incredible. I love the crumble topping. Saving this recipe to try!
Marie – Not Enough Cinnamon
This looks so juicy and perfect! OMG I need a slice right now!
Jillian
Aw, thank you!
Linda Nortje
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 !
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Apple pie is one of our family favourites and this looks SO good! Definitely a winter warmer!
Kathy
I’ve always used oats for the topping. I’ve never seen cornmeal before. Why the difference?
Thank you! I love your recipes!!
Jillian
I find that the cornmeal helps the topping be a little more crunchy.
Jem
This looks so warm and comforting. I love apple pie!
Jillian
Me, too!
Dayna
This dutch apple pie is delicious!