A Dutch apple pie is also known as apple crumble pie. A buttery, flaky, homemade pie crust with an apple pie filling. And, topped with a buttery crumble topping. That's making a classic apple pie even better.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, spices, and salt.
Add the chilled cubed butter. Use a fork, pastry blender, or your fingertips to cut the butter.
Squish the butter and flour between your fingers until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator to keep the crumble chilled.
Pie crust - 9-inch
Add the flour, salt, sugar, and butter to the food processor.
Pulse a few times until you have bread crumb consistency.
Pour the chilled water through the feeder tube while the processor is on. The mixture will still be crumbly, but do not add more water.
Pour on a clean work surface and gather all the crumbs into a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Dust the work board with flour. Open the dough and roll carefully so it does not crack too much.Tip - If the dough cracks too much, means its too cold. Let it sit out for 5 to 7 minutes.
Use your 9-inch pie pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
When you reach the desired size, transfer the dough to the pie pan.
Gently fit it to the pie pan, especially in the bottom edges. Cut the excess from the edges leaving a ½ inch for crimping.
Fold the excess under so you have a pretty round edge.
Crimp the edge by forming a V shape with your thumb and index finger.
Bake for 10 minutes. Then, remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake another 10 minutes (total of 20 minutes) - Set aside.Tip - 20 minutes is not enough to cook the pie crust: it's just enough to ensure it has a nice crispy start.
Apple pie filling
Peel, core, and chop apples into thin slices about ⅛ inch (see video).
Add lemon juice as you cut to prevent the apples oxidizing.
Next, add the spices, salt, and sugar – combine well.
Finally, add the flour – combine well.
Assemble
Gently pour the apple filling in the partially baked crust. Do this in three batches to help the apples settle in. Tip - shake the pan and move the apples around. This will prevent big air pockets and it looks nicer when baked.
Next, top the apples with the chilled crumble top. It will look like a lot but distribute them evenly.
Place the pie on a baking tray and into the oven on the center rack.
Bake for 10 minutes at 390 F / 200 C. Then, reduce the heat to 375 F / 190 C for another 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and crisp on top.Tip - the initial high heat will prevent the butter in the crumble from melting, which gives a nice crumbly crumb.
Halfway through baking, if you find the pie is getting too brown, tent with an aluminum foil. I used a pie shield to prevent the crust from getting too brown.
Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If possible a few hours work best.
Recipe Notes
Keep the pie crust cold at all times, starting with the ingredients. Chill the crust for a minimum of an hour before rolling it out.
Use the right apples for the pie - in this case, we've used a variety of two.
Prebaking the pie crust will give you a crisp crust that won't soak up all the juices from the apples
Make the apple pie filling just before you are going to bake it. The longer the apple pie sits outside the more juices it will release. These will make the bottom pie crust soggy.
Cut the apples into thin slices so there will be less shrinkage. (they still shrink but big chucks make a flat pie).
Add spice to your apple pie, but do not over spice it. Let the apples shine through and not be drowned with the strong flavors.
Cook the pie on high for a short time this will ensure the butter in the crumble does not melt
Let the pie rest so the juices will cool in between the slices not flow down to the bottom.
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you