As I’ve mentioned before, apples have been my favorite fruit for as long as I can remember — and I think apple juice or apple cider will be my prefered breakfast beverages of choice for many years to come!
Last month, I shared my “apple-less apple crisp” recipe… and since there technically isn’t any apples in that recipe, I thought it was only right to share my favorite apple pie recipe before the fall apple craze is over.
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Plus, Nora got a new book about making apple pie so she wanted to make a pie.
I know people often shy away from making pie because they assume it’s too difficult or complicated; but in my opinion, fruit pies are one of the easier desserts to make (especially if you buy refrigerated crusts like I do).
Just put the bottom crust in the pan, add fruit + sugar + seasonings, then top with another crust or a crumb topping. As long as you bake it correctly so the bottom crust isn’t too soggy, you should have very little trouble with fruit pies.
They are also great recipes for kids to help out with — which is why I’m sharing this pie recipe as one of my Kids In The Kitchen posts.
Since our family doesn’t necessarily love lots of extra crust, I usually make Dutch Apple Pie — which has a streusel or crumb topping instead of a second crust (at least the version I grew up with).
A traditional “Dutch Apple Pie” was actually a very thick pie, usually with raisins mixed in with the apples, and a lattice crust on top (here’s a more traditional Dutch Apple Pie recipe). However, what I’ve read is that when the Dutch immigrated to the United States, they didn’t have access to the same ingredients, so they started using a crumb or streusel topping (I believe the Pennsylvania Dutch started this).
Now there are countless varieties of Dutch Apple pie, usually depending upon what region of the country you’re from, and I’m sure they are all delicious!
The recipe I’m sharing today is one of our family favorites — especially with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Oh, and if you’re interested in a little more history about pie in America, you might find this article quite interesting 🙂
Recipe for Dutch Apple Pie
Serves 8
FILLING INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pie crust (I use Pillsbury refrigerated crusts. They are amazing!)
- 5 cups apples; peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 T. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. white sugar
- 1 t. apple pie spice
- 2 T. butter
TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. rolled oats
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 6T. cold butter
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425*F.
Press pie crust into pan.
For the filling: Put cut apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour, white sugar, and spices. Toss until apples are evenly coated and pour into pie crust. Dot the tops of apples with 2 T. of butter.
For the crumb topping: mix flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats in a medium bowl. Cut in remaining 6 T. of butter until mixture is crumbly (I use my hands for this.) Spoon mixture on top of apples.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 375*F and bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes — until topping is browned and apples are tender (cover with foil if it looks too brown.)
The hardest part about this pie is slicing up all the apples — but I use my apple slicer, peeler, corer for that! It only takes me about a minute to thinly slice enough apples for this pie, and they are all extremely uniform in size which improves the end results (at least in my opinion).
As you enjoy the Fall apple harvest, make sure you save a few apples out for a yummy pie… I promise, it will be easier than you might think!
Do you have a favorite apple pie recipe?
Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family friendly recipes!
Oh, and if you’re looking for more apple recipes, here’s one for apple crisp, a recipe for apple cake, and of course, applesauce!
Ali says
If I make this today how should I store it to be eaten tomorrow for Thanksgiving?
Andrea says
you can just keep it uncovered on the counter or in the fridge. The main thing is not to cover it or the topping WILL get soggy!
JoDi says
Looks delicious! My favorite pie recipe is similar to yours but has a pecan crumb topping. I have fresh apples on the counter right now waiting to be turned into apple pies. Can’t wait for the weekend!
Andrea says
yeah, our family isn’t big on nuts so I always use oats instead of nuts! hope you enjoy your pie!
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
Nathan and I made an apple pie yesterday…but he played on the floor mostly. I’m looking forward to having a good kitchen helper like you have soon! 🙂
Andrea says
Nathan will be old enough to help before you know it! Pretty soon, Simon will be helping us… but for now, cooking and baking is a “girls only” event that usually takes place during nap time 🙂
Chris K in Wisconsin says
This is SO funny…. I ordered that apple/corer/peeler the other day from Amazon and it arrived today. We HAD to try it out, of course,,,,,and when I saw your little stacks of apples, I knew you had one too. It works so wonderfully, and takes so little time! I use apples in my stuffing, and I am now really looking forward to a task I have disliked for over 40 years!! We also tried a potato and it worked just as quickly. What a great little kitchen item that truly works… and it’s not costly, either!! Oh, the pie looks great, and Nora looks so professional working on her baking project!
Andrea says
yay — glad you got the apple slicer/corer/peeler! It’s such a handy tool — and good thinking using it for potatoes. I will have to try that soon!
Liane says
Hi dear Andrea!
There is no such thing as Pennsylvania Dutch. In terms of heritage and recipes but not nationality. Those folks who settled areas like Berks County were Palatine Germans, mostly from the 8 Palatine Electorships and of the reformed church aka Calvinist. And I would not be so “rude” about this except Dave must know the origins of the Calvinist movement into the colonies of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Those who were not Calvinist were usually Lutheran. With the collapse of the electors and the forced rule of Roman Catholic doctrine thousands of German citizens were slaughtered for their beliefs and many fled to England after Queen Anne promised to move them to her colony of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania charter was given to William Penn after his expulsion from Oxford for associating with the Society of Friends who were derogatorily referred to as Quakers due to the way they shook and trembled in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Penn travelled back to England and tried to make it possible for these refugees to find safe haven in New England. Most arrived about 1730. They were from southwest areas of what is now Germany: Bavaria Alsace etc. and some spoke French. Civil war drove them out but let me assure you they were not Dutch. They spoke German or Deutsch as it is called by those who speak it.
The recipes and traditions of the descendants of these pioneers were pure German. There were Dutch colonies as well especially in New York Maine New Hampshire etc. but their traditions are very different.
I accept that we call Dutch apple pie by its common name but let’s not attribute it to Holland! As for the topping, most of the German families were farmers or tradesmen. They were not wealthy and flour was expensive so a lot of traditional ways of making desserts were set aside. Oats being a far less processed food and thus more affordable became de regieur for toppings.
The Amish have elevated this kind of cooking to new heights. Look for old Amish cookbooks at thrift stores and second hand bookstores.
My own grandmother was from Gratz, her mother descended from a family that came from Heidelberg in 1735. Her mother died and her father remarried, this time an English woman. My grandmother treasured the recipes her grandmother brought from the palatinate and I have many of them in her spidery old fashioned handwriting.
Jane says
What is your favorite type of apple to use? We buy mostly gala and would probably try it with those.
Andrea says
Tart apples are best (in my opinion) for pies — but Gala could work too. I almost always just use whatever I have in the house — this time it was 4 Jonathan and 1 Granny Smith.
I will say that Gala apples are usually softer, so they might get a tad mushy if backed in a pie… but seriously, with that much butter, sugar, and spices, you can’t really go wrong 🙂
Tammy says
Love to see Nora helping in the kitchen!
What kind of apple slicer do you use?
Thanks!
Jane says
Andre put it in her November 2014 “My favorite things post”. Here is the amazon link she provided in that post:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HNEOPQG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HNEOPQG&linkCode=as2&tag=simporgalivi-20&linkId=E7D4BBQNDSJET4ZV
I’m answering because I wondered the same thing and looked it up.
Andrea says
Thanks Jane, yes that’s the one I use!!
Liane says
Pampered Chef sells one and so does Bed Bath n Beyond. Scour yard sales for these. But beware of made in China versions. The red paint contains lead and the metal parts are weak and the shaft rusts. Since the apples don’t actually come in contact with the red parts just wash the thing good and wash your hands after. Mine from Pampered Chef is over 20 years old and going strong. The design has not changed an iota. I love mine. My friend uses hers to do potatoes!
Andrea says
Tammy, here is the Amazon link for my Apple slicer. However, these days, they are probably in every grocery store around 😉
Tammy says
Oh! I didn’t realize that the apple peeler also slices them!!
I will have to try this out. Thanks Andrea and Jane for the reply!
Andrea says
yes, it does everything! it’s an amazing time-save and fun for kids to use too!
LaRae McCullough says
how do you keep the bottom crust from getting soggy
Andrea says
For me, it seems to help to always use a glass pan, and also to cook it at a higher temperature for the first 10 minutes or so (as I instructed in this recipe). I also know people who put their pie pans on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, but I personally have never done that.
Shelly says
Looks yummy! I’m trying to figure out how to make sugar free,white flour free. Maybe coconut/almond flour for crust and truvia instead of sugar. I’m on Trim Healthy Mama eating style now and loving it. Something about hitting 40 slowed down the old metabolism and have to make changes. After initial detox it’s been easy now that my taste buds have changed. Now I have to figure out how to change up regular recipes. Getting old stinks lol. 25 lbs down 25 more to go.
Andrea says
haha — maybe you should just go for an apple 🙂
no seriously, you could try baking apples with a little cinnamon and brown sugar. Then you don’t have any of the “fatty” crust and still lots of yumminess!
JoDi says
I started making my favorite apple pie recipe without the crust and it is still delicious. I replace the sugar with Splenda, but I don’t kmow if that is THM approved. I just can’t stand the taste of Stevia. I can tolerate a small amount, but the amount needed in a pie would just be too much for me!
Michelle says
I hear you 🙂 We make a brown rice flour crust and use coconut sugar in place of cane sugar. I’m not familiar with THM though so not sure if these would be good substitutes or not 🙂 You could also use chilled coconut oil in place of butter, too. I hear that xylitol is a healthy 1:1 sugar substitute but I’ve never used it so I can’t say for sure.