Apple Crumble Pie
Flaky crust, layers of spiced apple slices and a brown sugar crumble topping, this Apple Crumble Pie hits all the right notes!
Apple pie is a classic dessert that can be enjoyed all year long! It’s not picky! It won’t be boxed in to a specific holiday. Whether you’re enjoying this with vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day or alongside your Thanksgiving dinner, this pie is always a good idea!
Start with the right apples. Generally I prefer to use Granny Smith apples for any kind of apple pastry dessert. The tartness of the apples goes well with all the sugars and spices that will be added in. That’s not to say others apples won’t taste amazing too…Really, I’ve even combined my Granny Smith’s with whatever else I have on hand, like Honeycrisp or Tango.
- My tip for apples: Slice them up by hand, making sure they are about 1/4 inch thick. A food processor would make this so much faster, but it will also cut the apples too thin. If your apples are too thin, your filling will end up mushy. Slicing them by hand takes some extra time, but will give you the best results.
Since we’re slicing the apples with a bit more thickness, cooking them for a few minutes on the stovetop is going to soften them up just slightly. This will help insure they get thoroughly baked in the oven. This will also help get all the butter, sugar and spices mixed well with the apples as they release their juices. Only cook for 3-5 minutes. You are just tossing them with some heat to get them slightly softened up a bit. Stir them frequently to prevent them from cooking all the way through.
Pile them into your prepared pie crust. I have the perfect pie crust recipe for you, along with a video tutorial to show you how to get it just right! Look at all that cinnamon apple goodness! The apples will bake down a bit in the oven, so don’t worry if it seems a bit full. We want lots of layers of yummy apples in there!
My Tip
Before rolling out your crust, prepare the filling and topping and preheat your oven. You want to keep the pie crust dough as cold as possible. Don’t take it out of the refrigerator until everything is ready for assembly and baking. Baking a cold crust will make it flakier and that’s exactly what you’re wanting from a pie crust!
Now let’s talk about this crumble topping! It’s full of buttery, brown sugar goodness! There’s a small amount of cinnamon in it that makes it just the right topping for our apple pie! When mixing up this crumble topping, I first stir the ingredients together with a spatula and then I finish incorporating everything together by breaking it up with my fingers. Make sure you don’t have any pieces that are too big. Use ALL of your crumble topping! You want to pile on all that goodness!
- Using a crumble topping instead of a double crust is a great option if you aren’t super confident with your pie crust skills. It looks beautiful, tastes great and is a much less stressful way to top a pie.
Bake up your pie to a nice golden perfection! If you notice your crust or topping is starting to get too dark, lightly place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top and continue to bake. Pie shields also work great for this! These silicone pie shields are adjustable! You want to protect your crust and give the apples enough time to bake.
- Allow the pie to cool for a couple of hours before slicing. This will let the juices thicken up and set a bit, making slicing much easier.
This Crumble Apple Pie is absolutely to die for! Top it with ice cream or just eat it in it’s purest form! I love it so many different ways…with ice cream, caramel drizzled, or even cold leftovers for the next several days!
Other recipes to try
Homemade Crescent Dinner Rolls Recipe
Be sure to post your creations to Instagram and tag me @thatbreadlady & #thatbreadlady. I would love to see how you’re enjoying this recipe with your family!
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Apple Crumble Pie
Ingredients
- 1 prepared and chilled dough for one 9 inch pie crust
- 1 egg for egg wash for the crust
Pie Filling:
- 5-6 medium apples I prefer Granny Smith
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Prepare my Homemade Flaky Pie Crust dough at least two hours in advance. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to assemble pie.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Make the pie filling. Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/4 inch thick slices. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cornstarch and lemon juice.
- Melt the butter in a large pot on medium low heat. Add the apples and frequently stir. Only cook for 3-5 minutes, just to soften the apples slightly. You’re not completely cooking the apples here. You just want to get them a bit tender to give them a head start before baking in the oven. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Crumble topping. In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients together with a spatula. Finish incorporating with your fingers, breaking up any large pieces. Set aside.
- Roll out dough for pie crust on a floured surface. Roll from the center out. Turn a quarter turn and roll out a bit more. Turn a quarter turn again and repeat until your dough is about 12 inches in diameter. Place in pie pan and smooth out the dough to eliminate any air pockets. Trim off extra dough, leaving a one inch border. Flute edges of the crust by pinching with fingers or crimp with a fork.
- Fill with apple pie filling.
- Top the filling with ALL of the crumb topping.
- Whisk egg with 2 Tablespoons of water and brush onto the pie crust.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes. Check half way through. If the crust or topping are getting too brown, lightly cover with aluminum foil.
- Let cool for two hours before slicing. This will allow the juices to thicken up and make slicing easier.
Notes
- See my Homemade Flaky Pie Crust recipe for a perfect pie crust and tips on how to roll it out.
- Do not remove the dough from the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and bake your pie. Baking the pie when the dough is cold will give you a flakier crust!
- For Hand Pies, roll out dough as usual, cut out 4 inch round circles. Place cutouts on silicone mat on baking sheet. Place one spoonful of fruit in the center, leaving a clean edge. Top with another 4 inch round circle of dough. Seal and crimp edges with a fork. Cut vents in the top layer of dough with a knife. Brush with egg wash. Reduce bake time to 28-32 minutes, or until golden.
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