Craving a classic, comforting dessert that’s easy to make and guaranteed to impress? Look no further than this homemade Dutch apple pie recipe!
With a buttery, flaky crust, a spiced apple filling, and a sweet, crumbly topping, this pie has all the elements of a perfect fall dessert.
This easy-to-follow recipe will guide you through creating a mouthwatering Dutch apple pie from scratch.
Let’s dive into the steps and tips to make your own delicious, homemade masterpiece!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE APPLE PIE:
1 disk of pie dough (1/2 of our pie dough recipe).
2 1/4 lbs granny smith apples (6 medium apples)
1 tsp cinnamon
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Homemade Butter Pie Crust
Natasha uses an all-butter homemade pie crust for the base. She emphasizes the ease of making it yourself and highlights that it’s much better than store-bought crust. A key tip she shares is how to transfer the dough to the pie dish without tearing it—by loosely rolling the crust over the rolling pin and unwrapping it over the dish. After molding the dough to the pan, she shows how to tuck the excess dough and crimp it for a beautiful, decorative edge.
Apple Filling Preparation
Natasha uses 2 ¼ pounds of tart Granny Smith apples for the filling, recommending them for their crisp texture and balance of sweet and tart flavors. She introduces an apple peeler that peels, cores, and slices apples in one motion, making the process quicker and more efficient, especially for recipes needing many apples. The apples are thinly sliced and tossed with cinnamon, a classic flavor pairing.
Homemade Apple Sauce
The filling is made even better with a quick homemade sauce. In a saucepan, she melts butter, adds flour, then water and sugar, whisking the mixture until it’s golden and thickened. This sauce is poured over the cinnamon-sprinkled apples, creating a gooey, luscious apple filling. Natasha stresses that this simple sauce elevates the apple filling, making it irresistible.
Crumble Topping
For the topping, Natasha mixes flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt with room-temperature butter until pea-sized crumbs form. She incorporates chopped pecans (though walnuts or almonds can also be used) for a nutty, crunchy texture that complements the soft apple filling. This crumble takes the place of a traditional top pie crust and crisps up beautifully in the oven.
Baking and Serving
The pie is baked at 375°F for about 50-60 minutes. Natasha advises baking until the edges of the pie bubble and the internal temperature reaches 175°F, ensuring the pie is perfectly cooked. After baking, the pie is left to cool for an hour to allow the filling to set, which makes slicing easier. Natasha can’t resist digging in while it’s still warm and highly recommends serving the pie with vanilla ice cream for a classic, comforting dessert.
