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a slice of apple crumble pie on a white plate with a fork and apple to the side

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Autumn skies and apple pies—let's celebrate apple harvest time with this easy Apple Crumble Pie recipe! A Southern classic, this delicious apple pie is topped with a buttery, crumbly cinnamon streusel. Serve at room temperature or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup. Divine!

Today's old fashioned apple crumble pie recipe comes straight from my vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and is made with a pre-made refrigerated crust to keep it simple and easy. Also known as a Dutch Apple Pie or Apple Crumb Pie, this is a delicious pie for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time of year!

Apple Crumble Pie
What's the difference between an apple crumble and an apple crisp?
Ingredients
How to make Apple Crumble Pie
How many apples makes 6 cups?
Why is my apple crumble pie watery?
How do you keep the crust of an apple pie from getting soggy?
Can you freeze apple crumble pie?
How do you reheat a frozen apple pie?
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Apple Crumble Pie recipe

Apple Crumble Pie

When our girls were small, one of our favorite fall activities was making a trip to the Apple Barn to eat warm apple fritters with apple butter and to buy a basket of fresh apples and a jug of cider to bring home.

Of course, that always meant that I had no choice but to bake a fresh apple pie the next week. Our oldest loved them so much that she started requesting a homemade apple pie for her birthday every year instead of cake!

Whether you prefer a traditional double-crust apple pie or an apple crumble pie, I think you'd agree that delicious homemade apple desserts epitomize warmth, family, and love. I hope you'll enjoy baking and sharing this pie with your family and friends. 😊

"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness."
Jane Austen in a letter to her sister, Cassandra, 17 October 1815

What's the difference between an apple crumble and an apple crisp?

Both apple desserts are very similar, but a fruit crisp usually has oats in the crumble mixture on top while a crumble is more of a streusel topping of flour, sugar, and butter without any added oats.

Ingredients

A refrigerated pastry for a single crust pie — For my pie, I used a Wewalka Pie Crust. It comes rolled up in parchment paper which makes it VERY easy to flip the dough into the pie plate. If you'd like to make your own crust, I have a flaky pie dough recipe that I use with my Cherry Potpies that is really good!
Granulated sugar — You could also use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Sugar is used to sweeten the apples as well as the crumble.
All-purpose flour — To help thicken the pie filling and for making the crumble
Lemon zest and juice
Apples — Often, I will use all Granny Smith apples for my pies, but really you can use any type of apples for baking, but be aware that during cooking some apples will release more juices than others. Using a mixture of different apples will give your pie a different texture and sweetness.
Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves — All these delicious spices go perfectly with apples.
Unsalted butter — To bind the crumble together and give it flavor, too!

How to make Apple Crumble Pie

Prepare your pie dough (use a refrigerated pie dough or homemade) and fit it into a deep dish pie plate. Refrigerate until you are ready to fill with the apples.
Peel, core, and slice at least 6 cups of apples and sprinkle them with fresh lemon juice (this keeps them from turning brown). For baking pies, it's important that all the slices are as uniform as possible so that the apples cook evenly.

PRO TIP: My Pampered Chef Apple Peeler, Corer, and Slicer makes this apple prepping step so much easier and faster! It attaches right to your counter top (or you can get the accessory wooden stand). If you love apple desserts, you need this gadget—I had my apples ready in 10 minutes tops!

Toss the apples with a mixture of sugar, flour, and lemon zest (to brighten up the flavor).
Make the crumble by combining sugar, flour, and the spices. Cut in the butter with a fork or with your fingers until you have a uniform crumb mixture.
Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top of the apples and bake for about an hour. For the first 30 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the pie with a pie shield or aluminum foil to prevent the crust from over browning.

How many apples makes 6 cups?

On average, a medium size apple will yield about 1 1/3 cups of sliced apple, so for this classic apple crumble pie you will need around 5 medium apples.

apple pie with a crumble on top ready for the oven

Why is my apple crumble pie watery?

Some apples release more juices than others as they bake, so that could be part of the problem. Also, apple pies will be more watery if you slice them before the pie has completely cooled (like I am prone to do!). As the pie cools, the filling will thicken even more.

How do you keep the crust of an apple pie from getting soggy?

There are several tricks you can use to prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy. The most obvious is to blind bake the crust for about 15 minutes before adding the apples. You can also either brush the bottom crust with an egg white or sprinkle a few bread crumbs on it before adding the apples. Never prick the bottom with a fork, though, or you will definitely end up with a soggy crust!

Can you freeze apple crumble pie?

Absolutely! You can freeze apple pie either before or after baking. To freeze an unbaked apple crumble pie, place it in a freezer-safe and oven proof pan wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.

To freeze a baked apple crumble pie (or leftovers), place the room temperature pie uncovered in the freezer for a couple of hours, or until frozen solid, then wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Frozen apple pie will keep for 3 to 4 months.

How do you reheat a frozen apple pie?

First, thaw the pie overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pie on a baking sheet and cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 5 minute to crisp up the top.

apple crumble pie with a slice missing — As you can tell by the apple pie juice in my pie plate, I couldn't wait for it to cool before cutting a slice!

Mom's Apple Pie. Granny Smith apples bake in a flaky crust in this classic pie.
Rustic Apple Tart. A super-easy, extra-flaky homemade pie crust with harvest apples.
Chocolate Apple Pie Nachos. Cinnamon pie dough "tortilla chips" loaded with apple compote, chocolate ganache, a cinnamon glaze, and slivered almonds.
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Hot Apple Cider. A tasty non-alcoholic hot drink flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice everyone can enjoy on chilly Autumn or Winter days.
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Apple Crumble Pie recipe

Depending on how high you pile up the apples in the pie plate and the type of apples you use, be prepared for any bubbling over by placing your pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to catch any drips.

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

pastry for single crust pie
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 cups thinly sliced apples (Granny Smith, Gala, Honey Crisp, or a mixture)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
caramel syrup, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with refrigerated pastry dough (or make your own) and flute the edges. Place in the refrigerator until ready to fill with the apples.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour, and the lemon zest.
Add the apple slices to a large bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add the sugar mixture and toss gently until all the slices are coated. Pile the apple slices into the pie plate. It's fine if they mound up in the middle.
In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples.
Cover the edge of the crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove he shield and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup ice cream topping, if desired

Notes

To freeze an unbaked apple crumble pie, place it in a freezer-safe and oven proof pan wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.

To reheat a frozen pie, first let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pie on a baking sheet and cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 5 minute to crisp up the top.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 28mg Sodium: 100mg Carbohydrates: 56g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 45g Protein: 2g