This Apple Crumb Pie really is the best! It is so delicious, a little different and fit for royalty! Apparently the late Queen Elizabeth II was a fan of Apple Crumb Pies – who knew?
This recipe will make a pie consisting of a buttery pastry base with unsweetened apples (just as nature intended,) and crowned with an equally buttery crumb topping. Good enough for a Queen to enjoy!
Known in Germany and Switzerland as ‘Apfel Streusel’ pie and in Holland as ‘Dutch Apple’ pie, it’s the same style of pie, just different names.
Enjoy this pie anytime of the year. It is especially good in Fall when apple harvests yield the freshest apples and Thanksgiving draws close.
Ingredients
The food items below are for the pastry base (flour, butter, salt) on the left and the crumb topping on the right (flour, sugar, butter) with fresh apples for the filling.
Use an eating apple that is juicy and sweet. While there are so many to choose from, I recommend Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Jonagold Apples, and Braeburn to name a few. I used apples from the apple trees on our property.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Pastry
Add the flour for the pastry into a food processor along with the salt and butter (butter should be as cold as possible, cut it into small uniform pieces.) Pulse the processor long enough to see the pastry starting to look like breadcrumbs. Add icy cold water, a few drops at a time, through the feed tube of the processor (this only works if the feed tube has a small hole at the bottom, allowing the water to drip into the bowl of the processor.) Once the pastry starts to come together – stop.
Remove the pasty out of the processor and lay it on a floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry to the rough diameter of the pie dish you are using. Transfer the pastry to the pie dish. Trim off surplus pastry (save it!) and crimp the edges. Put the pie dish containing the pastry into the refrigerator to rest.
Crumb
First prepare the crumb topping before the apples. For the crumb, place the flour and butter into the food processor and pulse it long enough to see a similar ‘breadcrumb’ look the pastry had. At this stage, I like to open the processor and add the leftover pastry. The pastry will process with the existing mixture and come together to form ‘breadcrumbs.’ Doing this prevents waste. Add sugar and pulse to mix.
Apples
Apple preparation is the last step. It involves peeling, coring and slicing the apples into uniform pieces. Doing this step at the end eliminates the need for tossing them in lemon juice to avoid browning.
Distribute the prepared apples evenly into the chilled pastry base.
Sprinkle the crumb onto the apples using a spoon. Spread the crumb over the apples evenly. Every apple piece needs to be covered by crumb, otherwise they will burn when baked.
Using a knife gently press the crumb onto the apples, make a design if you wish, then place in the oven to bake.
Flexibility
Feel free to use whatever type of apples you want. Remember to use eating apples that do not require sweetening.
Add cinnamon or other spices, and sugar if you wish.
You can also use any type of cookie for the crumb topping. Shortbread is a good one or pecan cookies. Pulse them in a food processor to crumb with 5 tbsp of cold butter. One 11.3 oz package of cookies should work.
Also consider adding in some oats to the crumb mixture. Use 3 oz of flour, and 3 oz of rolled oats. Add half of the oats to the processor with the flour. Make the crumb as usual, then add the remaining oats once the crumb is finished. These unprocessed oats will provide a little extra texture and fiber to the pie.
Uses for Apple Crumb Pie
I serve this pie for a lot of different occasions, I hope you will too. Use it:
- As an everyday dessert with whipped cream, ice cream such as Pumpkin Chia Ice Cream or Vanilla Sauce.
- As part of the line up of pies for Thanksgiving or Fall get togethers.
- At brunch, apple and pastry are always a good combination to have on a brunch table.
- With afternoon tea accompanied by a lovely cup of Orange Pekoe tea.
- With morning coffee especially if you have an early breakfast followed by a late lunch, this will tide you over.
- As a base for caramel pecan Apple Crumb Pie. Drizzle about 3oz of caramel topping over the pie, then sprinkle 4 tablespoons of chopped pecans to finish it.
Equipment
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Storage
Store and eat this pie within 24 hours at room temperature.
Refrigerate Apple Crumb Pie for up to 3 days.
Freeze it for up to 3 -4 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat Apple Crumb Pie, remove the pie from the refrigerator, cover it loosely with foil and warm it in a 200 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes. Insert a thin blade of a knife into the center, remove the knife and check the metal blade for level of heat. The goal is to warm it, not bake it any further.
A Tip From Me
Allowing pastry to rest, after it has been rolled out and transferred into the pie dish, means the elasticity in the gluten, will decrease and prevent the pastry from shrinking.
If the pie crust is starting to brown faster than the crumb, cover the edges with foil to protect them while still allowing the crumb to finish baking.
If you are using juicy apples (you’ll know when you prepare them if they are juicy or not,) consider sprinkling a couple of tablespoons of crumb on the bottom of the pastry base. This will help absorb some of the apple juice while maintaining a tender pastry base.
Allow the Apple Crumb Pie to cool for at least 2 hours before cutting it. Cooling it will make it easier to slice.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- Why is my crumb not crumbly? It was over-mixed or the butter was too warm. Pulsing the food processor will not over mix the crumb or warm up the butter. Add flour to the over mixed crumb to fix it, 1 tablespoon at a time until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Should you pre-bake the bottom crust of the pie? Pre-baking while not necessary will guarantee the pie’s crust will be golden brown, and fully cooked. Cut out a piece of wax or parchment paper to fit inside the pie dish. Pour dry beans, or rice or use pie weights to hold the paper in place. This will keep the pastry flat. Bake it at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. It does not need to be golden brown. Finish making the pie and return it to the oven for 30-40 minutes. Cover the pastry edges with foil before they become too brown.
- How do I get a crispy bottom pie crust? Brush the pastry with egg wash (beaten egg) before adding the apples. This will seal the pastry. Any juice from the apples will not make the pastry base damp.
- What makes this recipe the best? Good question! It is the best because it uses eating apples that do not need any additive to improve taste or sweetness. It’s delicious buttery crumb topping is a pleasant alternative to a pastry lid. Its equally delicious buttery tender pastry does not need to be pre-baked (but can be.) The unadulterated flavor of the apples along with the butter, dominate the taste of this pie. Using the leftover pastry in the crumb mixture prevents waste. Simple everyday ingredients, come together to make this an unforgettable pie that will be enjoyed by many.
Recipe for the Best Apple Crumb Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz flour for the pastry base
- 4 oz butter for the pastry base
- ¼ tsp salt for the pastry base
- 6 oz flour for the crumb
- 4 oz butter for the crumb
- 3 oz granulated white sugar
- 6 apples about 27 oz peeled and sliced
Instructions
- To make the pastry, add 8oz flour into a food processor along with the salt and 4oz of cut up butter. Pulse the processor long enough to see the pastry starting to look like breadcrumbs. Add icy cold water, a few drops at a time, until the pastry starts to come together – stop.
- Place pastry onto a floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry to the rough diameter of the pie dish you are using. Transfer the pastry to the pie dish. Trim off surplus pastry (save it!) and crimp the edges. Put the pie dish into the refrigerator to rest.
- Then prepare the crumb topping by placing 6oz flour and 4oz butter into the food processor and pulse it long enough to see a similar 'breadcrumb' look the pastry had. Add the saved leftover pastry. It will all come together to form 'breadcrumbs.' Add sugar and pulse to mix.
- Peel, core and slice the apples into uniform pieces. Work quickly to avoid browning.
- Distribute the prepared apples evenly into the chilled pastry base.
- Sprinkle the crumb onto the apples using a spoon. Spread the crumb over the apples evenly. Covered each apple piece with crumb, to prevent burning. Using a knife gently press the crumb onto the apples, make a design if you wish, then place in a 350°F oven to bake for about 1 hour or until pastry and crumb are golden brown.
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