This apple crumb pie is everything you love about a holiday dessert. It's easy to make with seasonal ingredients and your friends and family will be so grateful. There is nothing more memorable than walking into a home smelling of warm spices. Want to create food memories? Bake a pie this holiday season.
Finding joy has been especially easy these days. Honestly, I don't need things. Give the gift of a shared experience. Just feel the joy of being surrounded by those you love most whether it be on a mountain or at the dinner table.
Want some simple joy? Bake a pie and share it with someone. Watch their faces light up. Let's get to this apple crumb pie recipe or if you prefer a cherry crumb pie head over to Good Grief Cook.
What makes a great apple crumb pie
- A well baked flaky and tender crust.
- The filling is set with tender apples and not overly sweet.
- The topping is crisp with a touch of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. How about a surprise addition of panko for extra-crispy?
Pie Baking Steps
First prepare your dough and let it chill. You can even make it a day or two in advance. Then roll it out on a floured surface. Fit your pastry into a pie pan. Trim any excess overhang. Finally, crimp the edge and chill. Now prepare your apples.
Peel, core and slice the apples. Toss with lemon juice. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add apples, sugars and salt and cook apples until tender and the liquid in the pan is syrupy. This step can also be done a day in advance. Now prepare the crumb topping. Some might call this a streusel or a crumble, but what does it really matter. It's crispy and delicious.
Making this crispy crumb topping is so easy. Just mix all the topping ingredients together with your hands to form clumps. It's so satisfying. Plus the texture and flavor really enhances the apples. Finally, assemble the pie and bake.
Fill the chilled crust with the chilled apples. Spread them out evenly. Sprinkle evenly with crumbs. Place on a sheet pan and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
Crumb topping pro tip
Squeeze bits of the topping together forming some nice clumps before sprinkling over the apples.
Apple Crumb Pie
Ingredients
Method
- For crust blend flour, sugar, salt and in a mixing bowl.
- Cut in lard and butter with a pastry blender until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.
- With a fork, stir in 4 tablespoons of water and vinegar or lemon juice until dough holds together, adding additional 1 tablespoon of water, if needed.
- Divide dough into 2 disks. Wrap and chill 1 dough disk for another use. Roll remaining dough on a lightly floured board to fit a 9 to 10-inch pie pan.
- Fit dough into pan, trim and crimp edges. Chill crust while preparing filling and topping.
- In large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, sugar, brown sugar and salt.
- Melt butter in large skillet, over medium heat. Add apples and stir to coat with butter. Cook apples, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until crisp tender and liquid in pan is syrupy.
- Transfer apples to a bowl or sheet pan and cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, mix oats, panko, almonds, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Cut in the butter with your fingers or a pastry blender forming crumb clumps.
- Heat oven to 425F.
- Pour cooled apple filling into chilled crust spreading evenly.
- Sprinkle crisp topping evenly over apples.
- Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake pie for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375F and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until filling bubbles and crust is golden brown.
- Cool to room temperature or serve slightly warm.
Lisa says
Best pie I have baked in quite awhile.