This Dutch Apple Pie gets its richness from cream stirred into the apple filling, adding a subtle caramel note baked beneath a thick, buttery streusel.
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Dutch Apple Pie isn't exactly what its name implies (more on that below), but it is definitely worth baking, no matter what it is called. This single-crust classic American pie features a generous filling of softly spiced apples, enriched with cream and topped with a rich layer of buttery streusel.
You might be wondering if it is different than an Apple Crumb Pie? That depends on who you ask, but as someone who thinks about pie more than most people, I’d say it’s absolutely different. Dutch Apple Pie is distinct from Apple Crumb Pie because it includes additional dairy in both the crust and the filling. The cream in the filling gives it an almost caramel-like flavor that is subtle, but delicious. It uses a lighter touch with spices and does not have oats in the topping. In contrast, Apple Crumb Pie resembles a classic apple pie with a crumb topping. What also sets this recipe apart is that the filling is partially cooked, which allows for more filling to be added beneath a very thick crumb topping. Comparing the two might be apples to apples (pun intended), but this Dutch Apple Pie is worth making on its own.
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But Why is it called a Dutch Apple Pie?
Many recipes seem to interchange the terms "Dutch Apple Pie" and "Apple Crumb Pie." To add to the confusion, the genuine Dutch apple pie hailing from the Netherlands is called "Appeltaart." That deep-dish, lattice-topped apple pie is as popular there as stroopwafels are (I spent a semester living in the Netherlands and enjoyed plenty of both).
Food history is not linear, and after some research (check out As American as Shoofly Pie by William Woys Weaver for a great read on the topic) my understanding is that Dutch apple pie comes from the Pennsylvania Dutch, the descendants of German-speaking immigrants who settled in southeastern Pennsylvania. The use of both sour cream and heavy cream in this recipe nods to the dairy farms of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The crumb topping is a streusel, a staple of German baking. So despite the name, this is an American pie through and through, shaped by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Assembling the Crust, Filling and Streusel Topping
This recipe has three components: the sour cream pie crust, the precooked creamy apple pie filling, and the buttery streusel topping.
Sour cream takes the place of water in this pie crust, adding fat and acidity that help keep the dough tender and pliable and enrich its flavor. For more in-depth details, check out my dedicated Sour Cream Pie Crust recipe. You can also swap in your favorite all-butter pie crust if you prefer. Regardless of the recipe you choose, the pie crust will need to be blind baked.
The apple filling is first macerated and then precooked. This process allows the apples to release their moisture and shrink, making it possible to fit more filling into the pie (the recipe requires 3½ pounds of apples). Additionally, precooking helps prevent the filling from sinking and creating a gap under the topping as the pie cools. Heavy cream goes in toward the end of cooking and turns the mixture into a rich, creamy sauce with a hint of caramel.
The streusel is simple to make because it uses melted butter. The rest of those ingredients can be mixed right in the same pot (or bowl, if you’re using the microwave).
Each part of this pie can be made a day ahead, and you can even assemble the whole thing and hold it in the refrigerator for a day until you’re ready to bake.
Step 1: Prepare the sour cream pie crust by hand or with a pastry blender.
Step 2: Gently bring the dough together, adding water only if needed. Refrigerate for at least two hours, but better overnight.
Step 3: In a large pot, mix the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Let macerate.
Step 4: Cook the apples until softened, stir in the slurry, and cook until bubbling, then add the cream and vanilla and cook for 1 more minute. Let cool.
Step 5: Blind bake the pie crust.
Step 6: Transfer the slightly cool filling to the pie crust.
Step 7: Melt the butter (either on the stove or in the microwave) and stir in the remaining streusel ingredients.
Step 8: Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples, pressing down lightly to compact as needed.
Tips for Baking It
Since both the pie crust and filling are pre-cooked, the main goal when the pie goes back in the oven is to bake the streusel and allow the bottom crust to brown further. Place the pie on the middle rack and monitor the streusel towards the end of the bake time. Bake until the streusel turns golden brown and the filling begins to bubble at the edges.
Serving, Storing + Make Ahead Instructions
Let the pie cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, so the filling has time to set before you slice it. Serve it at room temperature. Store the baked pie, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 day. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To get ahead, make the pie dough and filling up to a day in advance, cover both, and refrigerate. Pie crust can also be frozen up to 3 months in advance. On the day you want to bake, roll out and blind bake the crust, make the streusel, and assemble the pie.
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Full Recipe
Dutch Apple Pie
This Dutch Apple Pie takes its name and its richness from Pennsylvania Dutch baking, with dairy in both the crust and the filling. Sour cream replaces the water in the pastry, helping the dough stay tender and easy to roll while adding a subtle tang. Cooking the apples on the stove before baking shrinks them ahead of time, so the pie holds 3-½ pounds of fruit under a thick crumb topping and doesn’t sink as it cools.
- Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
- YieldServes 8-10
Ingredients
For Pie Crust:
- 1-¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 grams) cold salted butter, diced
- 6 tablespoons (90 grams) full-fat sour cream
- Cold water, as needed
For Apple Filling:
- 3-½ pounds baking apples (about 7-9 large apples), peeled, cored, and sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) lemon juice
- ½ cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) apple cider, apple juice, or water, more as needed
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Streusel:
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (see note)
- 1-½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
Make the Pastry:
- In a large bowl, toss the flour and diced butter together with your hands or a pastry blender until the butter is coated in flour. Holding the pastry blender firmly by the handle, press the blades down through the butter with a rocking motion, rotating the bowl as you go so the butter is cut in evenly. If using your hands, rub the butter into the flour. Aim for mostly pea-sized pieces, with some larger marble-sized chunks for added flakiness.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the sour cream. Use a spatula to mix the sour cream into the flour.
- Using your hands, knead the dough a few times, just until it comes together into one ball. If the dough seems dry and isn’t coming together, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it does (a kitchen safe spray bottle is helpful here).
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into a rough disk. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it stretches to the edges of the plastic wrap to ensure a tight seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Pre-Cook the Apple Filling and Pie Crust:
- In a large pot, stir together the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Let the apples macerate at room temperature until they have released their juices, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, roll out the pie dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate, making sure to press the pastry into the sides and the bottom. Crimp the edges as desired. Refrigerate the pie crust while you cook the filling.
- While the crust chills, preheat the oven to 425°F and place oven racks in the lower and middle parts of the oven.
- Set the pot over medium heat and cook the apples, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly, until softened, about 8 minutes. There should still be some liquid left in the pot, if it has cooked off, add 2 tablespoons of apple cider or water.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider and cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot and stir to combine. Add the cream and vanilla, and cook, stirring, until the filling has thickened, about 1 minute more.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the filling cool slightly while you blind bake the crust. Stirring frequently helps it cool faster.
- Line the pie shell with a round piece of parchment paper, then add pie weights (or dry rice, beans, or lentils) to fill the pie shell, making sure to push the pie weights to the edges. Bake on the lower rack for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the crust has a matte appearance in the middle. Set aside until ready to use.
Make The Streusel, Assemble and Bake:
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then remove the pot from the heat. To the pot, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and flour, and stir until well combined.
- Transfer the apple filling to the parbaked pie crust. Scatter the streusel topping over the filling, pressing it down lightly as needed to fit it all.
- Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until the crumb topping is golden brown and the filling is slightly puffed, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Use a mix of baking apples, such as Gala and Granny Smith.
The pie can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 day. For longer storage, refrigerate.
Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half, or use the same amount by weight.
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