This easy Apple Crumble Pie recipe is quick to make with a few fresh apples, a premade crust, and a simple buttery crumb streusel topping! An everyday homemade apple crumb pie recipe you will make over and over using refrigerated store-bought pie crust takes to do most of the work for you.
🥧Ingredients
Pie crust—uncooked refrigerated
Apples—peeled and sliced
Coating for apples—granular sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, nutmeg (optional), lemon juice (optional but suggested)
Crumb streusel topping—all-purpose flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt. Optionally, add some pecans or walnuts.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🥧Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Apple Crumble Pie—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 👍Make it right every time
- 🥣Apple Pie Crumble Topping
- 🍎What are the best apples to use for pie
- 📖Other apple recipes
- 🤔How to prevent soggy pie crust bottoms
- 🍽️How to serve fresh apple pie
- ❄️Pie Storage
- ❓FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment by Hquinzelle:
"This recipe is great. I made it twice, and it turned out fantastic both times."
I love apple pie, and almost anybody can make this semi-homemade recipe for apple pie with a crumble streusel topping. Use a refrigerated pie crust, slice up a few fresh apples, and add sugar and spices. Make a simple crumb topping. Put it all together and bake. That is it. You just made an apple pie for your family.
For other pie recipes, check out Strawberry Pie with Jello and Blueberry Crumb Pie.
👨🍳How to Make Apple Crumble Pie—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Prepare refrigerated pie crust according to package instructions.
2. Mix crumble topping of flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter.
3. Peel and slice 4 to 6 apples to make 5-6 cups of slices.
4. Coat apples with a mixture of sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
5. Pour the apple mixture into the uncooked pie crust.
6. Top with the crumble topping mixture.
7. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes; check the edge, and protect if needed.
8. Bake for a total time of about 50 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. 3-4 hours.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👍Make it right every time
I prefer to peel the apples and cut them into slices. If they are set for more than a few minutes, a tablespoon of lemon juice will prevent the browning from oxidation.
You need 5-6 cups of apple slices. Four large apples or 5-6 medium size apples will do.
While this simple recipe uses a refrigerated pie crust, frozen pie crusts should also work. You can also make your own.
If you want, add ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
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🥣Apple Pie Crumble Topping
The outstanding flavor of cinnamon sugar and the crunchy texture of the crumble topping complement the fresh apples in this easy pie recipe. But the same topping may be used on most fruit pies, muffins, and other baked goods.
White or brown sugar may be used. A touch of salt enhances the flavors. Butter and flour add a crunchy texture when baked. Roasted chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds, optionally, will add to the crunch.
Like many recipes, the butter should be cold for the best crumbly texture. To aid the cutting process, shred or cube the butter before cutting it in with a pastry cutter (preferred) or fork.
🍎What are the best apples to use for pie
Some good choices for baking apples are Honey Crisp, MacIntosh, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn, Winesap, Jonathon, and Jazz. If I buy apples to make a pie, I would combine Granny Smith and Gala.
There are many good apples for cooking and a few not-so-good apples, but I believe you use what you have. Delicious and Macintosh apples are probably the only common poor choices due to their poor texture when cooked.
📖Other apple recipes
Simple recipes also use fresh apples such as Apple Cinnamon Bread, Small Crock Pot Apple Crisp, Easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp, and Crock Pot Apple Cobbler.
🤔How to prevent soggy pie crust bottoms
Firmer apples will release less fluid, so apple choice plays a role. This is part of what makes Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples excellent choices.
An old trick is to put pies on baking sheets preheated in the oven. It will melt the fat in the crust faster and create a shield to prevent the filling from penetrating the crust. So a pizza stone or a heavy sheet pan works well for this—preheated with the oven.
🍽️How to serve fresh apple pie
Apple pie is best served warm. Add a drizzle of caramel sauce with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is easy to reheat a slice of pie in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
❄️Pie Storage
Keep your apple pie covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. You can generally keep baked apple pie at room temperature for up to two days. If refrigerated, your pie will keep for 3-4 days.
Apple pie may be frozen for 4 months. Cool completely and cut into slices. Seal airtight with two layers of plastic wrap and foil.
❓FAQs
If you want, replace the fresh apples and the coating ingredients with one can of apple filling.
Standard pie dishes are 9 inches in diameter and 1-¼ inches deep. There are larger 9-½- and 10-inch pans, and I have seen bigger, but I suggest the standard size.
American apple pie is a two-crust pie with a vented or laced crust topping.
Dutch apple pie is commonly called apple crumb pie or apple crumble pie. It is a single-crust pie topped with a cinnamon buttery crumble topping. It is an Americanization of the Dutch apple tart. I prefer to use the term apple crumble, which is more descriptive.
A French apple pie usually starts with cooking the apples and perhaps raisins, cherries, or other ingredients. Then, it is topped with a pastry or cookie-type topping and baked. It is served "up-side-down" with an open fruit face. There are other versions that are also called French apple pie.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Easy Apple Crumble Pie
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 uncooked pie crust
- 5-6 cups cooking apples - pealed and sliced to make 5-6 cups
Coating for Apples
- ½ cup granular sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg - optional
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice - optional
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar - packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter - ½ cup
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack for any overflow. You can place the sheet on the rack you are using to help prevent a soggy crust.
- Prepare a pie crust. Either make one or use a Pillsbury®️ refrigerated one and crimp the edges.
- Start with 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Mix well with ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Add one stick (½ cup) of butter cut into chunks. Using a fork or pie cutter, mix in the butter until evenly distributed—set aside.
- Peel and slice apples. Use 4 large or 5-6 medium Granny Smith apples. You need 5-6 cups of apple. Other apples or combinations are acceptable. A combination of Gala and Granny Smith is frequently suggested.
- Mix ½ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, then sprinkle over the apple slices—mix well to coat.
- Pour apple mixture into a 9-inch uncooked pie crust.
- Top with the crumble topping mixture.
- Bake on the middle rack. About 20 minutes into baking, check the pie. You may need to protect the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust edge protector.
- Bake for a total time of about 50 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. 3-4 hours.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Some good choices for apples are Honey Crisp, MacIntosh, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn, Winesap, Jonathon, and Jazz. But other than Delicious, most apples will be fine.
- Use a standard pie pan, which is 9 inches in diameter and 1-¼ inches deep.
- I use refrigerated pie crust. You can use frozen or homemade food.
- Be sure to fully cool the pie before cutting. It will take 3-4 hours.
- Store loosely covered for up to 2 days at room temperature or refrigerated and sealed well for 3-4 days and frozen for 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published May 18, 2012. Updated with expanded discussion and updated photos.
Carroll says
This recipe sounds delicious and I'm looking forward to trying it next time I have company.
I noticed that salt is missing from the list of ingredients for the crumble topping. It's in the instructions but not the list.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Carroll,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the proof-read... fixed.
Dan
Anna S says
Mine was good except there was a lot of water that came out of the apples and it soaked the crust. Can I add corn starch to the apples and cook them before putting the pie together to prevent this next time?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Anna,
Welcome to the blog.
More cornstarch is definitely ok.
Dan
Jill says
Hi Anna-
That should be ok. Another thing is make sure you use the right type of apple. I’ve made many apple pies that came out watery before I finally found the right type of apple to prevent this. I use Granny Smith. Happy baking :)
Brenda says
Just going In the oven this thanksgiving morning I also had the same problem with the topping not crumbling should have added more flour but I'll cook longer and protect the edges will update when done thanks for the quick recipe
Judy Uhl says
We love apple pie! I will have to make this. Is your pie shield adjustable? So many kinds on the market!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Judy,
This is just a good basic apple pie but that is a good thing.
The pie ring is old. I aways did the foil thing and my wife dug this out of a box from her childhood.
It is adjustable a bit and I have seen similar ones at William Sonoma several yrs ago and those cheap kitchen gadget shops at outlet malls. Search for pie rings or pie shields and you should come up with something.
Enjoy your pie.
Dan
Cheryl A Beaudoin says
Ok.. Thanksgiving meal was a success and so was the desert as I used part of this recipe in my desert creation. However, can someone please tell me why my flour/sugar/butter topping did not get more crunchy nor darker? It was still soft as when I put it on top for topping and didn't change? My thought is possibly because rather than making a full pie, I used more like a cupcake tin only a bit larger to make individual pies and it didn't take as long to bake. Maybe 17 minutes. Do you think that is what might have caused the crunch to not be crunch? And if so, what can I do so it is crunchy the next time I bake this. Everything else was great! so was the not so crunchy crunch part, just not crunchy. lol thank you in advance for help/suggestions..
DrDan says
Hi Cheryl,
I think you have hit it on the head. This topping takes about 45-50 minutes to get golden brown and crisp. 17 minutes just won't do it. Even with the smaller size, probably 30-35 minutes at least.
I assume you used the color of the edge of the crust to determine "done". Even in the full pie version, I need to shield the edge to prevent burning since the edge is browning long before the crumb topping. You would need to use the color of the topping as the end point and you probably need to shield the crust edge from getting overdone
You could try to hit it with the broiler for a few minutes but I doubt the results would be satisfactory. It would cook uneven and although the top part of the topping might brown, the bottom of the topping would not be so the texture would be funky.
You might Google "cupcake with streusel topping" and see some variations in proven smaller size recipes that use somewhat of a similar top and see what they do.
Those are my best guesses.
Have a good holiday.
Dan
Hquinzelle says
This recipe is great, I made it twice and it turned out fantastic both times.