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    🏠Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    Easy Homemade Apple Crumb Pie—Quick to Make

    Oct 5, 2022 · Modified: Nov 14, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 11 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.07 from 30 votes

    An everyday apple pie you will make over and over for the family. A refrigerated crust takes most of the work out of this homemade pie. Add a few fresh apples and some seasoning, and finish with an easy-to-make crumb topping. And you will be making this pie over and over.

    closeup of apple pie

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this pie
    • 🍎What are the best apples to use
    • ❓FAQs
    • ❄️Pie Storage
    • 📖Other Pie Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Everyday recipes need to be easy enough that the first step does not stop you in your tracks. For most of us, that would be a made-from-scratch homemade pie crust. I can only get over that barrier occasionally. A refrigerated crust takes that wall down, which is full speed ahead for me.

    Almost anybody can make this pie. Slice up a few fresh apples, and add some sugar and spices. Make a simple crumb topping. Put it all together and bake. That is it. You made an apple pie for the family.

    I was inspired by southerncooking.about.com. I changed a few things and expanded the instruction details.

    👨‍🍳How to make this pie

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
    2. Place refrigerated pie crust into a standard 9-inch pie pan—crimp the edge.
    3. Mix crumb topping.
    4. Peel and slice 4 large or 5-6 medium apples to make 5-6 cups of slices. Mix white sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apple slices.
    5. Pour apple slices into the pie crust.
    6. Top with the crumb topping.
    7. Bake for 20 minutes, then protect the edge of the pie crust with foil.
    8. Bake a total of about 50 minutes until golden brown.
    9. Allow to cool completely before cutting—3-4 hours.

    🍎What are the best apples to use

    Some good choices are Honey Crisp, MacIntosh, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn, Winesap, Jonathon, and Jazz. If I'm buying apples to make a pie, I would combine Granny Smith and Gala. But I’m not very picky about my apples.

    There are many good apples for cooking and a few not so good, but I believe you use what you have. Delicious Apples are probably the only common poor choice.

    I prefer to peel the apples and cut them into slices. If they are set for more than a few minutes, a splash 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.

    ❓FAQs

    What size of pie pan to use?

    Standard pie pans 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.

    How to prevent soggy pie crust bottoms?

    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.

    What is the difference between a Dutch Apple Pie and an Apple Crumb Pie?

    None, two names for the same thing.

    ❄️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/or foil.

    📖Other Pie Recipes

    Easy Fresh Strawberry Pie

    Everyday Blueberry Crumb Pie

    Or try this easy quick bread: Apple Pie Bread

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Dessert Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    four apples with a pie crust and seasoning

    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 soggy crust.

    Prepare a pie crust. Either make one or use a Pillsbury®️ refrigerated one and crimp the edges.

    cutting burtter into crumb topping

    Start with one cup of AP flour in a large bowl. Add ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt—mix well. 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.

    slicing apples after pealing

    Peel and slice apples. Use 4 large or 5-6 medium Granny Smiths. You need 5-6 cups of apple. Other apples or combinations are acceptable. A combination of with Gala and Granny Smith is frequently suggested.

    adding sugar and cinnamon to apple slices

    Mix ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together, then sprinkle over the apple slices. Mix well to coat.

    adding seasoned apple to the pie crust

    Pour apple mixture into a 9-inch uncooked pie crust.

    cover pie with prepaired topping

    Top with the crumble topping mixture.

    protecing edge of pie while cooking

    Bake on the middle rack. About 20 minutes into baking, check the pie. You may need to protect the edges of the crust, either with aluminum foil or with a pie crust edge protector.

    full apple pie cooked

    Bake for a total time of about 50 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. 3-4 hours.

    slice of apple pie on white plate
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    📝Recipe

    closeup of apple crumb pie

    Easy Homemade Apple Crumb Pie—Quick to Make

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    An everyday apple pie you will make over and over for the family. A refrigerated crust takes most of the work out of this homemade pie. Add a few fresh apples and some seasoning, and finish with an easy-to-make crumb topping. And you will be making this pie over and over.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.07 from 30 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 uncooked pie crust - I used Pillsbury
    • 5-6 cups cooking apples - pealed and sliced

    Coating for Apples

    • ½ cup granular sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

    Crumb Topping

    • 1 cup AP flour
    • ½ cup brown sugar - packed
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 stick butter - ½ cup
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.
      four apples with a pie crust and seasoning
    • Prepare a pie crust. Either make one or use a Pillsbury®️ refrigerated one and crimp the edges.
    • Start with one cup of AP flour in a large mixing bowl. Add ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt—mix well. 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.
      cutting burtter into crumb topping
    • Peel and slice apples. Use 4 large or 5-6 medium Granny Smiths. You need 5-6 cups of apple. Other apples or combinations are acceptable. A combination of Gala and Granny Smith is frequently suggested.
      slicing apples after pealing
    • Mix ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together, then sprinkle over the apple slices. Mix well to coat
      adding sugar and cinnamon to apple slices
    • Pour apple into a 9-inch uncooked pie crust.
      adding seasoned apple to the pie crust
    • Pour apple into a 9-inch uncooked pie crust. Top with the crumb mix.
    • Top with the crumb mix.
      cover pie with prepaired topping
    • Bake on the middle rack. About 20 minutes into baking, check the pie. You may need to protect the edges of the crust, either with aluminum foil or with a pie crust edge protector.
      protecing edge of pie while cooking
    • Bake for a total time of about 50 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. 3-4 hours.
      full apple pie cooked
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. Some good choices for the apples are Honey Crisp, MacIntosh, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn, Winesap, Jonathon, and Jazz.. But most apples will be fine other than Delicious.
    2. Use a standard pie pan, which is 9-inch diameter and 1-¼ inches deep.
    3. I use refrigerated pie crust. You can use frozen or make your own.
    4. Be sure to fully cool the pie before cutting. It will take 3-4 hours.
    5. Store loosely covered for up to 2 days at room temperature or 3-4 days refrigerated. Sealed well and frozen for 4 months.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Homemade Apple Crumb Pie—Quick to Make
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 404 Calories from Fat 153
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 17g26%
    Saturated Fat 9g45%
    Cholesterol 30mg10%
    Sodium 193mg8%
    Potassium 153mg4%
    Carbohydrates 61g20%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 35g39%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 402IU8%
    Vitamin C 4mg5%
    Calcium 29mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Dessert
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published May 18, 2012. Updated with expanded discussion and updated photos.

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    • Blueberry Crumb Pie—Quick, Easy, and Delicious Pie
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    1. Carroll

      November 14, 2022 at 12:09 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        November 14, 2022 at 12:15 am

        Hi Carroll,
        Welcome to the blog and thanks for the proof-read... fixed.
        Dan

    2. Anna S

      March 01, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      4 stars
      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?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        March 01, 2020 at 9:29 pm

        Hi Anna,

        Welcome to the blog.

        More cornstarch is definitely ok.

        Dan

      • Jill

        September 19, 2020 at 10:30 am

        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 :)

    3. Brenda

      November 28, 2019 at 6:44 am

      4 stars
      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

      Reply
    4. Judy Uhl

      October 21, 2019 at 6:47 am

      We love apple pie! I will have to make this. Is your pie shield adjustable? So many kinds on the market!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        October 21, 2019 at 8:01 am

        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

    5. Cheryl A Beaudoin

      November 23, 2017 at 7:13 pm

      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..

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 23, 2017 at 8:06 pm

        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

    6. Hquinzelle

      October 21, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      This recipe is great, I made it twice and it turned out fantastic both times.

      Reply

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