Rustic Dutch Apple Pie Recipe With Streusel Topping
on Nov 08, 2017, Updated Mar 24, 2025
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This easy Dutch Apple Pie Recipe is seriously the best apple pie recipe. A perfectly balanced apple pie with a buttery crust and crunchy cornmeal streusel topping that will have your family begging for seconds – all with minimal fuss and maximum flavor!
This is a pretty, rustic, and simple pie, but it tastes so good. The best part about Dutch apple pie: you only have to make a single crust and there’s STREUSEL!
The streusel on top is so quick to make, has a nice crunch to it, and tastes like pie perfection. Dutch apple is one of my favorites because it’s pretty simple and the top is casual, so there’s a lot less pressure to make the pie crust look fancy!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
- Apple Variety Flexibility: You can use different apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious to suit your taste—whether you prefer sweet or tart.
- Secret Ingredient: The streusel includes a unique touch of cornmeal, which enhances the texture and flavor.
- Low Sugar Content: With less added sugar, it’s perfect if you’re looking for something less sweet in a classic dessert.
- Stress-Free Elegance: With just a single crust and a sprinkle-on topping, you’ll get all the wow-factor of a traditional double-crust pie with half the work!
🥧 Some Dutch apple pie recipes have cream and raisins in their fillings, but I wanted to make this one extra simple and use the same easy apple pie filling I use for traditional apple pie.
Recipe Ingredients
For the filling:
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Apples
For the streusel:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Yellow Cornmeal
- Butter
- Pie Crust
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How To Make Dutch Apple Pie
Step 1: Preheat the oven. Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 2: Place the pie crust into a pie plate. Scrape the filling on top and spread out evenly. Bake 25 minutes.
Step 3: While pie is baking, combine the dry streusel topping ingredients. Drizzle with butter and combine with a fork.
Step 4: Remove pie from oven. Carefully put the streusel across the top. Continue baking until crust and streusel are browned. Remove from oven and let cool before eating.
Recipe FAQs
The difference between a Dutch apple pie and a regular apple pie is a streusel topping of butter, flour, and sugar baked on top in a delicious sweet, crunchy twist. It’s easier, and sweeter, than a pastry top, and makes a nice change of pace.
Try to find a firm apple to use in this recipe. I like a mix between sweet and sour apples. You can use Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Rome Beauty. I used Golden Delicious from our trees for this pie and it was great.
Absolutely! While homemade crust is lovely, a quality store-bought crust works beautifully when you’re pressed for time. Just make sure to follow the package instructions for pre-baking if required.
The flour in the filling helps absorb excess moisture. For extra insurance against a soggy bottom, try tossing your sliced apples with the sugar mixture and letting them sit for 30 minutes, then draining any accumulated liquid before filling your pie.
Expert Tips
- Traditional Dutch Apple Pie: If you are looking for a more traditional Dutch Apple Pie recipe (with cream, raisins, and cooked apples), I have made the one from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book with great success. The streusel part of this recipe comes from their recipe.
- Best Pie Plates: I tried out a whole lot of pie plates when I made all of my pies and these are my favorite. They are deep, have a little lip that makes getting them out of the oven easier, and the glass seems to cook up the pie crust the best.
- Perfect Slice: Allow your pie to cool for at least an hour before slicing. This gives the filling time to set, resulting in picture-perfect slices that hold their shape.
- Apple Selection Strategy: For the most complex flavor, use a mixture of apple varieties – try combining tart Granny Smiths with sweeter Golden Delicious or Honeycrisps for a balanced profile.
More Pie Recipes to Consider
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Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
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Homemade Coconut Cream Pie
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Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie
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Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
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Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Dash of salt
- About 5 cups thinly sliced apples, 8-10 medium apples peeled and cored
For the streusel:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Mix all the ingredients for the filling together in a medium bowl, making sure the apples are coated well.
- Add the apple mixture to a prepared unbaked pie crust in a deep 9-inch pie plate. Place the apple pie in the oven (with no top on) and bake for 25 minutes.
- To make the streusel, add the flour, sugars, and cornmeal to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the melted butter over the top and stir with a fork until roughly combined.
- Remove the pie from the oven after 25 minutes and carefully add the streusel topping evenly over the top.
- Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the crust and streusel have browned.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for at least one hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Try to find a firm apple to use in this recipe. I like a mix between sweet and sour apples. You can use Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Rome Beauty. I used Golden Delicious from our trees for this pie and it was great.
- Cut the apples into slices that are about ¼ inch thick.
- In the world of pies, this one has a low amount of added sugar. If using a very tart apple you may need to double the sugar. Just adjust to taste.
- If you are looking for a more traditional Dutch Apple Pie recipe, I have made the one from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book with great success. The streusel part of this recipe comes from their recipe.
I totally made this last night and O-M-G. It is delish! Adding this to my Thanksgiving rotation. 🙂
I’m so excited you tried it! I rarely make traditional apple pie anymore because we LOVE this one!