Apple Crumble Pie is a delicious and easy pie that everyone requests time and again.
A tender flaky crust filled with sweet juicy cinnamon kissed apples all topped of with a delicious crumb topping. This is the perfect apple pie to serve after any meal!
Why This Is the Best Apple Crumb Pie Ever!
“The Best” is a pretty big statement and not one I take lightly… and “The Best” fits this Apple Crumb Pie perfectly! I first served this apple pie Thanksgiving many years ago and it was a HUGE hit, it has been requested over and over again!
- Great to make ahead, bakes up perfectly every time.
- Simple to make with homemade pie crust or store bought to make it fast.
- Can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.
- Simple ingredients you probably have on hand.
The Best Apples for Pie
The base of a perfect apple pie (or apple crumble) starts with choosing the right apples. You’ll want an apple that is crisp and slightly tart but will hold its shape while baking.
When baking apple pie, I recommend using a Granny Smith apple as I’ve used in this apple crumb pie recipe.
While you certainly can use any apple, some apples have a softer texture or are less crisp meaning your pie could become mushy or the apples won’t hold their shape. Find more info on apples for baking here.
How Many Apples are Needed for a Pie
This will vary based on the recipe you’re using and the topping, this particular recipe uses a delicious crumb topping so the apples are really piled sky-high.
For this apple crumb pie, you’ll need 8 medium Granny Smith apples which will be approximately 6-7 cups of apples. Always be sure to peel your apples for pie as the skin can become tough and chewy once baked.
How Many Cups is a Sliced Apple?
You can expect 3 medium apples (approximately 1 pound) to yield about 2 1/2 cups of sliced apples.
Cut the apples fairly thin (about 1/8″) and, in this apple crumble pie recipe, you’ll want to stack them nice and high because they will shrink down a bit as they bake!
An apple peeler/corer/slicer can make this job extra quick if you use a lot of sliced apples, it’s a great investment that will save you hours!
Crumb Topping for Apple Pie
What sets this pie apart from a classic apple pie recipe is the topping! The crumble is easy to make and this pie has a generous portion!
It’s a simple mixture of:
- butter
- brown/white sugar
- flour
- cinnamon
Tips for a Perfect Pie
- Use an apple that holds up well like Granny smith.
- Pile the apples high, they’ll shrink a bit as they bake.
- If your crumb topping is powdery, it hasn’t been mixed enough. Use your hands to really mix it together until bigger crumbs form.
- If you notice the topping starts to brown too early, place a small square of foil over the middle.
- I use a nice deep dish pie plate and always set the pie plate on a parchment lined baking pan to bake. This makes it easier to get in and out of the oven and will catch any drips or spills should your pie bubble over!
Storage/Leftovers & Reheating Apple Crumb Pie
Once the pie has cooled it can be stored at room temperature uncovered for up to 24 hours.
If you bake this apple crumb pie ahead of time, you can warm it in the oven again before serving. Reheat at 325°F for about 20 minutes (heated from room temperature).
We serve this with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped topping and caramel sauce!
You can freeze this pie either before or after baking. If frozen before baking, the pie can be baked from frozen. To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 425°F and cover the pie loosely with foil. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 45-55 minutes.
More Apple Favorites
I love apple everything from Apple Pie Tacos, Apple Crumble, and Baked Apple Pie Roll Ups to Apple Pie Egg Rolls.
Did you love this Apple Crumble Pie? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
The Best Apple Crumb Pie
Ingredients
- 1 single pie crust prepared or homemade
Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter chilled and cubed
Filling
- 8 granny smith apples
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
Topping:
- Combine all topping ingredients using a fork until completely mixed and crumbly.
Filling:
- Peel, core, and slice apples into thin slices (approximately ⅛ inch). Toss apple slices with sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest (if using), cinnamon, & nutmeg.
- Layer apple slices in pie shell (it will be really full) and pour any leftover juice over the apples. Top apple slices with topping and pat it down over the apples. Place pie pan on a cookie sheet (they tend to drip over if really full, this will save your oven).
- Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 45-55 minutes. (Poke the center of the pie to make sure the apples are soft all of the way through).
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Pie
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I made this recipe for my boyfriend’s family’s thanksgiving and they LOVED it! Hopefully I get a ring out of it this year!
Is this baked in a 9” or 10” pie crust? Thank you!
I use a 9-inch crust.
This is a great pie recipe and so simple to make!!! Everyone that I have made it for couldn’t get enough of it. I really loved the way this pie turned out and wondered if I could freeze the filling after cooking it for a few minutes (not the whole pie) for another time?
To make just the filling we have this delicious apple pie filling recipe and it freezes well.
Too much sugar in filling. I would use brown sugar instead of white sugar.
Very delicious!!!
Holly, When I find recipes that sound good I always check the replies to see if they are worth making. I have made many of your recipes and all of them come out wonderful. I no longer check your replies because there is no need to. The pie is in the oven as I write this. Thank you so much for so many great recipes.
I hope you enjoyed it, Linda! Thanks for cooking with us.
Made this pie yesterday and it was excellent. Made my own pie dough.
Won-da-ful (say in NY accent) : )
LOL! I read it in a NY accent – so glad you loved it!
Really is the best!
Can bread flour OR pastry flour be used instead of all purpose flour (don’t have any)? Your recipe is very similar to McCalls Dutch Apple Pie which I have made at least 50 times since the ’70s. With all the great reviews, I will try your recipe. Thanks.
I have only tried this recipe as written so I can’t say for sure on the flour. Let us know how it goes!
I would like to make this recipe for pi day tomorrow for work. I was wondering if you had a suggestion on how long to cook little tart sizes of these?
Hi Lisa, I have never made these into tarts so I am not sure on the cooking time but maybe another reader has and can offer some suggestions.
Is nutritional information listed for whole pie or for serving size
per slice, when the pie is cut into 8 equal slices.
This recipe failed, 8 apples was WAY too much, that could have made 2 pies, not just one, even after baking the apples still tower over the rest of the pie, I could literally scoop off the top and fill another pie crust.
Your apples must have been much larger than ours, Jeff! I hope you still enjoyed the pie.
can I freeze this?
Hi Joshua! Yes you can assemble the pie and freeze then when you’re ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as per the recipe instructions the next day.
omg, evryone loved this!
Oh my word this is GOOD!!! I made two of these for Thanksgiving and plates were wiped clean!! I even used dairy-free butter and you can’t tell the difference. My first pie got a little dark on the top so I covered the second one towards the end. Would highly recommend this recipe!!