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!
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.
Delicious! Loved how the apple pie held it’s shape after it was cut and didn’t pool into the dish like other apple pie’s I’ve made. The right balance between sweet and tart…not too sweet or too tart. Thank you for providing me with a go-to apple pie recipe…I’ve been searching unsuccessfully for years!
I made this delicious apple crumb pie last week. My husband said ….magnificent! I really liked it too
This apple pie is amazing!! It is the best!!
Made many different apple pie recipes over the years, but I found my go to forever recipe with this one! Perfect balance of sweet and tart with such good fresh apple taste and texture. Just so good!
If I’m doing the crust homemade, does it need to be baked first?
Hi Kristin, no the crust does not need to be baked first. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Can I make this pie ahead of time? If so, how long can it be kept in the fridge before baking?
Hi Valerie, I would say it can be made ahead of time, but no more than 1-2 days. Prepare the pie, cover tightly, and store in the fridge. Let it sit on the counter until it gets to room temperature and bake as per the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
Can I make your apple crisp without the bottom crust?
Hi Rhonda, this recipe is an apple crumb pie so it has a bottom crust. For an apple crisp without a bottom crust, try this one! Let us know how you like it!
I just made two Apple Pie Crumb Topping,I just doubled recipe and I used Pillsbury pie crust which I use always thawed already and I can’t believe how wow wow these pies taste.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
I made this pie twice already back to back. My husband said it was the best apple pie he ever had. I’m making it again tomorrow for his birthday to have with our family. He prefers this to cake. I have to agree that this is the best apple pie I ever had also .
Can I assume the frozen pie shell needs to be defrosted before baking
I would follow the instructions on the pie crust packaging but we do not find that is need to be defrosted or prebaked before using.
What is the size of the pie?
Hi Regin, this is made in a standard 9 inch pie pan.
This pie was very, very well received. Our son-in-law is very fussy about apple pies and he said that it was amazing! I’ve added a tad more sugar to the apples but other than that I went with the recipe. There were six of us for dinner and when I checked to see how much pie was left, there was a very small sliver! Great recipe and my go-to from now on.
I made the apple crumb pie and the only thing wrong with it was to much sugar combined between the apples, ( not so much), but the topping was very sweet, (to much sugar), next time I’ll be cutting down some of the sugars for the crust. Thank you, for this was my best apple pie. I also didn’t use Granny Smith, but I used northern spy, ida red, cortland, and gala’s. I will be making this pie again with a few changes.
wonderful. easy. will make it again.
Loved this pie! Simple to follow instructions and soooooo delicious. Not too watery the way some pies can be
I have found that my crumble topped pies get soggy on top the next day. Will warming it at 325 bring back the crispy topping? I want to make this in advance for Thanksgiving but not if it will have a soggy topping.
I have made this the day before serving and reheated it in the oven for a few minutes before serving. It should help your topping from getting soggy. Also make sure to leave it uncovered until it is completely cooled to prevent moisture from building and make the topping soggy.
It was a quick and simple recipe and made a delicious crumble! Next time I will add more nutmeg and adjust the sugar to the sweetness of the apples.
My husband told me I HAVE to save this recipe because he thinks it’s the best pie he’s ever had! We’ve been married 23 years, and I’ve made a TON of apple pies, so that’s high praise indeed! Thank you for the great recipe!!
This is a wonderful recipe and my go to for apple pie. Easy to make, always turns out perfect. I add apple cider vinegar vs lemon juice and I add a bit of clove for extra spice. Such a great pie and I recommend this recipe!
I “inherited” a lot of Rambo apples from a huge auction purchase. Since the Rambo variety cooks down quickly, I reduced the baking time and the pie was delicious! We didn’t mind the softer filling with the crunchy crumb topping!