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.
Amazing!
This recipe is good. The topping is good and the flavor of the apples is also tasty. I think the cook time is too long. The apples came out very mushy almost like applesauce. It just didn’t taste good texture wise. I followed the recipe to the letter but it just didn’t come out right. This isn’t the first time I’ve made apple crumble pie, I was just trying this new recipe, it just didn’t do it for me.
How disappointing, what type of apples did you use?
What did I do wrong? I followed this recipe to a T and made ahead of time so I froze it before baking , let it thaw in the fridge overnight (as advised in comments I read) and baked it at 425 for 20 min then 350 for 55 min and it turned out completely soupy. I’m so bummed! Any advice???
Oh no, that is so disappointing Katie! What type of apples did you use in this pie? We find granny smith apples hold up the best in this recipe, other apples can get mushy or release too much water.
I’ve made this recipe a number of times now and love it so much more than either crumble or pie. This year though I’m wondering about how to add rhubarb to the mix without it getting soggy. Would you pre stew the rhubarb and add it cold with the sliced apples?
While I haven’t made this recipe with rhubarb, I think it would work. I would slice and add it to the apples before baking. They should cook enough while the pie bakes.
Excellent recipe! I hate top crust pies. but I love apples with cinnamon sugar and this was perfect. I used 4 big Honeycrisp and 2 Red Delicious apples and I didn’t have any lemon so I used the same amount of fresh squeezed orange juice instead…it served the same purpose and just tasted a little sweeter and that’s fine by me.
Hello! I am about to make this pie and I’m wondering if I can prep it and refrigerate it overnight before baking it in the morning? I don’t think the apples will brown before baking, but I want to make sure. I imagine if you say it can be frozen, that it can be refrigerated for one day?
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.
OR, I bake it the day before and refrigerate overnight. I take it out in the morning and either serve at room temperature or slightly heat.
I make this exact recipe at Thanksgiving every year! So easy but SO delicious! My family and friends look forward to it every time 😋
This Apple crumb pie is more delicious than a double crust pie I’ve always made, I’m staying with this recipe!
Should I bake from frozen or thaw in fridge then bake regular?
Hi Maya! You can bake this 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. Enjoy!
Okay thankyou I wasn’t sure if you recommended one way more than the other!
Incredibly good recipe. Came out of oven an hour ago. Gone. And I only got a crumble (pun intended). Definitely will make again. I’m flooded with apples.
I am looking forward to making the pie. If I freeze the pie unbaked, will the bottom crust get soggy? Thank you.
The bottom crust should not get soggy if it’s frozen right away. I generally recommend people freeze it unbaked, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and bake right before serving. I hope this helps Renee.
Brought the pies to work and everyone wanted more.
Wondering if I could use honey crisp apples in this ?
Yes, other readers have used honey crisp with great results! I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
Listen, I’m not a baker, but I gave this a try and my Whole family loved it! My topping wasn’t perfect, I didn’t read the notes about mixing it well until it was already in the oven… but still turned out tasty. I even added some rolled past to the topping for adding texture. Will make again!
For three years now, my friends and i get together to pick Granny Smith apples from the orchards here and then have an apple pie baking marathon using this recipe. Thank you for posting this!
Do I need to pre bake the pie shell if I buy one of those frozen pie crusts to use for this recipe?
We don’t find it necessary to prebake or defrost the crust before making this pie. Enjoy!
You need to fix the way the recipe is. Add the mixing of topping instead of as a note
I reduced the amount of apples I used five, and I don’t like a lot of sugar, and I think this pie has way too much sugar. I like a little tart to my pie, and if it’s too tart for some people, they can put an extra dollar of vanilla ice cream on the pie.
I want to try this recipe and have some apples l need to use. All different sizes and types. Is there a cup or weight measurement for the amount of apple slices to use?
For this recipe you will want to use about 4 cups of apples. I would love to hear how it turns out for you, Nancy!
Excellent! Really enjoyed. I will make this again.