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
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Man this was GOOD!!!
I am a pie maker and I did a few minor alterations, but I LOVED IT!!
I used a little more lemon juice, no rind, a bit more flour in the filling
and less cinnamon (cause hubby doesn’t like too much), and just a small pinch of nutmeg.
YUMMY!!
That is so awesome!! Happy to hear it! Thanks for commenting :)
Would it be ok to use store bought refrigerated pie crust?
Absolutely (and it doesn’t need to be prebaked).
I’m making this for my husband tomorrow. One major thing I don’t see here is whether the pie crust is baked before placing the filling and topping or not. I’ll be using a frozen crust. Please tell me what I need to do.
You do not need to pre-bake the pie crust. Enjoy!!
This has to be the best apple pie I’ve made in a while… It was super easy and Delish… My son, daughter husband and myself all enjoyed it so much!!! Thank you!!
Happy to hear that your whole family enjoyed it! The apple pie is one of my favorite desserts!
I love make pie and cakes
Made this tonight and we and our guest loved it! This will be my go-to apple pie recipe from here on out. It was so sweet and soft, yet had some crunch to it. Served warm with ice cream of course! Recipe calls for 8 GS apples, I only had room for 6. Turned out perfect :) Thank you Holly!!!
I’m so glad your family loved this pie, it’s one of our favorites too!!
Made this pie two nights ago and there is only a small slice left! Best Apple Pie ever!!! I made it with only 6 Granny Smith apples (bc I was tired of peeling and slicing) and it turned out wonderful! Thank you so much for this recipe!! I will be making again for guests! And, I love all of your recipes!! Making your coconut cream pie next!!
I’m so glad your family loved this one!! :) Enjoy the coconut cream pie, it’s so yummy!
This pie was great! I haven’t made one in years and this came out beautifully. My husband even bragged about how goodie was on FB:D This recipe is a keeper:)
Awesome! I’m glad the pie was a hit!
What size apples did you use? I have made apple pies before and the most I have used is 6 apples. I just bought a bag of granny smith apples at the store and they are on the small size so I am not sure how many of them I should use?
I would suggest using 6 small apples.
Hi! This looks amazing! I was wondering if I could use MacIntosh apples instead. I have a HUGE bag so I’d use what I have here. Thank you !
I’m sure they’d work just fine. They will definitely be a little bit softer but still delicious!
Oh my goodness!! I made this last night and it was amazing!!! Huge hit and now my new favorite apple pie recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it Ginger!
This pie was a BIG hit this Thanksgiving! Absolutely delicious.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Never made a crumble apple pie, it is Amazing! Glad it turned out so good for Thanksgiving!
I’m so glad you loved it Kelli, this is one of our favorite pies!
I am afraid of how this pie is going to turn out. I ended up getting 2-9″ deep dish pies out of this. They were both heaped up quite high. Did I use too much caution when filling the shells? They are in the oven now so I am hoping that they turn out nicely. I will say that my husband loved the topping and the few bits of apple left in the bowl!
Was planning to make this this morning-just realized that I don’t have real butter, just margarine- will that work for the topping?
As long as the margarine is solid (and not a tub or spreadable) it should work ok.
For the topping, do you melt the butter?
I don’t melt the butter, it is just softened and mixed in.
Hi! Looking to make this for thanksgiving. When you mentioned you made it the day before, did you just assemble it or also bake it and then re heat it the next day?
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.
Hi Holly, Making this today. Do I put the filling directly into the frozen pie crust? No thawing or prior baking?
You do not need to prebake your pie crust.
Hi,
Can you prepare and freeze the pie before baking?
Yes, this can be frozen.
Hi there. Recipe looks delish. Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
Yes, this can be frozen.