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.
I made this pie and my Crumble came out really hard! Not sure if it’s supposed to be this way. It’s not burned. It browned beautifully. The entire pie looks absolutely amazing but the Crumble is just very hard. Nevertheless everyone seems to like it. Thanks !
This is my first Thanksgiving I was delegated “desserts” & I am held to high expectation when it comes to bringing dishes!
My daughter requested an apple pie out of nowhere and I’ve always bought my son his very own apple crumble pie every November (it’s a thing).
I found your recipe & knew it had to be the one! This is my very first “from scratch” pie and so far so good- my stepdaughter helped me prep it and we had so much fun. (And by fun, I mean nibbling on the filling prior to baking:-)
Just have 10 minutes to wait, and I’m sure my children are going to think I turned into supermom overnight.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
Happy Thanksgiving Kelly!! I made this pie again this week, it is so good! :)
Hi Holly I just made this pie tonight for Thanksgiving. My house smells fantastic! Do you store in the fridge until it is ready to serve or do you just keep it lightly covered at room temperature? I’m excited to showcase it tomorrow, I hope it will rival even my grandmother’s famous pies.
I store it uncovered at room temperature (to keep the topping from getting soggy or moist). Happy Thanksgiving!
I just put the pie in the oven and I’m going to use it for thanksgiving tomorrow. Do I put it in the fridge and cover it and do I need to let it cool before putting in the fridge? The pie smells amazing and the extras left in the bowls tasted amazing also!! Can’t wait to eat it.
I would suggest cooling the pie and leaving it at room temperature until tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love this pie! I made it last year for Thanksgiving and making it again for tomorrow per my families request! I just realized though that I forgot to buy lemon juice and wondered if it’s possible to do without it and still have the same great taste? Really trying to avoid going to the store on Thanksgiving Day.
For sure, this pie is still great without lemon. :)
I have made this recipe twice now, turned out perfect both times! I used the crust from the link, and it is now the only pie crust recipe I use!!
do you have any tips to make the apple filling ahead of time and place in the freezer?
I’ve never left a review but this pie was so absolutely fantastic I had to say something. I followed recipe exactly and it was perfect! Thanks for sharing this lil “slice” of heaven:))
Thank you for the review! So glad you loved it!
Made it and I love it. Could have cooked it a little longer. The mountain created, didn’t go down much, but tasted great. I’ll get the pie together first then crumble next time. Thanksgiving maybe…..
Just put the mountain in the oven…….. first time trying..
Will post later
Made this fantastic pie yesterday for company. Everyone loved it. Taste like apple crisp. Will definitely make again as I have apples in my freezer harvested from my generous neighbors yard.
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your guests!
Best apple pie I have ever made! Super easy as well. Didn’t have lemons so I used an orange instead .
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I LOVED IT!!! I did use pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon in the topping. I also divided it in to 2- 9 inch regular pans. ( I didn’t have deep dish shells. I splurged on organic pie crusts. What a difference. I am going to try your friends all butter pie crust recipe next time. No trouble baking. I put it in the center of the oven. The crust was crisp on the bottom and top was perfect golden. IT WAS AWESOME! !!
So glad to hear that Leah!
I just put this pie in the oven. It was a very easy to follow recipe and I am anxious to taste soon! The filling intimidated me a bit so I reserved some of it and made a small cobbler to go beside the pie. Also the topping had plenty to also top the “cobbler”. I will let you know how they both turn out. I did go ahead and cover mine with foil after the first 15 minutes because the top was already quite brown.
This is the first pie recipe I baked and it’s so perfect! Turned out to be heavenly delicious!!
Awesome! So glad you loved it! :)
I have an Emile Henry Ceramic pan that is 10 inches; is that too big for this recipe?
That should work just fine.
This recipe is divine!!! The best I have ever made. I made small pies in my cupcake tins and they were a huge hit!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi! Should I bake the crust before filling it?
Can you cook the night before?
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.
My crumble top looked like a cake mix with a little butter… oh welll, in the oven and we will see how it turns out.