A traditional Dutch apple pie is an excellent pie to start with — no top crust to roll and risk breaking. I actually prefer Dutch apple pie to the classic double-crust version because the crumb topping creates an apple-crisp texture inside a single pie shell. Truly delicious.
Difference Between a Dutch Apple and an Apple Pie
The most obvious difference is the crumb topping. Dutch apple pie typically features a streusel of flour, sugar, and butter instead of a second pastry crust. Some versions add cream to the filling, though this recipe does not.
Another advantage of the Dutch style is that you avoid the large hollow space that can form under a top crust as the apples shrink during baking. The crumble settles right into the fruit, creating a consistent texture and rich flavor.
If you’ve never baked a pie before, try this one first. It’s simpler than a two-crust pie and yields reliably great results.
What Type of Crust to Use in a Dutch Apple Pie
There’s no special crust required — use a good store-bought crust or a flaky homemade crust if you prefer. A prebaked crust is not necessary; the filling and streusel bake together in the pie shell. Use a crust you trust and don’t feel pressured to make it from scratch unless you want to.
Traditional Dutch Apple Pie Video
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Traditional Dutch Apple Pie with Crumb Streusel
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An easy apple pie topped with a buttery crumble — perfect for holidays and family gatherings.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 pie
Ingredients
Scale
1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust or your favorite homemade recipe
8 cups peeled and sliced apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the crumb topping:
1 cup flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll out the pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling and streusel.
- Combine the apples, 1/4 cup flour, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat the apple slices evenly and set aside.
- Make the streusel by mixing 1 cup flour and 2/3 cup light brown sugar. Cut in 1/2 cup room-temperature salted butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture clumps together when squeezed. Make some larger crumbs and some smaller ones for texture.
- Assemble by pouring the apple mixture into the chilled pie crust, then evenly distributing the crumb topping over the apples.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for 40–45 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the streusel is golden brown. Let the pie cool completely before slicing so the filling sets.
- Author: Carole Jones
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 pie
- Calories: 489
- Sugar: 48 g
- Sodium: 139 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 81 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 36 mg