Homemade Dutch Apple Pie with Walnut Streusel Topping
Nothing says homemade comfort quite like a warm slice of Dutch Apple Pie. With its tender cinnamon-spiced apple filling, flaky butter crust, and crunchy brown sugar streusel topping, this classic dessert is perfect for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving, or whenever you’re craving a delicious homemade apple pie.
What makes Dutch Apple Pie different from traditional apple pie is its irresistible crumb topping. Instead of covering the apples with a second layer of pastry, this recipe finishes the pie with a generous layer of buttery streusel made from flour, light brown sugar, and chopped walnuts. The topping bakes to a beautiful golden brown, adding sweetness and crunch to every bite.
The filling starts with three pounds of baking apples, such as Golden Delicious, Cortland, or Mutsu. These varieties offer a balance of sweetness and texture. Fresh lemon juice brightens the apples, while cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg provide warm, comforting flavor.
One feature that makes this Dutch Apple Pie especially delicious is the precooked filling. The sliced apples are briefly cooked with sugar and butter, then drained. Their juices are simmered until thickened and lightly caramelized before being mixed back into the fruit. This technique concentrates the apple flavor and helps prevent an overly watery pie.
For the homemade crust, cold butter is pulsed into flour, sugar, and salt before the dough is brought together with egg and cold water. A food processor makes this step easier by quickly cutting the butter into the flour without warming it excessively.
Once the chilled pastry is fitted into a nine-inch pie pan, add the cooled apple filling and cover it with the walnut streusel. Bake at 375°F until the crust and topping are golden brown.
Allow the finished pie to cool for at least three hours so the filling can settle before slicing.
Serve this homemade Dutch Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream for a comforting dessert that’s ideal for holidays, family dinners, and special occasions.
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Dutch Apple Pie
- Total Time: 1:30
- Yield: 6-8
Ingredients
Dough:
Filling:
Streusel Topping:
Instructions
- For the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with pea-sized bits of butter. Add the egg, and pulse until the dough just comes together. (If the dough is very dry, add up to 1 tablespoon cold water.) Remove the dough, gently pat it into a round, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
- For the filling: Meanwhile, put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel and core the apples; cut each in half, and cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the apples and granulated sugar to the bowl with the lemon juice, and toss.
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the sugared apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.
- Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the juice to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until it has thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
- Toss the apples with the thickened juice, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside to cool completely. (The cooled filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 6 months.)
- For the streusel topping: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter, and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers until it has been absorbed. Mix in the walnuts.
- To assemble and bake the pie: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking sheet on it and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough disk into a 12-inch circle. Layer it between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Ease the dough round into a 9-inch pie pan. Fold and crimp the edges as desired. Add the filling, and spread it out to make an even layer. Squeeze handfuls of the streusel topping, and drop clumps of it on top of the filling to completely cover it.
- Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the crust and streusel are golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours before serving. (The pie keeps well, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
Notes
- Serve pie warm or room temperature with fresh whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream on top.
- Pie will keep frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, up to 4 months.
- Feel free to swap in a refrigerated rolled pie pastry for the bottom crust if scratch pastry making isn’t your thing. We recommend Pillsbury™ brand.
- Choose crisp and tartly-sweet apples—consider Empire, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Cortland—as they hold their shape and aren’t too juicy.
- What makes a “Dutch” pie? The streusel topping, a nearly irresistible, crunchy sweet mixture of sugar, butter, flour, and nuts, probably comes from other Germanic-styles of baking. It’s a simpler finish for not only a pie but for coffee cakes, muffins, and bar cookies. Feel free to add a small spoonful of ground spice—cinnamon or an apple pie spice blend.
- Prep Time: :30
- Cook Time: 1:00
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking