It’s not apple season until a pie has been made. That or a crisp. But I’ve already made two of those so pie it is!
When apple season comes around it doesn’t seem right not to make a pie. It’s John’s favorite — and probably mine, too. Cherry and pecan don’t have anything on apple. But pumpkin? We’ll get to that later…
This pie was inspired by my love for all-things deep dish (hello simple deep dish pizza!), and my recent discovery of the perfect oat-pecan crumble (which is gluten free). I took this pie over to some friends and didn’t start it until an hour and a half before leaving, so it comes together pretty quick.
Another huge perk? It only requires one bowl! I love simple baking.
This pie is pretty decadent — definitely not health food. But if you’re going to indulge in dessert why not make it fruit?
The crust is a classic flaky crust that’s a family recipe, the filling is nothing but apple-cinnamon goodness, and the top is the perfect mixture of nutty, oaty, brown sugar goodness.
Your friends will thank you for making this pie. Mine did. Proof? It was gone by the evening’s end. Maybe I should’ve named this “5-Hour Apple Pie” — that’s how long it lasts. Enjoy!
Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie
Ingredients
PIE CRUST*
- 1 heaping cup unbleached all-purpose flour (sub up to half with whole-wheat pastry flour)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp cold butter (non-dairy for vegan)
- 3-6 Tbsp cold water
FILLING
- 7 medium apples (cored, peeled and sliced // a mix of sweet and tart)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 Tbsp butter (non-dairy for vegan, such as Earth Balance)
CRUMBLE TOPPING
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans (or sub additional almond meal)
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 4 Tbsp cold butter (non-dairy for vegan // or sub olive oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
- For the crust: Mix salt in flour and cut butter into flour with a fork or pastry cutter until well blended. Add enough water until the dough scrapes away from the bowl — usually about 3-5 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Remove from bowl, mold together with hands on a well-floured surface. Form into a 1-inch thick disc and then roll out into an even circle, adding more flour if it’s sticky.
- Use the rolling pin to roll it up and lay it gently over a 10-inch cast iron skillet or standard 9-inch pie baking dish and gently form it to the edges with your fingers. It should extend to the top of the pan but you don't have to crimp the edges or anything — we're going for rustic. Refrigerate until you're ready to add the apples.
- For the filling: Next prep the apples. Add them to the same bowl as you made the dough in and toss with sugar, cinnamon and flour. Add to pie crust and top with 1 Tbsp butter, scored into little dots or strips (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- For the topping: In the same bowl, add the crumble topping ingredients and mix with fingers or a pastry cutter until crumbly. Then pour it over the pie, spreading it evenly to coat. Bake at 400 for ~45 minutes, or until the pie is warm and bubbly and the top is golden brown. If you notice the crumble top getting too brown, simply top it with foil and continue baking until the apples are tender.
- Let rest at least 30 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 2-3 days. Not freezer friendly.
Notes
*Crumble top adapted from my Strawberry Nectarine GF Crisp.
*If you’re not into the crumble top, simply double the crust recipe and lay the other half on top!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Keira Clementine says
Hey, I have bought your books and I absolutely love your recipes, but please do not say any recipe with oats is gluten free! It’s not, and it can make a lot of people really sick.
Hi Keira, We’re aware there’s conflicting opinions and research on whether oats are safe for celiac disease, so perhaps that’s what you’re referring to? However, there are certified gluten-free oats and oats themselves do not contain gluten. Our understanding is it’s the processing and cross contamination with wheat that can cause some oats to not be gluten-free.
Leigh says
Could I substitute almond flour in the filling instead of almond meal?
Yes, that should work great!
Misha says
The recipe was great so easy, it really takes 1 bowl and just about 20 mins.
I wanted it to be nutfree so I used flax meal for the topping mixed with the oats. And I also added ginger and nutmeg to the apples.
Overall this was a great recipe, oh yea don’t forget some coconut ice cream on the side ;)
Mmmhmm delish! Give thx Minimalist Baker
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Misha! Thanks so much for the lovely review and sharing your modification! xo
Lana says
Omg that crumble 😍 I couldn’t believe I was almost out of cinnamon 😭 I only had about 1/2 tsp so I added 1/2 tsp cardamom and it was such a good flavor 😋 my first time making a pie from scratch I’m so proud 🤗
Way to go! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lana! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Gabby F. says
Is it unwise to blind bake this crust? Worried it’ll be soggy if I don’t.
With apple pies we normally don’t find it necessary since they bake for so long!
Gabby F. says
What about with pumpkin pies? :)
Pumpkin pies, yes usually for 10-12 minutes since they don’t bake as long.
Camilla says
Can I use gluten free all- purpose baking flour instead the one you mentioned for the apple pie?
Best regards,
Thank you
I think so but we haven’t tried it! Let us know if you do!
Dana says
Does the recipe call for salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!!
Hi Dana, either should work! We typically use unsalted though.
Sam says
I didn’t peel the apples, omitted the almond meal and pecans but added some crushed almonds and some more oats.
Had to cover with tinfoil for the last 10 mins of baking to not burn the crumble
First pie I’ve ever made from scratch!
Delicious :)
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sam!
Alyssa says
This looks delicious! Can the pie crust and filling be made GF by subbing 1-1 GF flour? Thanks!
That might work! But we do find GF pie crust to be a little more fragile and harder to work with. Let us know if you try it!
Jane D says
This is so good! The best crumble I have ever made/eaten.
I’ve made it a few times. I have since made a variation – Pear and ginger crumble, by adding ground ginger to the topping. (i didnt use the pastry and just sprinkled a little bit of brown sugar on the pears, before topping. YUM! Thanks Dana, I love all your recipes.
Whoop! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Jane! xo
Kate says
I used a smaller dish and had pastry left over so ended up making a regular pie with a crust top. I added a layer of smooth runny peanut butter on top of the apples first and it was delicious, especially when served warm with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream on top! I also had a lot of liquid due to the apples I used but took advantage and used it as a sauce on top. Thank you for the recipe!
Chloe says
I made this pie yesterday and it is gorgeous and I love it! One thing was that there was an a loooot of liquid in the filling — I put the flour and everything but it seemed to be not enough. I’m talking like it filled the pie dish like soup in a bowl when I took out a slice. Perhaps it was the apples I chose? I used a combination of Granny smith, gala, and fuji apples. Also it was a little bit sweet for my taste but that is just my own preference. The crumble is amazing! I would definitely make it again :)
Hi Chloe, we’re glad you enjoyed it! Hmm, we think the gala apples would be the most likely to be watery of those three. Next time, you could try adding additional flour or sticking with granny smith and fuji.
Sourdough says
I made this for thanksgiving and unfortunately it was a flop. I followed your instructions. The only thing different was that I did not have tart apples, so I only used the sweet ones I had on hand.
After baking I let it sit for 30 minutes, and when I cut through the crumble there was a giant pool of water. Additionally, the crust on the bottom (not sides) was uncooked. So I tried baking it for 15 more minutes, hoping that the crust would cook, and the water would evaporate, but no dice. Any thoughts?
Sorry to hear that happened! Did you make sure to include the flour in the filling? If that’s not the issue, our best guess is that the apples were more watery! Wishing you better luck next time.
Kathleen says
Hi Dana! Do you think you could make this GF by subbing your GF flour blend?
We think that should work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Brittany says
Should my cast iron be oiled before I put the crust on? Will it stick if not. Thnx
It may, which is why we apply a bit of oil or butter first.
Brittany says
I didn’t oil the pan beforehand and I just ate a piece after letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours and somehow it didn’t stick to the pan and turned out really good! I love it. Thanks
Ella says
Hi Dana!
I am so excited to make this, it looks fantastic. I’m making the crust to be used in your pumpkin pie recipe was wondering what the pros and cons of baking the crust before adding the filling are
Thanks!
Well the pros of pre-baking are to ensure the crust gets cook through if the pie filling requires less time baking. However, if your filling requires a long time to bake (like thick-sliced apples), you should be fine baking the crust right along with the filling.
Kate says
I just prepped this pie and stuck it in the fridge. I’m wondering 2 things. 1) Can I keep it in the fridge and bake tomorrow? 2) Should I keep leftovers in the fridge or out and covered?
Hi Kate, It is fine to keep in the fridge overnight and bake tomorrow, but we would recommend letting it come to room temperature before baking. And once cooked, it can be left out for a day or so and then transferred to the fridge. Hope that helps!
Simone says
Such a basic question, but I’m not from the States… What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp topping? Is it just the texture as the ingredients seem to be pretty much the same. I’ve only heard of Apple Crumble – both look delish. Thanks for your amazing site Dana BTW.
A crisp topping is usually more oat based, and a crumble topping is usually more flour based in my experience!
Amanda says
Best apple pie ever! I love it! I cook it every thanksgiving and Christmas too! Everyone loves it. I usually do not like apple pie at all (not usually a fan of crust) but this crumble top is DELICIOUS! So excited to eat this!!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear that, Amanda!
Joleen says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Question: could you add fresh cranberries to the filling? If so, would you increase the sugar a bit? Thanks a ton! I love your blog.
Yes, that should work but it may require more sugar. Let us know how it turns out!
Donna Tanzi says
At the top of recipe it is stated that this pie can be made ahead and frozen unbaked. Question: Do you defrost before baking? Any time/temperature adjustments if baked from frozen state?
Hi Donna! Place the frozen pie on foil lined cookie sheet to catch any run over from juice and bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, keeping an eye on it! If you notice the crumble top getting too brown, simply top it with foil.
Courtney Ransom says
Yum, I made this for my (non-vegan) family for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE favorite. I added some freshly-candied pecans on top which added some great crunch. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, as I’ll definitely keep is as a Thanksgiving go-to! Just curious, but what pie/dessert do you enjoy on Thanksgiving?
Find me at: cookwithcourt.com
Chris says
This was by far one of the best apple pie recipes my family and I ever had. I even made it with your GF pumpkin pie crust recipe and it turned out amazing!
Kim says
Will this reheat well?
Yes! The topping will not be as crispy as when fresh, but overall it reheats well.
Katya says
Made it couple days ago!! So so good!
I have a question though…. I have a lot pf persimons from the farm and want to possibly add them to the apple filling, could you comment if that’s a good idea or I shouldn’t
Rachael Randall says
Could I use peaches instead of apples? Would you add or change anything for the filling? My dad loved the peach crumble but would love to put it in pie form for his bday ❤️
Yes!
Tahlia says
Hi Dana,
Is it absolutely necessary to use unbleached all purpose flour or is bleached ok? I’m just not quite sure if my local supermarket will do unbleached flour. Thanks ?
That should work, Tahlia!
Lindsay says
Hi Dana!
Any advice on an ingredient to replace the rolled oats in the toppling for a gluten free person? Maybe another type of nut or something?
Thanks!
Yeah! Any other type of nut would do – walnuts or more pecans, or even almonds! Or, GF flour blend!
Susan says
I thought you could buy GF oats, as Oats don’t contain gluten, they’re just manufactured typically in a plant that processes wheat products?
I plan to make this tomorrow and rate as well as adding the suggested cranberries.
That is correct. If they are certified gluten-free you shouldn’t have any issues with cross contamination. We’ll revisit the language used here.
Crystal says
Hi,
Have you tried freezing this recipe like your coconut oil pie crust? I want to make my dough before Thanksgiving but that’s over two days in the fridge.
Thanks! I love all your recipes and cookbook!
I haven’t, but I think that would work. Thanks, Crystal! xoxo
Tania says
Loved this recipe!! The crumble on top is delicious, and it’s so easy to make!!
My crust came out a bit hard, but I guess that’s because I used coconut butter as opposed to regular vegan butter – we don’t have Earth Balance in my country. Any suggestions for next time?
Hi Tania, we suggest using olive oil in the recipe or you could try coconut oil?
Tania says
Worked out perfectly with coconut oil. Thanks for the tip!
Akhila says
The recipie looks amazing! I wanted to make it as a suprise for my sister
Could I sub coconut oil for the butter, and also is there a substitute for the pecans int the crumble and a substitute for the almond meal?
Hi Akhila, for substitutions, check out our Recipe FAQ! I’m not sure how coconut oil would work in this recipe because we haven’t tried it! I’m sure a variety of either nuts would work to replace the pecans in the crumble, and another reader had mentioned they had success with hazelnut meal to replace the almond meal! Hope that helps!
CindyT says
This recipe is sooo good! Just made it with a few slight variations & it is scrumptous!
Nancy OBrien says
Hi Dana,
What is a substitute for almond meal? My apple pie is delicious but I’d like to try a crumble crust minus the almond, yours sounds pretty good. I was thinking crushedN walnuts.
Nancy OBrien
Bianca says
Yessss! I’ve now made this with both the almond meal & pecan mixture and just Th full cup of almond meal and both work great! Also, don’t judge me, but I used a store bought vegan deep dish pie crust and it mad this even that much easier!! Sooooo good and so simple! I literally don’t even want to make any other version of apple pie but this one… It’s a staple recipe for sure! ??
Bianca says
Sorry for the autocorrect/ typos! ?
Becka says
Lovely idea! Only thing I personally would change would be the amount of sugar in the apple mix. 3/4 cups was way too sweet so next time I will cut down that amount by half so I can taste the natural sweetness and sourness of the apples!. Other than that it’s a great recipe and I really liked it. Definitely making it another time! Thank you :)
Kim Alene says
This was sooooo delicious! Thanks for ANOTHER awesome recipe. Keep ’em coming!
Nicki says
I made this yesterday. I opted for the vegan version using Earth Balance and all purpose flour in cast iron. (In my kitchen, pie is not meant to be health food. Everything in moderation, right?) So delicious! And a beautiful presentation! This will be a go to for sharing with friends on game nights and at pot lucks. Thanks Dana!
Liz says
Dana, thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I’ve made this twice (vegan!) and it has worked out great. I’m allergic to almonds so I used hazelnut meal instead and had no issue. I am wondering — to make this pie more portable — how do you think this would work in a pyrex pan vs. cast iron skillet?
I think a pyrex would be just as good!
Anto says
I used just the crumble portion of this recipe to make a quince-apple crumble. I subbed pecans for more almond meal since I didn’t have any on hand & half the butter for coconut oil to make it a little healthier and it came out great! Thanks for the recipe, maybe I’ll try making the whole thing some other time.
Ariel says
this was a huge hit to everyone who tried
thanks for sharing the love
joan says
As far as l know (my daughter is a confirmed Caeliac) Oats are NOT Gluten Free
Carrie says
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing. Even better 2nd and 3rd day warmed up with a big scoop of Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss salted caramel chocolate ice cream on top. Heaven!!!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Carrie. Luna and Larry’s is BOMB.
Toni Kulma says
I made the vegan version, so yummy. I posted a photo to my FB page and everyone wanted the recipe so I sent them to this page… Lots of apple pies in a skillet will be made this weekend.. Thanks!
Cam Welch says
I’m so torn between this recipe and the pumpkin Apple lattice pie, I may just have to attempt both!
They look so yummy :). Perfect autumn reading and inspiration.
Thanks, Cam
Yes! Do both, do both! ;D
Holly says
**WARNING** Do not use just wheat pastry flour for this recipe!! It does not create dough. It creates a crumbled mess. Even using cold butter and cutting it in to the pastry flour without overmixing produces this messy mess of crumbles. You can’t form it, and it’s way too delicate to roll. It breaks apart instantly.
Putting regular all purpose flour in it makes it a HUGE mess and doesn’t bind the wheat pastry flour.
(I had a similar issue with the pasta recipe using all purpose instead of semolina, it seems like you have an issue with flours. Please please please don’t recommend flours that aren’t fully tested or that don’t yield good results)
Currently baking this pie with a crust crumbled all over the top and it’s not setting. Such a shame- we hand picked these apples and I feel guilty for wasting all of these ingredients.
Holly, sorry you had a poor experience with the crust. I’ve mixed whole wheat pastry flour with all purpose before and have never had an issue in crusts or otherwise. Of course, any time you use ALL whole wheat or whole wheat pastry you should expect it to take on a different texture because it’s coarser than all purpose. But I personally don’t find it unpleasant.
Holly says
By the time the whole wheat pastry was mixed, there was no way for us to mix in any all purpose flour to really balance it out. The instructions stated all purpose OR whole wheat. If you meant all purpose, OR 50/50 whole wheat/all purpose, definitely make that clear for future people attempting the recipe. 100% whole wheat produces an unroll-able crust. All you can do is simply pack the crust in to the tin and crumble the remaining crust on top (if working with a double crust like I was attempting to.)
Which, again, may have been my fault for assuming a whole wheat crust for bottom AND top was going to work out- but I didn’t know.
So for others- don’t repeat my mistakes.
Holly, I’ve added that note to the recipe for future readers wanting to go the whole wheat route. I really do apologize for any confusion I caused. All purpose definitely reacts differently than whole wheat pastry in most recipes, which I’m fine with when that’s the healthier taste/texture I’m going for. But I shouldn’t have assumed everyone would know it reacted differently if you subbed it in ALL for the all purpose. Sorry for the less than desirable results!
laurent says
hello, I discovered your blog recently and I was like a child looking your pictures … I tried the apple crumble pie yesterday in a pie baking dish and it was perfect. Just a question, did you really put 3/4 cup sugar for the filling ? It seems a lot, I put 1/4 cup and it was great. Anyway great recipe, thanks.
Laurent! Thanks for saying hi. Yes I did use 3/4 cup but I used mostly tart apples and was serving it to friends so I wanted to make sure it wasn’t “too healthy tasting,” if you know what I mean. But thanks for letting us know less works just as well, too!
laurent says
Yes I did use 1/4 cup for a birthday this afternoon with family and it was a big success. But I understand “too healthy tasting” … I heard this about my chocolate and avocado mousse :)
Mrs.K says
Baked this for a our mommy and me play date this morning and it was amazing! I love the crumble topping it gives you the best of both desserts. Adding pecans to the crumble was genius.
Glad to hear it!
Bill Baltaeff says
made this last night and ate it 20 or so mins out of the oven bec i wanted it to still be nice and warm so i cld pair it w blue-bunny vanilla bean i.c. [you gotta try it!]. i used one c almond meal instead of the pecans and dark br sug [what i had]; overall was very sweet would cut sugar back to half-cup. it was delicious! thanks very much! bill
Ash-foodfashionparty says
Skillet pie anytime. There’s something about making em’ in the skillet, oh yum.
Kathryn says
Oh man, I love this idea! I don’t think I could choose between crumble and pie so to combine them like this sounds like heaven.
Christine Somers says
I am going to make this because it looks wonderful and I want to use my grandmothers iron skillet. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
holly ; the hobbit kitchen says
oh this looks absolutely gorgeous, i love a combination of crumble & pie in one. beautiful!
Celeste @The Whole Serving says
Looks so yummy, I’d love to have it topped off with some Almond Dream ice cream.
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
Oh man! I am now craving that deep dish pizza followed by one (or two) slices of this deep dish pie!!!!
Tammela says
I love the idea of combining crumble with pie — yum!
Tieghan says
Not even and apple pie eater and this things looks pretty amazing to me! I love that you did a crumble instead of a second pie crust! Crumble rule! :)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Deep dish and in a skillet?! PLEASE! Love this!!