Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie

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Cast-iron skillet filled with our Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie

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!

Fresh apples for making our Deep Dish Apple Pie recipe

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…

Cast-iron skillet filled with pie crust
Cast-iron skillet filled with crust and apples for homemade apple pie

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.

Skillet filled with a batch of our Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie recipe

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!

Skillet of vegan Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie with a slice removed
Plate with a large slice of vegan Apple Crumble Pie

Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie

Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie that’s perfect for fall and requires just 1 bowl!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with apple pie
4.73 from 22 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 (slices)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 Month (freeze before baking)
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

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

*Recipe (as originally written) yields 1, 10″ crust.
*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.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 slices Calories: 487 Carbohydrates: 65 g Protein: 5 g Fat: 24 g Saturated Fat: 10 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 214 mg Fiber: 6 g Sugar: 39 g

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  1. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  2. 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

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Misha! Thanks so much for the lovely review and sharing your modification! xo

  3. 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 🤗

  4. Camilla says

    Can I use gluten free all- purpose baking flour instead the one you mentioned for the apple pie?
    Best regards,
    Thank you

  5. 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 :)

  6. 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.

  7. 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!

  8. 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 :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  9. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

      • 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

  10. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  11. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

        A crisp topping is usually more oat based, and a crumble topping is usually more flour based in my experience!

  12. 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!

  13. 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.

  14. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  15. 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!

  16. 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

  17. 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 ❤️

  18. 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 ?

  19. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          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.

  20. 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!

  21. 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?

  22. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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!

  23. 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

  24. 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! ??

  25. 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 :)

  26. 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!

  27. 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?

  28. 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.

  29. 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!!!

  30. 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!

  31. 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

  32. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          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!

  33. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      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 :)

  34. 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.

  35. 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

  36. 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.

  37. 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.

  38. 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!!!!

  39. 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! :)