I love baking year-round, but the holidays are when I like to make things a little extra. Enter this delicious apple crumble pie! We’re talking a flaky crust, spiced caramel apple filling, and a buttery crumb topping- all in one.
You can make the pie crust and caramel sauce from scratch (I’ll show you how), or keep it easy and grab them from the store!
“Do yourself a favor and make this pie. I made it this past weekend, and it turned out absolutely delicious. Best pie I ever made.” -Sylvia
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Apple crumble pie is a mash-up of apple pie and apple crisp. The caramel, warm spices and brown butter make it so rich and cozy. But the fresh lemon, fresh ginger and mix of apples keep it bright and balanced!
Using a mix of two or three different apples is one of my favorite tricks! You get this beautiful balance of tart and sweet in every bite, just like in my apple crisp cheesecake!
If you love apple desserts, my my apple pie poptarts and olive oil and apple cake need to be on your list too.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s the perfect combination of tart and sweet flavors.
- Just like my apple and strawberry crumble, this uses a crispy oat topping instead of a top crust, making it easier than classic apple pie.
- You get a buttery crust, gooey caramel, and crisp oats all in one bite just like these
- If you want something with the same delicious flavors in less than an hour, try my apple crisp bars.
- Fresh ginger and lemon keep it bright and balanced, not overly sweet, just like my phyllo apple turnovers taste incredible.
Ingredients
Here are some useful notes on some of the ingredients.
- Use one single homemade pie crust or store bought crust.
- Homemade salted caramel sauce is easy to make, but store-bought works too. I like to stir some into the apple filling and drizzle some on top of the pie before serving. You can also serve it on the side.
- You’ll need a total of 6 apples. I recommend combining 2 to 3 types of baking apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or Braeburn. Avoid McIntosh because they get too soft and mushy when baked.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and fresh ginger are what make this pie so warm and fragrant. I like to grate my ginger and nutmeg for the freshest, but don’t worry I still have notes in the recipe card if you’re using ground or dried ginger or nutmeg. If you’re missing one of those spices, you can just add a little extra cinnamon.
- We’re using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh. Use light or dark brown sugar.
- Use rolled oats for the crumb topping. Do not use instant oats.
- You’ll need 2 medium lemons. We’re adding the zest of half a lemon to the filling and soaking the apple slices in lemon juice before mixing together the filling.
- If you want to add an egg wash, you’ll need 1 egg for that. Brush edges of the crust with egg before baking to help it brown nicely.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Want to leave out the caramel sauce? You can add an extra 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to the filling in its place. Taste the filling before baking and add extra sugar if you prefer.
- Swap in some lightly crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in place of some of the oats in the topping.
- Substitute the oats with chopped nuts if you prefer.
- Try my country apple fritter bread recipe and apple crumble muffins if you have some extra apples!
How to Make Apple Crumble Pie
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Make the pie dough using my homemade pie crust recipe. Follow the recipe thru step 10 then chill the dough. Check out the blog post for helpful step by step pie dough photos.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above) Next, make my simple recipe for salted caramel sauce.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above) Roll out the chilled pie dough. Place it in your pan and crimp it.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above) Zest one of the lemons. Set zest aside. Next, add the lemon juice to a large bowl. Peel, core, and thinly slice apples into 1/4 inch slices. Cut the slices in half. Toss apples with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Let sit 20–30 minutes to release juices and soften slightly.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above) Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Rub the room-temperature butter in with fingertips. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). Drain the apples. Let them sit in a colander for 5 minutes. Next, combine the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt, flour, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir in the apples and caramel sauce.
Step 7: (See photo 7 above). Sprinkle the flour and sugar over the bottom of the chilled crust. Brush edges with beaten egg. Spoon apple filling into crust. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples.
Step 8: (See photo 8 above) Set pie on a baking sheet set on the bottom rack in a preheated oven. Bake 20 minutes at 400°F until crust begins to set and brown. Reduce heat to 375°F. Move sheet and pie to middle rack. Bake for about 35 more minutes til crust and crumble topping are golden brown. Filling should bubble at the edges. Let pie cool at least 2 hours (3 hours is ideal).
Natalie’s Baking Tips
- Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor and texture.
- Sprinkle a little flour and sugar on the bottom of crust before adding the filling. This helps prevent the crust from getting soggy.
- Don’t skip chilling the crumble topping and the pie crust. Chilling helps the crust keep its shape. It keeps the crumbs crisp while baking.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch drips.
- If the topping browns too fast, tent with foil halfway through baking.
- Let the pie cool at least 2–3 hours before slicing. This helps the filling set so it doesn’t spill out.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use store bought pie crust.
Using a mix of different apples gives you the best flavor and texture. I recommend using a combination of 2 to 3 types of baking apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or Braeburn. Avoid McIntosh because they get too soft and mushy when baked.
Drizzle a little extra caramel sauce over each slice just before serving or serve this pie with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Store leftover pie covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, store in the fridge for up to 3 more days. To freeze, wrap the pie tightly in aluminum foil and place it in a heavy freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until warm.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Did you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website? Please leave a 🌟star rating below and let me know how you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below.
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Apple Crumble Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (6 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter cold and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) ice cold water
- 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) apple cider vinegar optional
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) heavy cream room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) salt or up to 1 teaspoon
Apple Filling
- 8 cups (850 g) apples about 850 grams once sliced, about 6 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced ¼" thick, then cut in half crosswise. I recommend a combination of 2 to 3 different types such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp or Cosmic Crisp
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) lemon juice from about 2 medium lemons
- 1½ teaspoons (3 g) lemon zest optional, zest before juicing
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar packed
- 2¼ teaspoons (4 g) cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
- ⅓ cup (41.67 g) all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (75.33 g) salted caramel sauce recipe linked below (or use store bought)
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (40.91 g) rolled oats
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) allspice
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
For Finishing
- 1 (1) egg for brushing
For Serving
- caramel sauce
Instructions
Pie Dough
- If using homemade pie dough, start by making my recipe for homemade pie dough through step 10 (up to chilling the dough) first. This will give it time to chill and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Next, while the pie dough rests, make my recipe for homemade salted caramel sauce or use store bought. We're using ⅓ cup of caramel sauce in the apple filling. Reserve the rest for serving.
Roll Out Pie Dough and Line Pan
- Next, roll out the pie dough. Follow steps 11-15 in my homemade pie dough recipe.
- Cover the crust with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes then place in the fridge to chill til you're ready to fill it. (Do not brush it with egg wash yet).
Apple Filling
- Zest about 1 teaspoon lemon zest from one of the lemons. Set zest aside to a medium mixing bowl. Juice the lemons. Add the lemon juice to a large mixing bowl.
- Peel, core and thinly slice the apples into ¼ inch slices then cut them in half crosswise. Make sure not to slice apples larger than 1/4 inch.
- Add the apple slices to the lemon juice. Stir or toss to coat the apples with lemon juice. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the apples. Toss one more time. Allow apples to sit in the lemon juice for 20–30 minutes to allow apples to release juices and soften slightly. Make the crumble topping while the mixture sits.
Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Cut the room temperature butter into ½ inch cubes. Add the butter, then rub in with fingertips until mixture is chunky and butter is incorporated.
- Place mixture in the refrigerator to chill at least 15 minutes while assembling pie.
- Position one rack on the bottom and one rack in the middle. Place one baking sheet on the bottom rack. Preheat oven to 400℉.
Assembly
- Drain the apple slices. Pour them into a fine mesh strainer or colander. Let them drain for about 5 minutes. Toss gently a couple times so the excess liquid runs off.
- Wipe out the bowl the apples were in with a paper towel. We'll use this bowl to combine the apple filling. To the bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt, flour, and lemon zest. Mix ingredients til combined then add the apples. Gently toss to coat with the ingredients. Stir in the caramel sauce til just combined.
- Take the chilled crust out of the fridge. Sprinkle about ½ tsp flour and ½ tsp sugar evenly over the bottom of the chilled crust. Brush the edges of the crust with the beaten egg. Spoon the apple filling into crust, mounding slightly in center. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over apples, covering apples completely. Do not pack the crumb topping down.
- Place pie on the baking sheet in the oven. Bake 20 minutes at 400°F until crust begins to set and brown. Reduce heat to 375°F and move to middle rack. Bake about 35 more minutes (55 minutes total), checking at 25–30 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- The pie is finished baking when the crust and topping are golden brown, the filling is bubbling at the edges, and the apples are tender. Stick a knife or fork through the crumble topping. If it slides through an apple easily, it's done. If not, give it a few more minutes until the apples are fully cooked through. If needed, bake a few more minutes until tender but still holding shape.
- Set pie plate on a wire rack. Allow to cool for 2-3 hours before slicing. Serve with extra caramel sauce and/or a scoop of ice cream!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Sylvia T
Do yourself a favor and make this pie. I made it this past weekend, and it turned out absolutely delicious. Best pie I ever made.
Natalie
Hi Sylvia! Thank you so much for making this pie and for taking the time to comment! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!