Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

This apple crumble pie is a single crust apple pie with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping: 6 medium apples tossed with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, piled into a 9 inch crust, and covered with a crumble of flour, sugar, and cold butter. It takes 25 minutes to prep and 50 to 60 minutes to bake at 375°F, and it cuts into 8 slices after a 2 hour cool.

No lattice, no top crust to roll, no glossy finish to fuss over. You get the spiced filling of a classic apple pie with a golden crunch on top, which makes it more forgiving to bake and easier to serve. With Thanksgiving coming, it is also one of the easiest pies to split into make ahead steps.

Before You Start

• Yield: one 9 inch pie, 8 slices
• Time: 25 minutes prep, 50 to 60 minutes baking, 2 hours cooling
• Oven: 375°F (190°C), rack in the lower third, pie on a baking sheet
• Apples: 6 medium, about half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp
• Crumb topping: ¾ cup flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 6 tablespoons cold butter
• Crust: one 9 inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade
• Keeps: 2 days at room temperature, longer in the fridge

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Apple Pie With Crumb Topping (Crumb vs Crumble vs Streusel)

People search for this pie under three names, and they overlap more than they differ. Here is how I think about them.

• Streusel: the German word for a rubbed mixture of flour, sugar, and butter, often with spice. It shows up on cakes and muffins as much as on pies, like on these coffee cake muffins with streusel topping.
• Crumb topping: the American name for streusel on a pie. An apple crumb pie and an apple pie with crumb topping are the same thing: a bottom crust, fruit filling, and clumpy streusel instead of a top crust.
• Crumble: in the UK, an apple crumble is fruit baked under a topping with no pastry at all, and it is close to an American apple crisp, which usually adds oats. An apple crumble pie puts that topping on a pie crust.

So this recipe is all three at once: a crumb topped apple pie finished with a brown sugar streusel. The topping ratio is ¾ cup flour to ⅔ cup sugar (half white, half brown) to 6 tablespoons cold butter, plus ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Roughly equal parts flour and sugar by volume, with about half as much butter, gives big clumps that stay crunchy. Brown sugar adds a light molasses flavor, and the granulated sugar gives the crunch.

If you are choosing between this and my Dutch apple pie: the Dutch version uses a deep dish crust and a richer crumb with a full stick of butter and more brown sugar. This apple crumble pie uses a standard 9 inch crust and a lighter topping, so the apples stay in front.

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The Apple Mix That Holds Its Shape

In my own kitchen I have baked this pie with only Granny Smith, and again with a mix of Honeycrisp and Gala. The mix always wins. Granny Smith brings the structure, and Honeycrisp adds a fragrant sweetness that does not go mushy.

Lean entirely sweet and the filling loses its bite and slumps after baking. Use only tart apples and it keeps its shape but lacks warmth. My notes always point to a 50/50 split for balance and dependability.

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Mixing the Spiced Apple Filling

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, then toss them with the lemon juice. That step does more than prevent browning; it brightens the whole filling. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and stir until every slice is coated and the juices start to run.

Unlike a cooked filling, this raw mixture bakes directly in the crust and thickens in the oven from the apples’ own juices, while the flour keeps it from puddling when you slice. If you would rather control the spice and sweetness completely, a batch of homemade apple pie filling works well in a crumble pie too.

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Rubbing in the Crumble and Filling the Crust

Fit the crust into a 9 inch pie dish and trim or crimp the edges. A good store-bought crust is fine here, or use my homemade pie crust or a sourdough pie crust. I always chill the crust while I prep everything else, which helps reduce shrinkage.

For the topping, whisk the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt, then work in the cold butter cubes with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. This is not a fine cake crumble. You want a thick, hearty mix with some pieces the size of peas and some larger clumps. If you overmix, it turns sandy and loses that chunky structure.

Pour the apples into the crust, piling them slightly higher in the center, then scatter the crumble evenly so the fruit is completely covered.

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Baking Low for a Crisp Bottom Crust

Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven. That position lets the base crisp while the apples cook down. I set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet, not just to catch drips but for steadier heat underneath. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. The filling needs that time to set, or it slides out when you cut.

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What Can Go Wrong

• Soggy bottom crust: the pie baked too high in the oven. Keep the rack in the lower third and bake on a sheet pan.
• Topping turned sandy: the butter was too warm or the mixture was overworked. Use cold butter and stop at coarse crumbs.
• Topping browned before the apples were soft: tent with foil for the last 15 minutes.
• Runny slices: the pie was cut warm or the filling was not bubbling when it came out. Bake until it bubbles and cool for the full 2 hours.
• Mushy filling: only soft, sweet apples were used. Mix in Granny Smith for structure.
• Soft topping the next day: the pie was covered while warm or stored in the fridge. Warm slices at 300°F to crisp it again.

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Making Apple Crumble Pie Ahead for Thanksgiving

Oven space is tight on Thanksgiving, so I split this pie into steps. Mix the crumble topping ahead of time and keep it chilled in a sealed container. The apple filling can be mixed the night before and refrigerated in a sealed bowl. On the day, fit the crust, fill, top, and bake.

You can also bake the whole pie the day before. It holds well at room temperature for up to 2 days under a cake dome or wrapped in foil; refrigerate it in an airtight container if you need it longer, though the topping loses some crunch. To reheat, warm slices in a toaster oven or a 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. It sits happily next to a sour cream apple pie or a sweet potato casserole on the holiday table.

Serve it warm or at room temperature. A scoop of vanilla ice cream softens the crumb just enough to blend the textures without making it soggy.

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Your Questions, Answered

How do you keep crumb topping crisp?

Use cold butter, stop mixing at coarse crumbs, and bake until the topping is deep golden. Cool the pie uncovered and store it at room temperature, then rewarm slices at 300°F for 8 to 10 minutes to crisp the top again.

What is the difference between apple crumb pie and apple crumble pie?

Nothing important. Both are a single crust apple pie with a flour, sugar, and butter streusel on top instead of a pastry lid.

What is the difference between apple crumble and apple pie?

An apple crumble has no pastry, just fruit under a crumbly topping, while apple pie is baked in a crust. Apple crumble pie combines both: a bottom crust with a crumble on top.

How much crumble topping do I need for a 9 inch pie?

One batch of this topping (¾ cup flour, ⅔ cup sugar, and 6 tablespoons butter) covers the apples in a standard 9 inch pie completely.

Can you make apple crumble pie with apple pie filling?

Yes. Spoon the prepared filling into the crust instead of the raw apples, cover it with the crumble, and bake until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles.

Should apple crumble pie be refrigerated?

Not for the first 2 days; covered at room temperature keeps the crumb crunchier. After that, refrigerate it in an airtight container.

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Before You Bake

Chill the crust, keep the butter for the topping cold, and give yourself the full 2 hours of cooling before you slice. If you want a bigger bake for a crowd, double crust apple pie bars cut into neat squares, and a caramel apple pie is the richer, sweeter option. Save this apple crumble pie to your Pinterest board for fall baking, and tell me in the comments whether you mixed your apples like I do.