This crumb topped apple pie can be baked right away or frozen and baked when you need it. Plus it’s it’s lick-the-plate good. This is the pie you want for your holiday tradition!
This easy crumb topped apple pie is one of the best apple pies I have ever eaten. The fact that it can be made ahead, frozen unbaked for up to three months, and then baked from frozen (Yep – no need to remember to take it out ahead of time to thaw!) is just a bonus.
Although what a bonus, right?
Some call a crumb topped pie like this a French apple pie, others call it a Dutch apple pie, but I just call it my favorite. I like the buttery, yummy crumb topping so much better than a crust.
And it has nothing to do with the fact that I only have to roll out one dough. Nothing at all.
Update: I finally discovered the best pie crust after years of trying – check it out to see if you’d like it, too: Tutorial: The Best Homemade Pie Crust finally!
How to Make Crumb Topped Apple Pie
The steps to make this pie are pretty straightforward:
- Slice apples.
- Mix apples with filling ingredients.
- Add apple mixture to an uncooked pie crust.
- Mix up the crumb topping in a food processor.
You might think that being able to freeze this pie ahead of time is the only reason to like this recipe (or pin and share it…) – but you’d be wrong.
It’s really the best tasting and only apple pie I make.
Maybe it’s the crumb topping? It’s my favorite “big crumb” topping, similar to this fruit crisp, and it really is amazing!
See that thick and substantial crumb topping?
No wimpy toppings here – this will not get lost in the fruit. Ever.
Freezing & Baking Crumb Topped Apple Pie
Freezing The Pie
Once you make and assemble the pie (when it’s convenient for you – days or weeks before you want to serve it!), wrap it in heavy-duty or double thick foil, pie plate and all, and seal it well.
Label and date the outside. (Tip: I also write the instructions on the foil, so I don’t even have to bother finding the recipe when it’s time to bake)
Baking The Pie (From Frozen!)
When you’d like a warm-from-the-oven apple pie, carefully unwrap the frozen pie and place it on a cookie sheet.
Take the foil that surrounded the pie in the freezer and cover the pie and cookie sheet loosely with the foil.
Bake according to the recipe, remove the foil and bake for 40-50 minutes more or until it’s bubbling, browned and your apples are tender.
Yep, that’s it – it’s as easy as…well you can guess, right?
And this is perfect for the holidays! I love to have one of these in the freezer to have ready.
Of course, you can make and cook it right away. In fact, my favorite thing to do is to double the recipe so we can have one right away, and the other waiting in the freezer.
Who needs to wait for the holidays?
Oh, and want to take this pie over the top? Drizzle it with this easy-to-make caramel sauce!
Crumb-Topped Apple Pie To Bake Now or Freeze for Later
Ingredients
For each pie:
- 1 unbaked single crust pie dough here's my best pie crust recipe
- 1 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar*
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoons cinnamon we like more
- 6-8 cups thinly sliced & peeled tart apples deep-dish pie plates will need 8 cups
For topping:**
- 2/3 to 1 cup brown sugar*** packed
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Roll out pie dough and fit into a 9-inch pie plate (regular pie plate or deep dish), fluting the edges. If baking right away, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, toss the sugar, flour & cinnamon with the sliced apples together and transfer to prepared pie crust, spreading with a slight mound in the center and pressing down to fill evenly.
- For the topping, add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter (cut into pieces) to a bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture starts to hold together, forming some large clumps (or use a pastry blender to cut in the butter by hand in a small bowl, but make sure to mix until large clumps form to get the big crumb topping).
- Break off pieces of the topping (it should be solid enough that it can't be "sprinkled" - press the crumbly topping in the bottom of the bowl together to form clumps) and evenly place over the top of the apples, covering them completely. Gently pat mixture down.
- To bake now:
- Place pie on a baking sheet and cover entire pie loosely with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes more until top is golden and apples are tender (I also usually remove the baking sheet so the crust browns well). Cool on a wire rack.
- To freeze and bake later:
- After topping apples with crumbs, wrap entire pie - plate and all - with heavy duty foil (or double thickness of foil). Label and freeze up to three months.
- When ready to bake, remove foil and place frozen pie on a cookie sheet. Use the same foil to cover the pie loosely with foil (just attach it loosely to the edges of the cookie sheet).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake for 40-50 minutes more until it's bubbling, the top is browned, and the apples are tender.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Dessert Recipes To Try:
Decadent Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie
Individual Berry Crisps With Big Crumb Topping
Whole Wheat Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
Katrina says
LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! I am new to pie making and would also love to make a cherry pie in addition to your apple crumb pie…but I really need to use the freezing option. Any ideas how I can make a cherry pie and freeze for later?
Jami says
I’m so glad you like this, Katrina! I have experimented with this technique for berry pie and I just can’t get it to work the same – juicier fruit produces a LOT of juice and soggier crust. 🙁 I think it may be the same with cherries. The other option would be to bake a pie completely and then freeze it, thaw when you need and just warm in the oven.
Marianne says
Too funny. I made 4 pies a few weeks ago for the freezer, and just now baking the first one. I came back here to find out the temp and cook time. Had to scroll quite a bit to get to it so i did a quick big scroll and it landed right on ‘write instructions on foil so you don’t have to find the recipe again..’…DOH! lol
This is the second time i have used this recipe. First time i made my own crust..this time i bought premade frozen crusts (i HATE making crusts lol). It is delicious! I will be using this recipe from now on!! Thank you for this yummy recipe!!
Jami says
Ha! I’m laughing with you, Marianne. 🙂 (Hint: you can always click the first arrow to “Skip to Recipe” and not bother scrolling…)
And I’m so glad you gave this a try – it is really such a good (and easy) apple pie!
Sansy says
Hello! Do I have to refrigerate over night? Serving this for Thanksgiving
Jami says
If it’s been baked, you do not have to refrigerate. If it’s unbaked, yes, put it in the fridge.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Heidi says
This pie recipe is so easy and SO delicious! I highly recommend using brown sugar like you said – Makes for a real Carmely flavor. I came across your recipe on Pinterest & will hold on to this forever! I had to alter this a bit to make it gluten free (I used a GF crust, and almond flour) We have an apple tree in the backyard of our new home – I’ve used the fresh picked apples in your pie recipe 3 times already this Fall! So delicious!
Jami says
Oh, gosh, I’m thrilled to hear this, Heidi! Especially that you successfully made it GF. Can you share what you did and your measurements so I can add that as an option to the recipe? I know other readers would really appreciate this, especially since it’s been so successful. 🙂
Heidi says
Hi Jami!
Here are the subs I made to make this GLuten Free
Pie Filling
•Wholly Gluten Free preloads Pie Crust
•2 Tablespoons flour – I used 2 tablespoons blanched almond flour
Topping
2/3 Flour – I subbed 1/3 Krusteaz All Purpose Flour
1/3 Blanched Almond Flour
Some other varitoations I’ve mad is using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon (YUM)
We also made this in our Traeger Smoker – totally takes apple pie to the next level! I used the same temp and time as in your recipe!
Jami says
Thank you, Heidi!
Julia Irvin says
Hi Jami! We have loved this pie recipe for several years. I have adapted it to make it gluten-free and dairy-free for our family and it is “our” apple pie recipe. This recipe helped me wean my husband off of the frozen Mrs Smiths crumble topped apple pies. So, thank you! We also love the caramel sauce. My question is, can I freeze leftover caramel sauce? Have you ever done that? Does it reheat well? Thanks, Jami!
Jami says
This is awesome, Juila – how wonderful! If you’d care to share your adaptation, I’d love that since a few of our family members are gluten free (you can email it to me at [email protected]). As for the caramel sauce, I haven’t ever tried that specifically, but I have frozen cookies that had caramel and they’re fine which makes me think this would be also. I’d just completely defrost it first before reheating.
ELIA says
Has anyone baked this then frozen the pie? I’m sending thins on a 15 hr trip and was hoping to send everything baked just frozen for my family my familt to regeat.
Jami says
I’m sure it would work like that, too, Elia. I just wouldn’t reheat it until it was fully thawed.
Lisa says
I started using this recipe in place of the one I used for years because it’s both easy & delicious! Just made it again now and the problem I have every single time is the crumbs. I dont have a food processor but I see you say it can be done with a pastry cutter. It never comes “solid” as you mention. It’s more sprinkly with clumps of butter. How can I fix this??? Blend more? is it better to use cokd or room temp butter??? Still tastes great but I know it would be even better with a more crumbly topping.
Jami says
I’m so glad to know this – I sure think so, too. 😉
If I didn’t have a food processor, Lisa, I would do as much as possible with the cutter and then would use my hands. The key to the big crumb is more solid sections and I always sort of press it together with my hands anyway. I’d just plan to get dirty and use my fingers to break up the butter clumps and then squeeze sections in your hand before pressing onto the pie top. Does that make sense?
Melissa Buyense says
5 thank you for the recipe I know it’s going to be awesome I’m about to put my pie in the oven right now
Jami says
Hope you enjoyed it, Melissa!
Liz Samper says
Can I place a glass pie plate with frozen pie in preheated oven, or am I asking for trouble?
Jami says
I’ve always used a pyrex pie plate, Liz, and not had an issue – you can see the glass one in the photos. I have heard you can, though, but that’s what I have. 🙂
Linda says
There are just not enough days ot pke and eat all the delicious apple pie recipes out there. But this one is a twist on a favorite we like as an afterschool snack. Thanks for sharing it.
Deborah Whitt says
Are you putting the frozen glass pie plate into a preheated oven or are you turning on the oven after the frozen pie is in it? Have you had issues with the pie plate shattering?
Jami says
I’ve always used a glass pie plate and not had an issue, Deborah – the oven is preheated. I wonder if it’s because it’s put on a cookie sheet and then completely covered with heavy duty foil?
Paul Stann says
Jill, next time, make your crust as per usual. Fit it into your pie plate, flute it, and using a fork pierce the crust all over bottom and sides. Bake it for about 10 minutes at 350, observe it carefully). This sets the dough and the piercings prevent air from below to create bubbles and lumps. Remove it and let it cool before filling it. Goog luck.
Lisa says
There is a recipe contest sponsored by Lucky Leaf on FB right now and you might want to know that a contestant has borrowed your photograph (cropped it some) and represented it as her own. You will see it on page 12 of the gallery with a title of Apple Crumble Pie with Cream Cheese
Jami says
Thank you so much for alerting me to this, Lisa! Sheesh, it’s not even that great of a photo. 😉 I’ve contacted the company and asked for it to be removed.
Lisa says
“Sheesh”–couldn’t agree with you more!
Shelley Young says
What a great idea to freeze an apple pie. I’m not good at making pie crust. What about using the refrigerated pie crust then freezing?
Jami says
I haven’t done it, but I think it would work fine, Shelley!
Amy says
Can I use an already-frozen pie crust that I buy at the store? I was thinking of filling the frozen pie crust and then put it back in the freezer, re-wrapped.
Jami says
I haven’t tried that, Amy, but I don’t see why not. I guess maybe make sure the crust doesn’t thaw completely? Let us know how that works for you!
Amy says
Just wanted to follow-up. I made 8 apple crumb pies using Pillsbury frozen crusts. I made the filling and then took the pie crusts out of the freezer one package at a time (two crusts per package). I quickly filled the pie crusts with apples and crumb topping, wrapped them in tin foil, put them in a Ziploc freezer bag, and then immediately put them in the freezer. I baked my first one today and it turned out perfectly! So anyone who wants to use frozen pie crusts, go for it! Just be sure the crust doesn’t have time to thaw out. That’s why I peeled all the apples and made the crumb topping BEFORE taking the crusts out of the freezer.
Janet says
Would this work with a basket weave crust instead of the crumble?
Jami says
Not sure, Janet – I’ve not done it. But I know they sell frozen pies with regular crusts, so I think it should! Let us know if you try it. 🙂
Lorette says
Thank you soo much for this crumble recipe! It tastes delicious. This weekend I searched for an apple crumble recipe and I am so glad I stumble upon yours. Only problem is that I had to search a few of my books to get a recipe for the pie crust dough. Nevertheless, the result was excellent. This is now saved under my facourites.
Jami says
Glad you discovered it, too, Lorette – it’s one of our favorites. I’ve never really discovered the ‘perfect’ pie crust, that’s why I haven’t posted one – though the one I’m using now is close. Maybe I’ll post it and link to it here – thanks for the suggestion!
Jill says
I had a problem with my pie crust not cooking – everything else was done but the bottom was doughy. Any suggestions?
Jami says
Hi, Jill – sorry you had that happen! I use a glass pie dish so I can tell if the crust is done and simply cook it longer (covering the top with foil if needed) until the bottom crust is nice and brown, too. That’s the only way I know to be sure it gets all the way done. Hope that works for you next time. 🙂
Unknown says
Please pin this apple pie recipe to your board! 🙂
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
Done!
Unknown says
Thank you for doing that!! I pinned it! BTW…none of your pins can receive comments.
Unknown says
Thank you & I’ve pinned it! BTW…none of your pins can receive comments. Not from me anyway. I’m able to comment on others, although. I got a message saying to try later.
Lizzy @My Mind..My Life says
This looks incredible and sounds so simple. Thanks!
Heather's Blog-o-rama says
So tasty good yummy delicious 😉 🙂 I’m saving this in my recipe file 😉 🙂 I think writing the instructions on the tin foil is a really good tip 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 😉