Apple Cinnamon Crumb Pie
Submitted by mnm1000
Apple cinnamon crumb pie with cinnamon-spiced apple slices thickened with tapioca, topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel crumb. Classic Dutch apple pie style.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minThis apple pie takes the classic American dessert in a Dutch direction by trading the traditional top crust for a buttery streusel crumb topping. The crumb topping browns deeply in the oven and adds textural contrast against the soft baked apples underneath. Many bakers will tell you the crumb-topped version is the superior apple pie.
Instant tapioca is the thickener choice and it earns its place. Unlike cornstarch (which can turn gluey) or flour (which leaves a chalky bite), tapioca pearls absorb the apple juices and dissolve into a clear, glossy filling that thickens beautifully without dulling the apple flavor. Two teaspoons is enough for six apples.
Three teaspoons of cinnamon in the filling sounds aggressive but isn’t. Apples absorb cinnamon, and a generous hand is what produces a pie that smells like autumn rather than tasting faintly spiced.
The streusel needs proper texture. Cut cold butter into the flour-sugar-cinnamon until it looks like coarse cornmeal with some pea-sized chunks. Those chunks become butter pockets that create the crisp-soft contrast in the baked crumb.
Pro Tips
- Use a mix of apple varieties for the most complex flavor. Pair Granny Smith for tartness with Honeycrisp or Braeburn for sweetness and structure. All-Granny pies can taste sharp; all-Red-Delicious pies turn to mush.
- Slice the apples evenly (about ¼ inch thick). Uneven slices means some cook to mush while others stay raw, ruining the filling texture.
- Cool the pie at least 2 hours before slicing. Warm pie filling is loose and pours out; cooled pie holds clean wedges.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Peel, core, and slice the apples and place in a large bowl.
Add the sugar, cinnamon and tapioca and stir together until the apples are well coated.
Spoon the apple mixture into the pie shell.
Dot with butter or margarine and set aside.
For the crumb topping, place the flour, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal.
Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of the apples.
Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes.
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