This apple crumb pie features layers of soft and juicy, cinnamon flecked apples with a buttery whole wheat crumb topping. It's the perfect dessert for all kinds of holiday celebrations!

apple crumb pie in a white pie dish with a slice cut out showing the apple filling.

When it comes to apple pie, there are two types of people: team lattice and team crumb topping. I think you know which one I am. Because what dessert isn't made better by crumb topping? None.

This apple crumb pie comes from my family's Thanksgiving pie collection, and is my dad's favorite dessert, so we always have it on his birthday in the middle of the summer, too. No matter what the occasion, this pie is just perfect!

Apple Crumb Pie vs Dutch Apple Pie

There's really no difference between apple crumb pie and Dutch apple pie. They're two names for the same dessert, where, instead of a second pie crust, you top the apple pie with a crumb topping made from flour, brown sugar and butter.

Why You'll Love This Apple Pie

This pie recipe has been in my family for as long as I've been alive. With just a few ingredients, it is so simple yet so delicious. The apples mingle with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and get baked into layers of soft, juicy perfection while the buttery crumb topping becomes crunchy and golden. Made with whole wheat pastry flour, the flavor is a little deeper than those with regular all purpose flour. It's the ultimate pie for those who love to taste the fruit flavor, and not just a mouthful of sugar.

The Ingredients

overhead view of ingredients needed to make whole wheat apple crumb pie.

Pie crust - You'll need a single unbaked pie crust for the bottom. I use my whole wheat pie crust.
Apples - We typically use a variety of baking apples. See below for more info on choosing apples.
Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Flour - I use whole wheat pastry flour. You can also use white whole wheat or plain all purpose flour.
Brown sugar
Butter - Make sure it stays cold before making the topping and cut it into cubes before cutting into the flour. I always prefer salted butter, but either works.

Which Apples are Best For Pie?

Not all apples are created equally. Some are suited for baking while others should be reserved only for snacking on raw. (This Serious Eats article does a great in-depth analysis.) I find it's best to use apples with a medium sweetness level that aren't too soft and aren't too crisp - while I love Honeycrisp apples, I don't like to bake with them. My favorites for apple pie are:

Cortland
Braeburn
Golden Delicious
Jonagold
Gala
Granny Smith (though these can be tart, so you may want to mix it with another sweeter apple)

How To Make It

four image collage showing steps for making homemade apple pie filling.

Make the Apple Filling

Line your pie plate with the unbaked pie crust and shape the edges however you'd like.
Peel and slice the apples ¼ inch thick. Place them in a large bowl.
Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and toss the mixture to coat the apples well.
Layer the apples in the pie plate on top of the crust, packing them fairly tight. If any liquid has collected in the bowl, pour that over the apples.

four image collage showing steps for making crumb topping for apple pie.

Make the Crumb Topping

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar.
Add the butter and use a fork or pastry cutter to 'cut' the butter into the flour mixture until you have small crumbs. You can also use you fingers to really mix the butter in. Just make sure it stays crumbly instead of forming a dough.
Sprinkle to crumb topping evenly over the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake the pie at 450°F for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down and bake for 350°F for an additional 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Remove the pie and allow it to cool (at least a little) before slicing.

whole wheat apple crumb pie in a white baking dish on a wooden board with apples in the background.

Tips For Perfect Apple Crumb Pie

If you're making homemade crust, be sure to not add too much water. The apples have a lot of moisture and can make the bottom crust soggy if it has too much water in it.
Pack the apples in nice layers. You want them to be domed over the top as they'll compact down as the pie bakes.
As mentioned above, you want the crumb topping mixed fairly well, but you don't want a dough. To do this, keep the butter cold before making the topping, and cut it into cubes before adding to the flour and sugar instead of adding one bug chunk. If you need to use your fingers to really mix it in, that's ok, just make sure it stays crumbly!
The pie is done when the filling is bubbling and the top is golden and maybe even starting to darken just a bit.
The filling may bubble out of the dish, so it's a good idea to keep a baking sheet under it while baking to catch any drips.

slice of apple crumb pie with a scoop of ice cream on top with a bite taken out and a black spoon next to it.

More Pie Recipes You'll Love

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Whole Wheat Apple Crumb Pie

slice of apple crumb pie with a scoop of ice cream on top on a plate with a black spoon.

Print Recipe

This apple crumb pie features layers of soft and juicy, cinnamon flecked apples with a buttery whole wheat crumb topping. It's the perfect dessert for all kinds of holiday celebrations!

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes
Yield: 12 servings 1x
Category: dessert
Method: baked
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 unbaked pie crust (I use my whole wheat pie crust)
5 medium apples (see above for the best varieties for baking)
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup granulated sugar (see notes)

For the crumb topping:

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white whole wheat flour
3 tbsps cold butter, cubed
additional cinnamon, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Heat oven to 450°F.
Place pie crust into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate and shape the edges however you'd like.
Peel and core the apples (peeling is optional and I sometimes skip it). Thinly slice apples no more than ¼ inch thick. Place in a large bowl.
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Toss the apples to evenly coat.
Tightly layer apples on top of the pie crust. They should be slightly domed over the top.
To make the crumb topping, stir together brown sugar and flour in a small bowl.
Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until crumbs are formed.
Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake pie at 450°F for 10 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 350°F and continue baking until top is golden and filling bubbles, about 45 minutes.
Remove pie from the oven and let cool before serving.

Notes

See blog post for recommended apple varieties for baking.
If you're using a sweeter apple, or just want to reduce the sugar, you can use ⅓ cup of sugar in the filling.
If you're making homemade crust, be sure to not add too much water. The apples have a lot of moisture and can make the bottom crust soggy if it has too much water in it.
You want the crumb topping mixed fairly well, but you don't want a dough. To do this, keep the butter cold before making the topping, and cut it into cubes before adding to the flour and sugar instead of adding one bug chunk. If you need to use your fingers to really mix it in, that's ok, just make sure it stays crumbly!
The pie is done when the filling is bubbling and the top is golden and maybe even starting to darken just a bit.
The filling may bubble out of the dish, so it's a good idea to keep a baking sheet under it while baking to catch any drips.

Keywords: whole wheat apple crumb pie, apple crumb pie, dutch apple pie

This post was originally published November 2017 and has been updated.