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You have got to try this Dutch apple pie in a bag! Baked with tart apples and a sweet crumb topping, this is a delightful twist on traditional apple pie.
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Dutch Apple Pie is by far my husband’s favorite pie, we actually call it Beau’s Dutch Apple Pie. He feels that he owns it, and I don’t argue because it comes from his side of the family. I originally got this recipe from Beau’s mom and she was the one who first taught me how to make it. I immediately fell in love with this pie and could understand what my husband had been raving about. Now we make it all the time, especially in the fall when we can get fresh off the tree apples from our local orchards.
Dutch apple pie takes a classic apple pie recipe and changes the topping to have a crumble topping or streusel topping instead of a traditional lattice top. To make this even better, the Dutch apple pie is baked inside a brown paper bag. It’s the ONLY apple pie dessert that I make and is a family staple at Thanksgiving and Fourth of July. A
This is the best Dutch apple pie recipe you will ever have! It has all the flavor of an apple pie with the extra texture on top of the brown bag baking trick! Sweet and tender apples are filled to the top with a crumbly streusel topping. Serve this with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to this apple crumble pie and you will enjoy every bite!
How to Make a Brown Bag Dutch Apple Pie
Homemade Crust
I love how easy Dutch Apple Pie is to make. The crust is just a mix and press crust that is so much easier than traditional pie crusts that you have to roll out.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works great! This will hold together the ingredients.
- Sugar – Sweeten the crust with just about a teaspoon of sugar, or a little more for extra sweetness.
- Salt – Needed just to balance the sweetness and help during the baking process.
- Oil – I like to use olive oil, but you could use vegetable oil too.
- Milk – Just a little bit to give the dough some moisture.
Apple Pie Filling
The key is using tart and crisp apples like Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith apples. Never make this pie with a really sweet and soft apple like a red delicious. It will not taste as good and it will get too mushy. Braeburn and Galas work great for this recipe too. Then you mix the apples with some cinnamon and nutmeg and sugar, but the best secret ingredient to the filling is the almond extract. It gives the apples the most amazing flavor, it is so yummy.
Easy Crumb Topping
Then the best part, the crumb topping! I prefer a crumb topping so much more over a traditional pie crust top. It gives the top of the pie a rich, buttery, sweet, slightly crunchy taste.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is used for the base and thickness of the crumbs.
- Butter – Take the butter out of the fridge and slice it into small cubes. Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix the ingredients together. The pastry cutter will give it a crumbly topping appearance.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar is mixed in for sweetness. This also aids in helping the topping get a nice golden bake on top.
Tips for an Easy Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
Follow these helpful tips to make the best Dutch apple pie! Preparing apples and making the crust are two important parts of this Dutch apple pie recipe. Use these tips to help make it easier and quicker for you to make this pie recipe over and over again!
- Lemon juice – After slicing apples, they tend to go brown quickly. Soak the apples into the lemon juice. This enhances apple skin to a bright creamy, white color.
- Slice apples – Evenly slice the apples so they are the same size to ensure the apples are baking together at the same time. This is mainly for baking purposes.
- Food processor – You can use a food processor or just your fingers to get a pea-sized crumble. Sprinkle it over the top and bake in a paper bag!
- Crumb topping – Some people love adding nuts to their desserts. This is a great recipe to add to it! Add in chopped nuts, rolled oats of a pinch of cardamom for extra flavor and texture!
- Caramel – If you love caramel apples then this extra is for you! Drizzle overtop the pie and even a scoop of vanilla ice cream homemade caramel or storebought for an extra sweetness!
Using a Brown Paper Bag Tips
Don’t skip this step! A lot of people are nervous about this recipe because you bake the pie in a brown paper bag. Don’t worry, the bag will not catch on fire, you will not open the oven to find flames. The flash point of paper is extremely high and won’t be reached in your oven.
- Place on the center rack – Just be sure to have it centered on the bottom rack and that the bag is at least a good six inches from the burners along the top of the oven.
- Brown bag magic – The brown bag is seriously magic. It helps the pie cook evenly and keeps the crumb topping from burning, all while giving the crust a gorgeous golden brown color.
- Where to find – I can always find brown bags at Trader Joe’s or Albertsons, but if you absolutely can’t get your hands on a brown paper bag,
Optional Toppings
When it comes to ice cream versus whipped cream, I am not picking a side! Even though this delicious Dutch apple pie recipe can totally stand on its own, who can resist a little topping of all kinds?! The toppings are endless and SO good!
- Ice cream – Serve up a slice a la mode, with our fabulous homemade vanilla ice cream.
- Whipped topping – Top with our yummy homemade whipped topping! It’s really easy to make!
- Caramel sauce – Top with a drizzle of caramel sauce and some chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Cinnamon and sugar – Sprinkle brown sugar or cinnamon over the top of your ice cream for a pretty garnish.
“This is SO good! Have made it a few times, and the results are yummy! People are amazed that the bag doesn’t catch on fire! Heat does weaken the bag, so pick it up carefully from the bottom!😋😋”
-Ann
Frequently Asked Questions About Dutch Apple Pie
The difference is at the top of the pie. A Dutch apple pie has a crumb topping while a traditional apple pie is topped with a pie crust.
A simple crumb topping made of flour, sugar, and butter. It is a simple combination!
Some say there was an apple pie in a Dutch cookbook from the 1500s, other sources say the crumb topping comes from the Pennsylvania colonists and is not Dutch at all, but is an Americanized version of a Dutch “Appeltaart.”
Yes! You can prepare the pie a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Bake the pie in advance and let it cool. Once the pie has cooled place the pie in the fridge overnight.
Yes, you can use a gluten-free pie crust on the bottom. For the crumble topping, you can use a gluten-free flour mixture for the all-purpose flour ingredient.
Storing and Reheating the Pie
It is always nice to see an extra slice of pie sitting on your counter or stored in the refrigerator! We always love having leftovers of dessert that are convenient and easy to store and heat up. Follow these ways that are best for you to store your Dutch apple pie recipe!
- Room temperature – Since the Dutch apple pie does not have any cream in the filling the pie can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Place in an airtight container and store the pie dish in the fridge.
- Refrigerator – Cover the baking pie dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for one week.
- Freezing – Wrap the apple pie tightly in plastic wrap then another layer of aluminum foil. If it fits in an airtight container or ziplock bag place that around the layered wrapping. Store in the freezer for two to three months.
- Thawing – Place the frozen Dutch apple pie in the refrigerator to let it thaw before reheating.
- Reheating – It is best to reheat a slice or the whole pie plate in the oven until it is warmed through. You can also warm it up in the microwave. Reheating times will vary depending on how big the Dutch apple pie slice or pie is.
More Delicious Pie Recipes
It is hard to resist the perfect piece of pie! From cream pies to fruit pies to ice cream pies, we have so many mouthwatering pie recipes to try! Don’t let pies scare you! They are easy to make and come together quicker than you think! Try one today!
Brown Bag Dutch Apple Pie
Video
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
For the Apple Filling:
- 5-6 apples peeled and sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
For the Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Combine all the crust ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and pat into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Don't roll the dough out.
For the Crumb Topping:
- Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour and sugar, and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
For the Apple Filling:
- Combine all ingredients, except the apples, in a bowl. Mix well, then toss the apples in the mixture. Put the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Top with crumb topping.
- Place the pie inside a brown paper bag. Once the pie is inside, roll up the top of the bag and close it together with either staples or large paper clips. Place the bag on the lowest shelf in the oven. Bake at 350 for 90 minutes. Don't open the bag until the time is up and you have let it cool outside the oven for about 5 minutes.
- Allow the pie to cool to room temperature.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Best apples for this pie: Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, Jonagold apples, or Pink Lady apples. You can also do a mix of a couple of varieties of apples.
- Let the brown paper bag do its job. Once you close the pie inside the bag, staple it shut, and don’t peek until the timer goes off! Let the pie sit inside the bag for about five minutes, then take it out and cool before slicing.
- To store leftovers, cover slices of pie with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. Any longer than that and the crust can get soggy. Remove the plastic wrap before warming slices of pie in the microwave, or eat it cold for breakfast!
This is SO good! Have made it a few times, and the results are yummy! People are amazed that the bag doesn’t catch on fire! Heat does weaken the bag, so pick it up carefully from the bottom!😋😋
I’m fired up to go for this! One question…..any way the almond extract can be substituted? My family is really, really not a fan of almond extract.
Yes you can do vanilla extract instead!
Could you freeze the pie ahead then bake?
We have not tried freezing this pie, so unfortunately I can’t say either way!
Love the recipe! Made it for a family get together and they all said it was the best apple pie they had in years! Could I substitute another fruit for the apples such as peach or cherries?
We haven’t tried it with any other fruits, but peach sounds like it would be delicious!!
In the ingredients you just say sugar, but in the picture I see it looks to be brown sugar and if so do I need to pack it? Thx so much! Looks absolutely delicious!
It is white sugar. It just looks brown because it is mixed with the cinnamon. Hope this helps!
Yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to make this! Looks so delicious and scrumptious!
Love, love, love this dessert! It’s one my family always asks me to make especially during the holidays.
Such a classic pie! It turns out perfectly every time and is great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This is one super delicious pie! My whole family loved it, it was a huge hit!
This is such a delicious recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
If I don’t have a paper bag and bake it anyway— what will happen????
The crust top will cook faster than the rest of the pie and burn before the pie filling is done. You could also cover it with tinfoil for a similar effect.
The crust was so hard we had to chip it out with a bolster! And such a lot of sugar.
I just made this again last night and didn’t have this problem. Did you bake it in the brown bag? The crust should be flaky.
How do you cook this in a Dutch oven?
We haven’t tried it in a dutch oven before, so I’m not sure! Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Delicious! Using the crust recipe for most of my pies. It’s a favorite.
This looks great! I am wondering, would it work to substitute berries for the apples? If so, how many cups of berries would you recommend?
We haven’t tried it with berries. Berries have a lot more liquid in them, so I wouldn’t recommend using them in this recipe.
I made this recipe a few times and I love it. The only thing I would change would be to have the top brown a little. Is there some way to do that?
You could remove it from the bag after cooking and place it back in the oven for a few minutes to brown the top. I haven’t tried it that way before, but that’s what I would do.
Easy to make and so so so good.
This Dutch Apple pie was delicious, but my six Granny Smith apples disappeared into the filling. I followed the recipe closely with the exception of using 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp sugar free almond syrup instead of 2 tsp almond extract (since I was out). It was a large pie pan so the apples weren’t stacked up. Could that have caused the apples to be mush?
Thank you.
We used a pie pan that is 9 inches in diameter and 1-1/4 inches deep. If your pan was larger it definitely could have affected the recipe. The acid in the lemon juice could have also contributed to the apples breaking down. I am sorry it didn’t turn out the way you were expecting, but I am glad to hear you still thought it was delicious!
It really was and I plan to make it for Thanksgiving.
I stumbled upon your recipe recently and it is definitely a winner!! We love it so much, I’ve made it several times. That brown paper bag does amazing things! Thank you for sharing! I did want to ask if you think this recipe can still be used with a normal lattice top as opposed to the crumb topping? I absolutely love the crumb topping but am teaching a youth group how to make pies and thought teaching a lattice top would be fun for them. Thank you!!
We haven’t tried this with a lattice top – we just love the crumb topping too much! But let us know how it goes if you do try it!
Is plain flour or self raising flour used in the crust and topping?
We just use regular unbleached white flour, not self-rising. Thanks for asking!
Fabulous, and I love the crumb topping! I always struggle with a double pie crust.
What a delicious recipe! I can’t wait to make this and smell the aroma of apples throughout my home! Yum!
Easily my favorite dessert of all-time! So delicious, thank you!
Dutch apple pie is my favorite of all the apple pies. That buttery topping was to die for!