Double Crumb Crust Apple Pie

This delicious double crumb crust apple pie comes together easily without rolling out any dough. That’s right – no dough! Don’t you just love easy and tasty dessert recipes?

Last night, I suddenly realized we’re about halfway through October and I haven’t baked a single apple dish yet. How did this happen? Where did the month go? Now, normally I would wait until one or both of our daughters were home before baking up this amazing pie, but Matt’s starting to get that “you haven’t baked anything for me lately” look in his eyes, so here we go!

I love baking fresh apple pies in the fall, but sometimes the thought of rolling out dough makes me reconsider, even if it’s the simple dough I use when I make my epic concord grape pies. There are days where I feel it’s just too much of an ordeal. Last year, I made this double-crust apple pie when I was in the same mindset. I was too pressed for time to make a traditional crust. Luckily, this recipe was an instant hit and it was a snap to make, so I’m sharing my recipe with you.

What Makes This Pie So Different

My favorite apple pies are Dutch apple, with a regular crust bottom and a crumb topping. However, this one has a bottom crust made with an oatmeal base instead and that delicious crumb topping we all love. The hit of cinnamon in both the filling and the topping really amps up the flavors of fall. Your kitchen will smell heavenly while baking this pie! The other thing that makes this pie infinitely easier than others is that most of the ingredients are used multiple times, and overall, there aren’t many. Hooray!

 My Favorite Apples for Pies

I have been baking apple pies for a long time. I swear choosing apples used to be much easier. Today, there are so many varieties, the selection is staggering, even for the organic apples I insist on using. Back in my pie snob days, I would only use Granny Smith. I loved (and still love) their tart and crisp qualities. If there’s anything I don’t like, it’s mushy apples. However, the Granny Smiths alone typically ended up being a little too crispy, even after baking an hour. Then, on a whim, I tried a Granny Smith and Golden Delicious blend and voila, I was in apple-pie heaven! The texture and flavor combination is spot on, resulting in a pie that’s flavorful and just crisp enough.

Double Crumb Crust Apple Pie Ingredients

Crumb Crust:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 3 pounds mixed apples, peeled and sliced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened

How to Make Double-Crust Apple Pie

• Cover the bottom of a baking sheet with foil. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine all of your crumb crust ingredients and press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate.

• Peel and slice your apples. I use this gadget to make the task easy and fun!

• Mix the apples, melted butter, sugars, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Spoon onto the crust.

• Stir all your crumb topping ingredients together and then cut the butter into the mixture 1 tablespoon at a time until crumbs form. Pat on top of the apple mixture. This is a tall pie, so I call this technique avalanching!

• Bake at 400 degrees on the hot sheet until lightly browned for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for another 60 minutes, covering with foil if the topping gets too dark.
• Transfer to a rack to cool.

Watch the Video!

Get the Recipe!

Delicious Serving Variations

1. Drizzle the top with melted caramel or salted caramel 
2. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream: warm pie, cold ice cream, can’t lose!
3. Change up the bottom crust. I think a gingersnap crust would be divine with this pie.

I’m already dreaming of digging into this pie, even without a special occasion in sight. This year, I’d say we can all get a pass on waiting for the holidays, don’t you? I hope you make this pie for your family soon. If you do, let me know how it goes in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!