Description

A rich and cozy Brown Butter Dutch Apple Pie made with a warm, spiced apple filling and a crisp brown butter oat crumble topping—perfectly tender, never mushy, and the ideal holiday dessert.

Ingredients

For the Apple Filling:

2½ lbs apples (about 7 medium apples) – I like to use a mix of Granny Smith and something sweeter like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady
½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)
¼ cup white sugar (50g)
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 (9”) pie crust, homemade or storebought
2 tbsps salted butter, cut into small cubes

For the Brown Butter Crumble Topping:

1¼ cups all purpose flour (150g)
⅓ cup old fashioned oats (28g)
10 tbsps salted butter (1 stick + 2 tbsps)
⅔ cups packed brown sugar (147g)
½ tsp salt

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Instructions

For the Brown Butter Dutch Apple Pie:

Start by peeling and coring all your apples. Slice into thin slices, about ¼” thick, then slice in half lengthwise to help to compact the apples better into the pie. Add to a bowl with the brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until well combined and set aside for 1 hour to macerate. This just means to let the apples sit with the sugars and spices to help draw out moisture and soften them.
Next, brown the butter for the crumb topping. Add butter to a small saucepan on medium heat and cook until foamy. Swirl the pan until you start to see it get to a golden brown. Shut off the heat and transfer to a glass mixing bowl. Mix in the oats to toast in the brown butter and set aside to cool.
Once the butter has cooled, add in the flour, brown sugar, and salt and stir the mixture until a crumbly dough has formed.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add a baking sheet to the oven to preheat. You will place your pie on the preheated baking sheet which will help to crisp up the bottom crust and help catch any juices that bubble over from the pie.
Roll out your pie dough and place in a greased 9” pie dish. Fold the edges under and crimp using your fingers or knuckles. Place in the fridge to chill for 5-10 minutes.
Add flour and cornstarch to the apple slices and toss until no streaks of flour or cornstarch remain. Add the apple filling to your pie dish, filling all the way to the top, compressing as you go to compact the apples into the filling. Pour over any remaining juices from the bowl. You should have around ½ – ¾ cup of remaining juices. If you have anymore than that, discard the rest. Dot the apples with small cubes of butter.
Top the pie with the crumble mixture and place on top of the baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 65-75 minutes, turning a few times to ensure even browning. If your crust is getting too browned, tent with foil. You’ll know when your pie is done when you can see the filling bubbling through the topping. If you do not see bubbling, continue baking until you do.
Cool the pie for at least 4 hours at room temperature before serving, ideally overnight*

Notes

*Cooling the pie allows the filling to thicken and firm up, which results in a clean slice. If you cut into your pie too soon, the liquid from the pie will spill over and can result in a soggy bottom crust.

Prep Time: 45
Cook Time: 70
Category: Dessert