Best Apple Crumble Pie (Easy One Bowl Recipe) - The Hungry Bites (2024)

Some call it apple crumble pie, others Dutch apple pie. In Greece we call it "milopita"which simply translates to apple pie or apple cake (the word "pita" can mean both things). However you may call it, this recipe surely deserves a place among your Thanksgiving pie recipes and Christmas desserts!

My mom taught me how to make this recipe from scratch and it's so good that we both still make it just as is, without any changes whatsoever.

If you love the autumn flavor of apple pie, I'm sure you'll also love these homemade cinnamon rolls with white chocolate icing (they're extra fluffy because of some olive oil) and this easy pumpkin pie with condensed milk.

And for breakfast, I highly recommend these whole wheat pancakes with grated apple.

😍 Why I love this recipe

These are some of the reasons why I love this apple crumb pie:

✓ Easy: No mixer needed! You just use one bowl and a box grater for the apples.

✓ Perfect for beginners: The same dough is used for the pie shell and the topping. And you don't have to roll out the dough to make the shell, just press it with your fingers inside the pie pan.

✓ Tasty: This recipe, being a pie and a crisp, combines the best of both worlds. And of course, the combination of butter, apples and cinnamon create the traditional, old fashioned flavor that everyone loves!

✓ Quick: Once you have all of your ingredients ready, you can literally have it ready for the oven in less than 20 minutes!

✓ Customizable: With just a few adjustments this pie can be made vegan or gluten free. You can also reduce the sugar in the filling by half for a less sweet dessert.

📋 Ingredients

For this easy apple crumble pie you'll need the following simple ingredients:

For the apples, I wouldn't suggest a very sour variety such as Granny Smith apples unless you prefer a sweet and sour taste. On that note, feel free to use any apple variety you enjoy putting in desserts. I epsecially like Fuji, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp apples. You may also find helpful this article for the best apples for apple pie from bobsredmill.

For the sugar, white caster sugar is fine. For the apple filling you can also use light brown sugar.

The butter should be soft, at room temperature

Equipment:A spring-form pan works best for this recipe, but as you can see from the video at the end of this post, you can also make it in a regular cake pan. A tall pie dish or a deep dish pie pan will also work!

🥣 Variations

I have baked a similar recipe in muffin tins and made these individual apple crumble muffins, which are ideal to serve in parties, holidays and large gatherings.

There is also a chocolate version of this crumble, again in the form of muffins. But I have to warn you, these tahini and chocolate stuffed crumble muffins are addictive!

Fruit crumble: You can mix other fresh fruit with a similar texture to apples such as pears or quinces (quince will take a beautifull redish color when baked). A few fresh berries such as blueberries and raspberries can also be added. In Greece, it's common to add a few golden raisins into the pie filling for extra sweetness.

Gluten-free option:This recipe has been tested with gluten-free flour with great success. The only difference is that the surface may not brown as well. To make a gluten free apple pie, use the same quantity of 1-1 gluten free flour, suitable for baking and desserts.

Vegan option: To make this apple pie vegan, use a vegan butter (margerine) and replace the egg with a vegan egg (mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 4 tablespoons of water).

🔪 Instructions

Follow this easy step-by-step guide to make the perfect apple crumb pie every time:

Step 1 (make the dough): In a large bowl, mix the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder. Add the butter and mix until crumbly. Add the egg and the vanilla and knead until a soft dough forms.

See Also

Nigel Slater’s malt loaf recipesDutch Oven Italian Beef Recipe - The Food HussyDinner party recipes from Rachel Khoo's Kitchen NotebookGluten-free Welsh Cakes Recipe

Step 2 (make the pie crust):Take approximately one third of the dough, wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for later. Take the remaining dough and press it onto the surface of the baking pan with your hands. Cover the bottom and the sides, like you'd do with a tart. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.

Step 3 (make the apple pie filling): Shred the apples inside a large bowl, using the side of your box grater with the big holes (you can leave their skin on or you can peel them). Drizzle them with the lemon juice, mix to combine and squish them between your hands to get rid of the excess juices. Transfer them to another bowl, add the sugar and the cinnamon and mix well (this will bring out some more juices, but that’s ok).

Step 4: Fill your homemade pie crust with the apple mixture and smooth the surface. Take the rest of the pie dough out of the refrigerator and crumble it with your hands over the filling.

Step 5: Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let the apple crumble pie cool before transferring it onto a serving plate and cutting into slices.

👨‍🍳 Expert Tips

• For a fine crumb topping (streusel):Store the dough in the freezer until chilled and then grate it over the filling using the side of a box grater with the large holes.

• You can increase or reduce the amount of apples used in the filling depending on how much filling you prefer. For each apple you're going to add or omit you should increase or reduce the sugar for the filling by 2.5 tablespoons approximately.

• If you're planning to remove the pie from the dish after baking , line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper for easier unmolding.

💭 FAQs

📖 Recipe