Everything you love about classic apple pie meets the crunchy, buttery magic of apple crisp in this Apple Crisp Pie. A flaky bottom crust cradles tender-spiced apples, all crowned with a golden oat–brown sugar streusel that bakes up irresistibly crisp. It’s cozy, celebratory, and far easier than a double-crust pie—perfect for holidays, potlucks, or a weekend baking project that makes the whole house smell like fall.
The method is simple and reliable: blind-bake the crust so it stays flaky, toss apples with warm spices and a touch of lemon, mound them high, then blanket with an oat crumble. As it bakes, the apples soften to jammy-tender while the topping turns toasty and crisp. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of salted caramel for that bakery-level finish.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Classic pantry staples build deep apple flavor and a sturdy, sliceable pie.
Pie crust: Use a 9-inch deep-dish crust (homemade or quality store-bought). Gluten-free crust works—par-bake well for structure.
Apples: A mix is best. Try 50% tart (Granny Smith, Pink Lady) + 50% sweet-firm (Honeycrisp, Fuji, Braeburn). All one variety works—aim for firm baking apples.
Brown sugar: Light brown for balanced caramel notes. Use dark brown for deeper molasses flavor or sub part maple syrup (reduce other liquids slightly).
Spices: Cinnamon as the backbone; add nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom for complexity.
Lemon: Juice + zest brighten and balance sweetness.
Thickener: All-purpose flour or cornstarch prevents a runny filling. For GF, use cornstarch or tapioca starch.
Streusel: Old-fashioned oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. Swap in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
Equipment You’ll Need
- 9-inch deep-dish pie plate
- Baking sheet lined with foil (to catch drips)
- Mixing bowls, whisk, and spatula
- Paring knife or peeler; large knife for slicing apples
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Parchment and pie weights/beans for blind-baking
- Aluminum foil or pie shield (to protect the crust edge)
Flavor Variations & Add-Ins
- Caramel-apple: Drizzle 1/4 cup thick caramel over the apples before adding streusel.
- Pecan crisp: Replace 1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans in the topping.
- Maple spice: Use 1/4 cup maple syrup + 1/4 cup brown sugar (reduce lemon juice to 1 teaspoon).
- Apple-berry: Fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or cranberries (no thaw needed).
- Bourbon vanilla: Add 1 tablespoon bourbon and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the apple mixture.
How to Make Apple Crisp Pie
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Crust
- 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, chilled
- Apple Filling
- 6–7 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples (about 6–8 medium; 1/4-inch slices)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional, for very tart apples)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Oat Streusel Topping
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- To Finish: Heavy cream or milk for brushing crust edge (optional), coarse sugar for sparkle (optional)
How Much Time Will You Need?
Prep: ~25 minutes (including apple slicing). Blind-bake crust: 12–15 minutes. Bake assembled pie: 45–55 minutes. Cool: at least 2 hours for clean slices. Total: about 3 hours (largely hands-off cooling).
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Blind-bake the crust
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Fit chilled crust into a deep-dish pie plate; crimp edges. Dock the bottom with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12–15 minutes until just set and lightly golden at the edges. Remove weights and parchment; cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Mix the streusel
In a bowl, combine oats, flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Work in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until clumps form and no dry patches remain. Refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
3. Make the apple filling
In a large bowl, toss apple slices with brown sugar, granulated sugar (if using), flour/cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes; the apples will release a little juice.
4. Fill the crust
Place the par-baked crust on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mound apples into the crust, arranging to minimize air gaps and piling slightly higher in the center. Brush the exposed crust edge with cream or milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar if you like.
5. Top with streusel
Break the chilled streusel into marble-sized clumps and scatter evenly over the apples, fully covering. Shield the crust edge with foil or a pie guard.
6. Bake
Bake at 375°F for 45–55 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through in a few spots (look for syrupy bubbles near the center). If the topping browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
7. Cool & serve
Cool on a rack at least 2 hours to set the juices. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Pro Tips for Best Texture & Taste
- Mix your apples: Combining tart and sweet-firm varieties gives balanced flavor and structure.
- Blind-bake = no soggy bottom: A quick par-bake keeps the base flaky under juicy apples.
- Chill the topping: Cold butter crumbs bake up crunchier and hold distinct cragginess.
- Mind the bubbles: Syrupy bubbles in the center signal the starch has activated and the filling will set.
- Rest before slicing: Patience yields neat wedges and concentrated flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. Bake fully, cool, and store at room temperature (cool kitchen) up to 1 day. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 3 days. Rewarm at 325°F for 15–20 minutes to re-crisp the topping.
How do I make it gluten-free?
Use a GF pie crust, certified GF oats, and swap the flour for 1:1 GF baking flour in both filling and streusel (or use cornstarch/tapioca in the filling).
What if my apples are very juicy?
Toss in an extra 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or 2 teaspoons flour), and let the sliced apples sit 10 minutes; drain excess liquid before filling.
Can I skip blind-baking?
You can, but the bottom may soften. If skipping, place the pie on a preheated baking steel or the lowest oven rack to help crisp the base.
How should I freeze it?
Assemble the pie unbaked, freeze until solid, then wrap well for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F, adding 15–25 minutes and tenting as needed until bubbly in the center.