The BEST Dutch Apple Pie with Oat Streusel Topping

Prep:30

Cook:1 5

Total:4 5

Yield: slices

Equipment

Ingredients

Crust

1 single all-butter pie crust homemade or store-bought

Apple Filling

10 c. tart baking apples about 6 large apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
⅓ c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp light brown sugar packed
3 tbsp small-pearl tapioca
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice fresh is best
2 tbsp salted butter cut into small pieces

Oat Streusel Topping

¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
½ c. packed light brown sugar packed
¾ c. old-fashioned or quick oats
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp salt
7 tbsp salted butter melted and slightly cooled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Fit your all-butter pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edges high, and freeze the empty shell for at least 20 minutes.
1 single all-butter pie crust
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack.
In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with both sugars, tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and lemon juice. Let stand 10 minutes.
10 c. tart baking apples, ⅓ c. granulated sugar, 3 tbsp light brown sugar, 3 tbsp small-pearl tapioca, 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground allspice, ¼ tsp salt, 2 tbsp lemon juice
Pile the apple filling very high into the frozen crust and dot with the 2 Tbsp butter pieces.
2 tbsp salted butter
Cover the entire pie loosely with 2 layers of foil (cut small wedges in the foil and fold them back over the crimped edge to shield the crust). Place on the hot baking sheet and bake 425°F for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the streusel: stir flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt together. Add melted butter and mix until large clumps form.
¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ c. packed light brown sugar, ¾ c. old-fashioned or quick oats, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ⅛ tsp salt, 7 tbsp salted butter
Remove pie from oven; reduce temperature to 375°F (190°C). Carefully remove foil, scatter streusel evenly over the apples.
Bake 40–50 minutes more, until the streusel is deep golden and thick caramelized juices are bubbling at the edges.
Cool on a wire rack at least 4 hours (preferably 6–8) before slicing.

Notes

Best apples: 50% Granny Smith + 50% Honeycrisp OR Cosmic Crisp for the perfect sweet-tart balance and texture.
Foil shield: Keep it on the entire bake time for perfectly golden edges.
Freezing (Grandma’s method): Cool completely → double-wrap in plastic wrap + heavy-duty foil → freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp 4–5 hours and reheat slices 15–20 seconds in microwave or whole pie at 350°F for 15–20 minutes.
Thickener: Small-pearl tapioca gives the clearest, glossiest filling – no soaking required with this long bake time.

Nutrition

Servings: slices

Calories: 656kcal