Best Dutch Apple Pie

By Sarah On November 25, 2014 | Updated: September 28, 2023

This is the best Dutch apple pie you’ll ever make! The apples are full of warm fall spices (with a secret ingredient!) and topped with tons of buttery cinnamon streusel.

Presenting the only apple pie you ever need in your life! Complete with an XL scoop of vanilla ice cream and even a secret ingredient to keep things exciting.

Y’all, I’ve been making a version of this pie for many years now and it’s way past due that you have access to the best apple pie ever.

What makes it Dutch-style? Think of it as like a cross between apple pie and apple crisp. All that means is that we’re loading down a custardy spiced apple filling with tons of brown sugar streusel.

Also known as the PERFECT slice! Everyone who tries this pie says its the best they’ve ever had and I promise you’ll be a believer after one bite.

This Dutch Apple Pie features…

A flaky, buttery pie crust
Tender spiced apple filling
A buttery brown sugar streusel topping
Incredible warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

Making the Dutch Apple Pie

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Pie pastry
Apples
Vanilla ice cream
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Spices
Brown sugar
Unsalted butter

Choosing Your Apples

This recipe is very forgiving as far as types of apples go. We typically try to stick with a sweeter, crisp apple that holds its shape in a pie such as gala, honeycrisp, braeburn, or jonathans.

We do recommend you stay away from using granny smith apples in particular for this pie because we found they give it a bit of a too-tart flavor and require more sugar to balance that.

Tips for Perfect Dutch Apple Pie

Thinly slice apples into uniform size – we recommend 1/4-inch thick slices for evenly-cooked apples.
Use melted ice cream in apple filling – typically heavy cream is used in Dutch apple pie, but our secret ingredient in place of this is melted vanilla ice cream! It gives the filling a rich, vanilla-scented flavor.
Chill pie crust before baking – once you have the pie crust rolled out and in the pan, pop it in the refrigerator while you prep the filling and topping to allow the fats to chill before baking.
Bake pie at 375F on middle rack – if you find that your crust is browning too fast, lightly cover it with tin foil or a pie shield.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe.

Use nuts in topping – try pecans or walnuts for an extra crunch in the streusel topping.
Add dried fruit to apple filling – try adding a handful of dried cranberries or raisins.
Top pie with caramel – a drizzle of warm caramel would be a wonderful way to serve this pie.

Serving and Storing Apple Pie

We recommend letting this apple pie cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving. It might be tempting to dig into this pie warm, but it’s essential you give it time to cool otherwise the slices won’t come out clean.

For long term storing, we recommend storing this pie in the refrigerator due to the vanilla ice cream that’s in the filling. It stores well in refrigerator up to 4 days and individual servings can be reheated 1-2 minutes in the microwave.

One slice of this apple pie and you’ll be hooked. The tender, spiced apple filling, the buttery crust, the sweet streusel you get in every bite…the inevitable huge scoop of ice cream you’ll be topping this bad boy with…

Trust me, you won’t be making any other apple pie but this one for the rest of your life! This is always on our Thanksgiving dessert menu for very good reason!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Try these other amazing apple desserts next!

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