The best ever Dutch apple pie recipe

This delicious Dutch apple pie recipe is a family favorite and delicious as is or with a large amount of whipped cream.

The only Dutch apple pie recipe you’ll ever need

This Dutch apple pie recipe is really super simple and totally delicious. It is – in fact – the only apple pie recipe you need. If you can find flour that is. I made this cake initially during covid and since half the world was baking at the time, flour was in short demand. Which is why I also have  this gluten free apple pie version instead which doesn’t use any flour.

Simple and delicious

Now growing up – as you might recall from earlier posts – my mum hated cooking and baking was no exception. So every time we had a birthday party at the house I was asked to make apple pies. I didn’t mind. I loved baking and I had become quite famous for the best apple pie. Having said that; making this Dutch apple pie is really a no brainer. If you follow the steps below it can hardly go wrong. But then again, I have made this apple pie literally a gazillion times so maybe I’m slightly biased.

What do you need?

In order to make this traditional apple pie it is best to make sure all ingredients are at room temperature (except the butter! That needs to be cold butter) before you start. This apple pie uses a flaky homemade pie crust which is essential to the final dish. You can – if you want – use a store-bought pie crust, but trust me the best results are had when you use the homemade crust. You need the dough anyway if you want to make a lattice crust on top which is also kind of traditional, looks good and tastes even better.

I use a good quality all purpose flour for making the pie dough. I like to do that in the bowl of a food processor and just pulse until it comes together. Don’t overwork it. It should come together when you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers.

Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you work on the filling.

Which apples for a traditional Dutch apple pie

Now about those apples; The Netherlands is really an apple country so we have lots of different apples and especially in autumn there is apples everywhere. But for this apple pie you want tart apples. And also preferably apples that don’t release too much moisture, making the pie too soggy. I like to make the apple filling with golden rennet, but you can use pink lady apples or Elstar as well. I do peel the apples as I don’t like the skin of the golden rennet but depending on what apple you use you can leave it or not. Your choice.

Peel the apples and cut them into bite sized chunks, removing the apple cores of course. Place them into a medium bowl and sprinkle the sliced apples with some lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Let it stand while you continue with your dough.

Rolling out the dough

Before you start rolling out the dough for your Dutch apple pie recipe you want to prepare you tin. I use a spring tin for this recipe but a pie dish would work as well. Just remember you have to be able to take out the apple pie slices. I find a spring form easiest to use. I cover the bottom with parchment paper and brush the sides of the tin well so the apple pie will come out perfectly.

I then roll out the dough thinly and remember you also need extra dough for the lattice on top. I press the dough into the tin, using my hands to smooth it out and make sure it comes up high on the sides. You need the height to be able to hold the slices. 

I don’t generally blind bake the dough but you can definitely do that if you want to make 100% sure the dough is cooked through.

To prevent all the moisture from the apples soaking up into the crust I take two rusks and crumble them over the bottom of the pie before adding my apple slices. Another great addition to soak up moisture are the raisins, so you definitely need those too. Or use cranberries instead.

Adding the apples

Once the dough is in place you add the apples to the tin. I make sure to spread them out in an even layer and press some of them against the sides, to make sure that doesn’t collapse while baking in the oven.

Once that is done it is time to start on your lattice crust. I’ve seen absolutely gorgeous examples of a flaky crust with an artwork on top. I just don’t have the patience to do that so I simply slice the remaining dough in long strips and weave them through one another. Looks pretty enough I think but you can definitely go wild. I might at some point try to fluff it up a bit myself. You can also make a crumble topping by the way. Definitely an easier option.

Once the lattice crust is in place I brush the top with some egg wash and place in the preheated oven until golden brown. I let it cool down a bit and remove the outer ring to let it cool completely before slicing.

Serving

Serving this homemade Dutch apple pie is delicious without any extra’s but it also great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some delicious whipped cream (doesn’t everything get better with whipped cream?)

Additions or variations

While this is the best Dutch apple pie recipe already (haha) you can make it your own by adding some things and changing others. You can add a bit of lemon zest into the apple mix. Like I mentioned you can substitute the raisins for cranberries but any dried fruit might work well. Think about a mix of your favorite dried fruits. The regular sugar can be replaced by brown sugar. The top can be changed into a crumb topping and obviously your choice of apples will also have an impact on the end result. You can even use an apple mixture if you want.

I love baking apple and at this time of year it is the perfect treat!

Another Dutch favorite is this Dutch vegan rijstvlaai.