Apple Crisp Recipe With Pie Crust Bottom A dessert with ingredients that you most likely have around the kitchen, this Apple Crisp with Pie Crust on the bottom is easy… Once it came time to bake, I covered the top of my pie dish with parchment paper, because I would like to be able to lift the crostata out of the dish after baking.
Perfect Apple Pie
This is how I envision the ideal apple pie: a thick, apple-flavored filling with a crisp, flaky shell.
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUST
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled with a knife
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup cold vegetable shortening, in 4 pieces
- 7 tablespoons ice cold water
FOR THE FILLING
- 3½ pounds baking apples (see note), peeled, cored, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
FOR BAKING
- A beaten egg, cream, or milk, for brushing over crust
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for topping the pie
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE CRUST
- In the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade attached, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. For a couple quick pulses to mix. When the mixture is crumbly and contains numerous clumps of butter and shortening the size of peas and chickpeas, add the butter and shortening pieces.
- When the mixture is well moistened and very crumbly, add the water and pulse. Dump the crumbled dough onto a work surface, then divide into two heaps (13 oz and 11.5 oz), with one being about 15% larger than the other. Create two dough balls, and then flatten each one into a 5-inch disc. Refrigerate the discs for at least 45 minutes after wrapping them in plastic.
- Remove the larger dough disc from the fridge. Place the dough on your work surface, lightly dusted with flour; cover the dough with a thin layer of flour. Quickly knead the dough with your hands until it is soft and flexible; you want it to be just pliable enough to roll.
- Roll the dough into a 13-in circle, using additional flour as needed underneath and on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (it should be at least 112 in deep) by carefully draping it over the rolling pin. Do not stretch the dough outwards; instead, gently fit the dough into the pan. Trim the edges to 12 inch past the pie plate lip. To give the crust a rim, turn the edges under. To create an equal edge, press the rim of the pan against its lip. To repair any tears or thin spots, use any scraps. While the oven is preheating, place the crust in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven on to 375°F. Place the middle oven rack in the oven.
- Place the pie crust on a baking sheet after taking it out of the refrigerator (this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven). Put a piece of parchment paper over the crust and place pie weights or dry beans inside. For 20 minutes, bake. Remove the parchment paper, beans, and pie weights from the crust, then tent the sides with a few sheets of aluminum foil. (The foil will prevent too darkening of the margins.) Bake the dough for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is brown and dry. If the bottom puffs up, don’t worry; simply gently press it down with a flat spatula, like a pancake turner, being careful not to pierce it. Wait until the crust reaches room temperature.
- To 425°F, raise the oven’s temperature.
FOR THE FILLING & BAKING
- Apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon should be combined in the meantime. The apples should be coated completely and the sugar has completely dissolved. Wait at least 30 minutes before using.
- Apples should be drained, with syrupy liquid collected in another basin. Fill a 2-cup liquid measuring cup that is microwave-safe with the syrupy juice. Make a note of the amount, then heat the syrup in the microwave on high while monitoring it periodically until it has decreased by half. It will probably take around 4 minutes, but keep a watch on it because every microwave is different. Cooking it for too long will result in sticky caramel, so keep an eye on it (see note below on how to correct this if it happens). The syrup ought to have only a small thickening while being pourable. (An alternative is to cook the juices on the stovetop in a small pan.)
- Re-add the syrup to the apples and combine with the flour and cornstarch.
- Use the same method to roll the second piece of dough into an 11-inch circle after removing it from the refrigerator. If the bottom crust develops any holes, fill them in with a bit of dough. Place the baked pie shell on top of the apple filling, packing the apples as tightly as you can. (A crust with too many air pockets will dome, separating the apples from the crust.) Over the top, spread the rolled dough. The top and bottom crusts should be sealed together by forking or fluting the edges with your fingertips. Work rapidly, sprinkling flour on your fingertips as needed, to prevent the dough from becoming too heated.
- Apply the beaten egg to the top crust (or cream or milk). Over the top crust, add the final 2 tablespoons of sugar. Make a few small slits in the top crust to let the steam out.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 45 more minutes, or until the top is brown and the filling is bubbling. Before cutting, let the pie cool completely on a wire rack for about 4 hours.
- Note: Make careful to select baking apples, like Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious, that maintain their shape when cooked. And for the finest flavor, combine a variety of different grapes.
- Recommendation: Transfer the apple mixture to a large sauté pan and cook over high heat until the caramel melts if you mistakenly over-reduce the syrup and it freezes when you pour it over the apples. Before continuing with the recipe, allow it chill entirely in the refrigerator.
- Freezer-Friendly Directions: Before or after baking, the pie may be stored for up to three months. Hold off on brushing the top crust with the beaten egg and dusting it with sugar if freezing it unbaked; you may do that right before baking. If baked, let it to cool entirely before putting it in the freezer, unwrapped. When completely frozen, wrap the pie in foil and store it in the freezer. Unbaked pies should be wrapped tightly in foil and frozen. When ready to serve, follow the previous baking directions (pie is likely to take a bit longer in the oven).
Apple Crisp Pie
Prep:25 mins
Cook:60 mins
Total:85 mins
Servings:8 servings
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 599 | Calories |
| 31g | Fat |
| 79g | Carbs |
| 5g | Protein |
(Nutrition data is computed using an ingredient database and is only a rough approximation.
Making apple pies may seem difficult, especially for novices, but it needn’t be. Consider a more approachable strategy rather than obsessing over creating the best pie crust in the world. Fresh apples are used to make this very delicious apple crisp pie, which has a crispy oat and pecan streusel topping.
Even though the crunchy topping is fantastic, we truly like that there is no fussy top crust required for this pie. Whether you use a frozen or chilled crust from the store, you simply roll out the bottom crust before combining the topping and sprinkling it over the apples. Easy-peasy!
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 5 to 6 cups apples, a combination of varieties, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 unbaked, 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Steps to Make It
HIDE IMAGES
- assemble the components.
- The apples should be peeled, cored, and sliced into thin slices. To prevent them from browning, combine the lemon juice with the apple slices in a bowl.
- Add the flour, spices, melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Stir the ingredients together thoroughly.
- The pie crust should be ready; place it in a pie plate, and set it aside.
- Oven temperature set at 375 F.
- The topping ingredients should be combined in a big bowl and combined using a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands. Alternatively, pulse the ingredients in a food processor several times.
- Fill the pie crust with the apple mixture. Over the top of the apples, evenly distribute the topping mixture.
- For roughly 45 to 60 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the topping has browned, bake the pie in the preheated oven.
- Enjoy the dish with some vanilla ice cream.
Tips
- To make sure the crust isn’t turning too brown, check after around 30 to 35 minutes. If required, use a pie shield or a handmade foil ring to shield the crust edge.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
When I don’t feel like baking a complete pie, I almost usually make Easy Apple Crisp. It is far simpler and more efficient to make an apple crumble without the crust for a large gathering than to lay out dough.
You’ll be the star of the show if you create this for your family; people always compliment my apple crisp and crumb apple pie recipes.
Why you’ll LOVE my Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
If forced, I would say apple pie is my favorite pie, but not just any recipe—MY apple pie recipe. That recipe is one I’ve been using for more than 20 years, and both my family and friends absolutely love it.
My attention to detail in making sure the apples are well cooked makes my recipe unique. Nothing is worse than biting into an apple pie and having the apples leap back at you from being chewy or crunchy.
The fully cooked apples in my simple oat-free apple crisp recipe are topped with a crumble topping that is sweet and salty.
I’ve been cooking this meal for YEARS, and people keep asking me for the recipe, so I thought I’d share it.
An Old Fashioned Apple Crisp is what you prepare when you simply want to make apple pie without the crust. The finest recipe for apple crisp is this one. Because it is prepared in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, it serves a large number of people and is portable.
Ingredients in Apple Crumble
Butter: You’ll need cold unsalted butter to make the crumble.
Flour: To make the body of the crumble topping.
Sugar: We’ll use granulated sugar in the crumble and the apples.
Cinnamon: For flavoring the apples.
Apples: I love a tart Granny Smith apple for this recipe, but you can use your favorite apples.
How to partially cook apples for crisp
I precook them. Yes, I par-boil my apple slices before preparing apple pie, apple crisp, or apple cobbler. Every time, the finished product has the ideal apple bite thanks to a brief boil.
Like a Dutch Apple Pie, my favorite apple pie has a crumble topping as well. I believe that the crumble, rather than being just another piece of crust, is what really makes the pie.
Why do I keep bringing up apple pie? Because my recipe for Apple Crisp is effectively my recipe for Apple Pie without the Crust!
How to make Apple Crisp from scratch
- Apples should be prepared as described above.
- Add cold grated butter after combining the flour and sugar. To make using a pastry cutter easier, I like to grate my butter first and then refrigerate it.
- In the pan, arrange the apples and cinnamon sugar in layers.
- Place crumble over top, bake, and serve hot!
FAQ
What are the best apples for apple crisp?
You can use any apples you like for this recipe. The crumble topping is sweet, so I like to use Granny Smith apples. The sweet topping and the tart apples go so well together.
How do you slice apples for pie and crisps?
I use my favorite magical apple slicer! It slices, peels and cores the apples all at the same time. Plus it’s fun for kids to use.
Should apple crisp be refrigerated?
Yes, you should store apple crisp in the refrigerator. It will last about 3 days, but it shouldn’t because everyone will gobble it up.
How do you make an apple crisp without brown sugar?
The beauty of my crumble recipe is you can just use granulated sugar. You can use a combination or use brown sugar if you want – but traditionally I’ve always made it with white sugar.
Is apple crisp healthier than apple pie?
Yes because there is no crust.
Can you use Gala apples for apple crisp?
If you use a sweeter apple, like a Fuji or Gala, you may want to omit the sugar sprinkled on top, because those apples are much sweeter than Granny Smith. They’ll also cook faster so you won’t need to boil them as long.