This delightful Appletaart - Dutch Apple Pie recipe is a classic dessert combining a brown sugar crust and tender apples to create a dessert that will have you coming back for seconds.

Indulge in the classic goodness of Dutch Apple Pie by trying this brown sugar crust dessert. Your family and friends will be begging for more of this irresistible dessert.


Why you'll love this
Perfect Harmony of Sweet and Tart
This Dutch Apple Pie strikes the ideal balance between the natural sweetness of baked apples and a hint of tartness. Every bite offers a burst of fruity flavors that will leave your taste buds dancing with delight.
Easy-to-Follow Recipe
You don't have to be a master baker to recreate this masterpiece. Our detailed instructions and handy tips will guide you through each step, ensuring that even novice bakers can achieve a perfect Dutch Apple Pie every time.
Versatile and Adaptable
This recipe allows for customization, so you can add a personal touch to your Dutch Apple Pie. Whether you prefer a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, you can tailor this recipe to suit your taste preferences.
How to prepare Dutch Apple Pie
- Stir the dries: Stir the dry ingredients for the dough together.
- Butta up: Add in the cubed and chilled butter and slice into the flour until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs.
- Eggs a do: Add in the eggs and form a pastry with a pastry cutter.
- Form: Form into a disc, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- App-le: Cube your apples unevenly.
- Cinnamon spice: Add the remaining apple ingredients to the bowl and stir together.
- Two thirds: Roll out two thirds of your dough and press firmly into your cake tin.
- Filling: Add the apple filling and even out.
- Pastry strips: Roll out the remaining dough and cut into even strips.
- Press and trim: Lay the pastry strips on top of the apples, press the edges firmly together and trim any excess dough off.
- Bake: Bake until golden and bubbly.
- Cool off: Allow to cool fully, preferably overnight.
- Remove the tin: Slide the cold taart out of the tin and place on a serving plate.
- Serve: Slice and serve with a large dollop of whipped cream. Dig in!

Ingredients and substitutions for Dutch Apple Pie
- Butter: Plain unsalted was used here, though you could substitute with salted, though you might want to omit the salt from the dough. You could substitute in equal measure with non dairy butter, however, I have not tried this so cannot be sure of the outcome.
- Flour: Plain or all purpose flour is best for a nice light pastry, though you could use bread flour, if that is all you have on hand.
- Baking powder: This helps our dough rise making it a lighter pastry than you might be used to.
- Eggs: The eggs binds and adds structure to our dough resulting in that soft interior that compliments the sugar and butter.
- Sugar: The brown sugar in our pastry contributes to it's beautiful golden color. Whilst the superfine or caster sugar helps not only add sweetness to our filling, draw the liquid from the apples resulting in a tender center.
- Lemon juice & Cinnamon: The lemon juice helps draw out moisture from the apples and stops browning, plain fresh lemon juice was used here as it has no additives. Ground cinnamon helps to give a depth of flavor, though you can omit if you don’t like the flavor.
- Semolina: The semolina helps soak up some of the juice from the apples as they bake. You could substitute with plain flour, if you prefer.
See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Dutch Apple Pie:
Place the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl and stir to combine.

1
Add in the butter and cut into the flour mixture until it resembles course breadcrumbs and no pieces are larger than a pea.

2
Add in the egg and incorporate until the dough begins to form.
Turn onto your work surface and shape into a disc.
Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3
Meanwhile, peel, core and cut the apples into uneven cubes.
Place the apples, sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon juice and semolina in a bowl and stir to combine.

4
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
Cut ⅓ of the dough away and set aside.
Place the remaining pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to ¼ inch thickness.
Press firmly to fit within a 20cm/8’ springform cake tin and trim the edges.

5
Roll out the remaining dough into a large rectangle and measure out equal lattice strips of 3cm/1.18’.
Spoon the apples into the pastry base and shake lightly to even out.

6
Top with the strips of dough and weave, you want, though traditional Apple Tart doesn’t need this additional step - you can just lay half the strips one way and overlay the remaining half the other way.
Press the edges together firmly and trim any excess pastry.

7
Place in the oven and bake until golden and bubbling, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool fully before removing from the cake tin.
Slice and serve up pieces with a large portion of whipped cream.
Enjoy.

Equipment needed to make the pie
Mixing bowls: To prepare your dough and that apple filling.
Cake tin: A spring form tin that is 20 cm or 8 inches was used, however, a standard cake tin of similar size would also work.
Rolling pin: A rolling pin will help you achieve a nice consistent pastry. Though, you could substitute a wine bottle for similar results.
FAQ's for the best Dutch Apple Pie
Plain flour in the UK has a lower protein amount which contributes to the dough strength, type of crumb and texture of your pastry, in this case. Plain flour in the Unites States for example has the same level of protein as Bread flour in the UK so the best flour to use here will be 175 grams / 1 ¼ cups bread flour. This will help you ensure a flaky pastry and making it easier to shape without being flimsy which is often the feeling of unbaked dough.
If you're short on time or prefer convenience, you can certainly use store-bought pie crust for your Dutch Apple Pie. However, making your own homemade crust adds that extra touch of love and flavor that makes the pie truly exceptional. Feel free to choose the option that suits you best.
Absolutely! One of the beauties of this recipe is its versatility. You can experiment with various apple varieties to achieve different flavors and textures. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a combination of tart and sweet apples work wonders in creating a delectable filling for your pie.
Absolutely! Dutch Apple Pie pairs beautifully with a variety of accompaniments. Serve a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce for an extra indulgent experience. The choice is yours to personalize and enhance the flavors.
Certainly! If you have leftovers or want to prepare in advance, you can freeze your Dutch Apple Pie. Ensure it's properly wrapped and stored in an airtight container before freezing. Simply thaw and reheat whenever you crave a slice of homemade goodness.
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Dutch Apple Pie
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 10
- Category: Pies & Tarts
- Cuisine: Dutch
Description
Appletaart - Dutch Apple Pie recipe has a brown sugar crust filled to the brim with apples. A slice is never complete without a big dollop of whipped cream and don't forget to serve this with your favorite hot drink!
Ingredients
Dough
385 grams / 2 ⅓ cups + 1 tablespoon plain flour (see note if in UK)
4 grams / 1 teaspoon baking powder
175 grams / ¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
225 grams / 7.93 ounces butter, chilled and cubed
90 grams / 2 small eggs, room temperature
Apple filling
1 kilo / 2 pounds granny smith apples
50 grams / ¼ cup superfine/caster sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12 grams / 2 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
34 grams / 3 tablespoons semolina
Instructions
Dough
- Place the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add in the butter and cut into the flour mixture until it resembles course breadcrumbs and no pieces are larger than a pea.
- Add in the egg and incorporate until the dough begins to form.
- Turn onto your work surface and shape into a disc.
- Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Apple filling
- Meanwhile, peel, core and cut the apples into uneven cubes.
- Place the apples, sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon juice and semolina in a bowl and stir to combine.
Apple Pie prep
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
- Cut ⅓ of the dough away and set aside.
- Place the remaining pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to ¼ inch thickness.
- Press firmly to fit within a 20cm/8’ springform cake tin and trim the edges.
- Roll out the remaining dough into a large rectangle and measure out equal lattice strips of 3cm/1.18 inches.
- Spoon the apples into the pastry base and shake lightly to even out.
- Top with the strips of dough and weave, you want, though traditional Apple Tart doesn’t need this additional step - you can just lay half the strips one way and overlay the remaining half the other way.
- Press the edges together firmly and trim any excess pastry.
- Place in the oven and bake until golden and bubbling, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool fully before removing from the cake tin.
- Slice and serve up pieces with a large portion of whipped cream.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- UK flour to use: In the UK, due to the lower protein in plain flour I always use 50/50 bread flour and plain flour for pastry. UK bread flour has almost exactly the same level of protein as US plain flour and this affects how easy it is to handle and how the baked pastry will turn out. I recommend measuring out the below flour amount in bread flour versus plain flour.
- Best tin for this: Dutch Apple Pie’s are always really tall which means they are absolutely best made in a springform cake tin so you can remove the tin and the tall pie will hold it’s own.
- Apples: Granny Smith apples were used. It is recommended to use either Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or Royal Gala. These apples have a firm texture that hold their shape during baking and a slight sweetness which requires less added sugar.
- Semolina: The fine semolina helps soak up some of the juice from the apples as they bake. You could substitute with plain flour, if you prefer.
- Flour in UK for your pastry: Plain flour in the UK has a lower protein amount which contributes to the dough strength, type of crumb and texture of your pastry, in this case. Plain flour in the Unites States for example has the same level of protein as Bread flour in the UK so the best flour to use here will be 175 grams / 1 ¼ cups bread flour.
- You can use store-bought pie crust for your pie: If you're short on time or prefer convenience, you can certainly use store-bought pie crust for your Dutch Apple Pie.
- Freezing the pie: Once cooled, simply wrap well and store in an airtight container before freezing. Simply thaw and reheat whenever you crave a slice of homemade goodness.
Adapted from food.com
Nutrition
- Calories: 469 calories per serve
Keywords: dutch baking, apple pie, dutch apple taart, apple baking
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