Easy Apple Walnut Crumble Pie

Decorative picture of baked apple crumble pie on bright background

5 from 4 votes

This apple walnut crumble pie recipe is easy to make. It's a great pie for every occasion, from festive family events to everyday dessert situations. Flaky pie crust filled with juicy, sweet cinnamon-spiced apples and topped with crunchy crumb topping. It's perfectly spiced and delicious. Serve it warm or cold with your favorite toppings.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Chill6

Total Time7 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Sabine

Ingredients

Crust

1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup cold unsalted butter
4-6 tablespoon cold water

Filling

6 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into ⅛-inch slices
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Crust: In a food processor*, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and butter and pulse 4 to 6 times until larger than pea-sized butter pieces are still visible. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the cold water at a time, pulsing one or two times after each addition. Stop adding water and pulsing when you notice that the dough comes together and starts to clump.
Without kneading the dough, transfer it to a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a 1- to 1 ½-inch (2.5-4cm) thick disk.** Lift the left side of the dough and fold one-third of the dough over itself to create a section 2 layers thick. Then, take the right side of the dough and fold it on top so that it covers the previously folded left side of the dough, like a folded business letter, to make three layers. Using just your fingers, flatten the dough again into a 1- to 1 ½-inch (2.5-4cm) thick disk and fold it again into thirds. This time fold the side of the dough facing away from you and fold it towards you. Then fold the side of the dough facing to you, away from you in the same style as described above. Form into a 1- to 1 ½-inch (2.5-4cm) thick disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Filling: In a large bowl, stir the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and vanilla to combine. Set aside.
Topping: In another large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until combined and pea-sized butter flakes are still visible. Don't overwork the butter, or it will become a paste. It should have a crumbly texture. Add chopped walnuts and combine. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to sprinkle the topping on top of the pie.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). After chilling the dough, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch (28cm) even circle and transfer to a 9-inch (23cm) pie dish. Evenly press the dough into the bottom and against the sides of the pie dish and flute the edges.
Evenly spoon the filling with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer into the pie crust and discard any excess liquid from the filling if there is any. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil, let the pie in the oven, turn down the temperature to 375°F (190°C), and bake additional 30-35 minutes. Cover the last 15 minutes with aluminum foil again to prevent heavy browning if necessary. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or serve cold with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Video

Notes

* If you don't have a food processor, then make the crust with a pastry cutter or two forks instead: In this case mix together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add butter and cut it into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter flakes. Then add water little by little until the texture starts to clump.

** Make your pie crust extra flaky

You can prepare the crust in the food processor, wrap, and chill the dough without folding it. The folding technique is just an additional step to create the flakiest pie crust possible. Either way, it is a delicious and flaky pie crust, but I feel folding the dough brings the crust to another level.

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