Gordon Ramsay Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

A Dutch apple pie is an apple pie that swaps the top crust for a thick, buttery crumb topping. That makes it easier than a classic double-crust pie: no second sheet of pastry to roll, no lattice to weave. The streusel bakes up crunchy while the apples underneath turn soft and jammy.

It’s a classic American bake rather than a Ramsay recipe, but there’s one idea of his I’ve kept: mix your apples. Tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp together give a filling that holds its shape and doesn’t taste one-note.

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
• 3–4 tbsp ice water

For the apple filling

• 3 lbs (1.35 kg) apples, about 7 medium — half Granny Smith, half Honeycrisp
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced small

For the streusel

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (135 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/2 cup (45 g) old-fashioned rolled oats

Method

1. Make and chill the crust. Whisk the flour, salt and sugar, then rub in the cold butter until you have pea-sized pieces. Toss in 3 tablespoons of ice water until the dough just holds, adding more only if needed. Flatten it into a disc, wrap it and chill for 30 minutes so it doesn’t shrink when rolled. A refrigerated store-bought crust also works; let it sit out 10 minutes before unrolling.
   
2. Season the apples. Peel, core and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Toss them with the lemon juice, both sugars, cornstarch, spices and salt, and leave them for 10 minutes while the oven heats. Cornstarch thickens the juices into a glossy filling without the pasty taste flour can give.
   
3. Fill high. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the dough to a 12-inch circle, line a 9-inch pie dish, and trim and crimp the edges. Pile in the apples and their juices, mounding them high in the middle. It looks like too much, but apples lose about a third of their volume as they bake. Dot with the diced butter.
   
4. Make the streusel and chill it. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and oats, then rub in the cold butter until you have coarse crumbs with some pea-sized lumps. Chill it for 10 minutes. Cold streusel bakes into separate crunchy crumbs; warm streusel melts into a flat, greasy layer.
   
5. Top and bake. Scatter the streusel thickly over the apples, right to the crust edge. Bake on a baking sheet (it can drip) for 50–60 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and thick juices bubble up through it. If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil after 30 minutes.
   
6. Cool for 3 hours. The filling is liquid when it comes out of the oven and needs time to set. Cut it early and you get apple soup. Serve it at room temperature or gently rewarmed, with vanilla ice cream if you like.
   

Keeping the topping crisp

Three things keep the crumb crunchy: cold butter and chilled streusel, a thick layer so steam escapes around the crumbs, and letting the pie cool fully so the filling sets instead of steaming the topping from underneath.

Variations

• Nutty streusel: swap the oats for 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Cheddar crust: work 1/2 cup finely grated sharp cheddar into the crust dough.
• Caramel: drizzle warm caramel sauce over each slice.

Storing and making ahead

You can assemble the whole pie a day ahead, refrigerate it unbaked and bake it straight from the fridge, adding 5–10 minutes. Baked, it keeps for 2 days covered at room temperature, or 5 days in the fridge; re-crisp the topping in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and warm it in the oven before serving.

Dessert

Gordon Ramsay Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

Juicy cinnamon-spiced apples piled into a flaky butter crust and buried under a thick, golden streusel crumb topping. No top crust to roll — easier than classic apple pie, with a crunch that stays crisp for days.

Chef Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Prep
30 minutes

Cook
55 minutes

Total
1 hour 25 minutes

Serves
8 servings

🖨 Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting1/2 tsp fine sea salt1 tsp granulated sugar1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed3-4 tbsp ice water3 lbs (1.35 kg) apples, about 7 medium - half Granny Smith, half Honeycrisp2 tbsp fresh lemon juice3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar3 tbsp cornstarch1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg1/4 tsp fine sea salt2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced small1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour2/3 cup (135 g) packed light brown sugar1 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp fine sea salt1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed1/2 cup (45 g) old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions

01

Make the crust and chill

Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of ice water and toss until the dough just holds together, adding the last tablespoon only if needed. Flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

02

Slice and season the apples

Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Toss in a large bowl with the lemon juice, both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until every slice is evenly coated. Let sit 10 minutes while the oven heats.

03

Line the dish and fill high

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the chilled dough to a 12-inch round on a floured surface, ease it into a 9-inch pie dish, and trim and crimp the edges. Pile in the apples with all their juices, mounding generously in the centre. Dot with the diced butter.

04

Rub the streusel together

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Rub in the cold butter cubes until the mixture forms coarse crumbs with some pea-sized lumps. Chill the streusel 10 minutes.

05

Top and bake

Scatter the streusel thickly and evenly over the apples, right to the edges of the crust. Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake 50-60 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the filling bubbles thickly through the crumbs. Tent loosely with foil after 30 minutes if the streusel browns too fast.

06

Cool completely, then slice

Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 3 hours so the filling sets. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed, with vanilla ice cream if you like.

Chef Tips

• Chill the streusel before baking — warm streusel melts into a flat, greasy layer instead of distinct crunchy crumbs.
• Mound the apples high; they lose about a third of their volume in the oven, and a flat fill bakes into a hollow pie.
• Tent loosely with foil at the 30-minute mark to keep the streusel golden rather than burnt while the filling finishes.
• Cool the full 3 hours. The cornstarch needs that time to set as the pie cools, or the slices will run.

For more autumn desserts, try my Gordon Ramsay Pumpkin Spice Latte Tiramisu or the Christmas Cherry Bombs. More holiday baking on Pinterest.