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Apple Crisp Pie

Apple crisp pie with a deep-dish pastry shell and a thick oat crumble that turns deeply golden. Apple-caramel filling bubbles at the edges while the topping forms large clumps for a crisp, sliceable texture.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pie shell
  • 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell
Apple filling
  • 6 large apples peeled and sliced
  • 0.6666666667 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.25 cup caramel sauce
Oat crisp topping
  • 1.5 cup rolled oats
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
Serving
  • 1 extra caramel for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 deep-dish pie plate

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pie shell
  1. Preheat oven to 375F, and fit the unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell into a deep-dish pie plate with a decoratively crimped edge (look for a neatly pressed rim).
  2. Place the pie plate on a sheet pan so any drips are caught while baking (you should still be able to slide it in and out easily).
Make the apple filling and assemble
  1. Toss the apple slices with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, lemon juice, and caramel sauce, until evenly coated (the apples should look glossy and thickened).
  2. Pile the apple mixture into the shell, mounding well so the center is slightly higher than the rim (bubbles later should start at the edges).
Make the oat crisp topping
  1. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then mix until the dry ingredients are uniform (the color should look even).
  2. Cut in the cold unsalted butter until large clumps form, with no large dry flour patches (pinch a clump to make sure it holds together).
  3. Pile the crumble generously over the apples and press very gently so it settles but the clumps stay intact (a thick, uneven top is ideal).
Bake and finish
  1. Bake for 60-65 minutes at 375F until the crumble is deeply golden and the filling bubbles at the edges (you should see active bubbling around the perimeter).
  2. Tent with foil after 40 minutes if the crumble browns too quickly (the topping should continue browning without burning).
  3. Drizzle with extra caramel, then serve while warm (caramel should look glossy as it runs over the golden crumble).

Notes

Pro tip: press the butter into larger clumps rather than fully blending for a crisp, bakery-style topping. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat slices in a 300F oven until warmed. Freezing: yes—freeze baked slices up to 2 months and reheat from frozen. Dietary swap: use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend in the crumble if needed.