Traditional Dutch apple pie

A traditional Dutch apple pie recipe is made with a crumbly, buttery crust, a sweet apple filling, and a lace pattern on top. The cinnamon in this recipe makes it the perfect fall dessert.

Jump to:

• The history of apple pie
• What is a traditional Dutch apple pie?
• Apple pie vs. Dutch apple pie
• Apple pie in the USA
• Ingredients
• What about the apples
• Instructions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips
• More amazing pie recipes
• Traditional Dutch apple pie

The history of apple pie

You can find recipes for apple pie in European cookbooks as early as medieval times. One of the first known Dutch recipes was written in 1514 and can be found in 'een notable boecxken van cokereyen', but this is not the oldest recipe.

The first known recipe for apple pie was written in England in 1381. This recipe adds figs, pears, and spices like nutmeg and mace to the apples.

Modern recipes for apple pie in the Netherlands are slightly different from most recipes dating before WW II. Older recipes tell you to bake the apples or boil them to a puree before adding them to your crust.

Another difference is that older recipes usually only have a top crust and no bottom, which they removed before eating.

What is a traditional Dutch apple pie?

But what is a real Dutch apple pie, you say? I first came across recipes that use uncooked apples in Dutch cookbooks dating from after WW II, and recipes like this are still how they make apple pie in the Netherlands.

Another famous apple pie in the Netherlands is the appelkruimeltaart. This apple pie has a crumb topping (kruimels) and is more like what they call Dutch apple pie in the USA.

Apple pie vs. Dutch apple pie

Apple pie was brought to North America by European settlers. When the first settlers arrived in North America in the 17th century, they brought some apple seeds.

Since the apple tree is not native to North America, they hoped that they could take their loved ingredients with them by bringing seeds and cuttings.

The first American recipe was published in 1796 by Amelia Simmons in her cookbook 'American cookery,' and it included two recipes for this pie. The recipes in that cookbook give you the ingredients but not how you make the pie.

Apple pie in the USA

Soon after the settlers arrived, apple pie became a staple in American cuisine. Phrases like for mom and apple pie and as American as apple pie show how much this pie is loved.

The main difference between traditional Dutch apple pie vs. American apple pie is the crust. In the USA, they use a closed top crust made of flaky dough, whereas the Dutch use 'harde wener' pastry which is less flaky and more crumbly.

In the 19^th century, another amazing apple pie was invented in France, the tarte Tatin. This pie is made by putting the apples, or other fruit, in the pie pan first and placing the bottom crust on top of the fruit. Cooking the apples on the bottom of the tin gives the fruit a lovely caramel coating.

Ingredients

Sugar - regular white granulated sugar, but you can also use brown sugar.

Flour - regular white all-purpose flour will work best for this recipe.

Butter - use unsalted butter salt since you will add this later. Check out my post about how you can make homemade butter! You can use margarine if you are lactose intolerant or if you want to make a vegan apple pie.

Apples - I always use Elstar, but other apples like Jonagold, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp can also be used in apple pie.

You can find the complete ingredient list and instructions on the recipe card below!

What about the apples

Traditionally Jonagold is used for authentic European Dutch apple pies, but I prefer a sweeter apple like an Elstar, so I don't have to use so much sugar. You can also use Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp.

Instructions

• Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg and diced butter and work it in the flour with your hands until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Knead the dough a little, form it into a ball, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can use it straight away if it is not too soft.
• While the dough is resting, you can peel, core, and dice the apples. Add the sugar and cinnamon to the apples and set them aside.

• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out ⅔ on a well-floured counter to ⅛ inch (4-5 mm). Place the dough in the springform and press it down.
• Add the apples and spread them evenly.
• Roll out the rest of the dough and form strips. Place the strips over the apples and brush a little egg wash over the top.
• Bake your apple pie for about 60 minutes until golden.

Tip: Most apple pies you buy in the Netherlands contain raisins, but I did not include them in my recipe. The reason for this is that I don't like them. If you love raisins, add about 60 grams of soaked raisins or currants to the apples at step 5.

In many old cookbooks, they add nutmeg or ginger to the apples. You could also try adding some speculaas spices to the crust.

Variations

• Vegan - If you want to make a vegan apple pie, you can replace the butter with vegan butter, shortening, coconut oil, or margarine. You can omit the egg and add a little oat milk (almond milk or coconut milk would also work!).
• Speculaas - add one tablespoon of speculaas spice mix to the dough for a delicious speculaas apple pie.
• Gluten-free - use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour for a gluten-free apple pie.

I think you will also love my recipe for no-bake apple pie!

Equipment

• 9-inch springform.
• Large mixing bowl.
• A kitchen scale. I know, I know. Most people use the imperial system in the USA, but your baking recipes will become so much better if you learn how to use a kitchen scale, trust me.

Storage

You don't have to store apple pie in the fridge. If you plan to eat the apple pie the same day or the day after, it is best to keep it covered at room temperature. You can keep it covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for 2-3 days, but the crust can get softer.

Freezer: Dutch apple pie will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can also freeze the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for six months.

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