Skip to Content

Apple Pie with Oat Crumble Topping #AppleWeek

This post is sponsored by Flahavan's. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! 

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! #AppleWeek

You might be thinking, apple pie for AppleWeek? Why write a recipe for apple pie? You buy the pie crust, the can of filling, you've got an apple pie! Well, yeah, you could do that.

But while this pie takes a bit more effort, the results are so very worth it. Yes, I was questioning my choices as I was coring, peeling and chopping 4 pounds of apples. That's a LOT of apples.

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! #AppleWeek

Usually when making a pie from scratch (no canned filling involved), you core, peel and slice the apples, then dump the raw apples into the crust. When the pie is baked, the apples reach the ideal state of soft-but-not-mush before the pie crust is fully baked.

But one of my favorite chefs, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, discovered that if you soak the apples in hot water or cider for about 10 minutes, the apples will actually cook more slowly in the pie, becoming soft but still retaining their shape once the pie crust is fully baked.

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! #AppleWeek

For a textural twist, this pie doesn't have a top crust. Instead, it has a slightly crunchy oat crumble topping. One of our sponsors, Flahavan's, sent me a tin of Irish steel-cut oats, as well as several packets of their instant oatmeal. I used the steel cut oats to make the crumble topping.

I tell myself that the fiber-rich Irish steel-cut oats make this pie healthy. OK, maybe not really. But it does make for a really delicious pie that's slightly different than the typical apple pie that you might make all the time.

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! #AppleWeek

Don't forget to enter to win one of five prize packs from our AppleWeek sponsors! Get the details of the prize packs from Monday's post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! #AppleWeek

Apple Pie with Oat Crumb Topping

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the pie:

  • 4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼-inch slices
  • 3 quarts boiling water
  • 10 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon cloves
  • ⅛ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade

For the crumb topping:

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Flahavan's Irish Steel Cut Oats
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and place a heavy rimmed baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place apple slices in a large bowl or pot. Pour boiling water directly over top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for ten minutes. Drain apples well and let sit in a colander in the sink, tossing occasionally until completely dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add 10 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch, and toss until apples are evenly coated. Set mixture aside.
  2. Roll the pie dough into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling, discarding any excess juices in the bottom of the bowl. Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim the edges of the pie crust. Use a fork to press lines into the pie crust.
  3. Place all of the crumb topping ingredients except butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
  4. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
  5. Spread the oat topping in an even layer over the pie (you may not need to use all of the oat mixture).
  6. Transfer the pie to sheet tray in the oven and bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Did you love this recipe?

Leave a star rating below and share it on social media!

Adapted from J. Kenji López-Alt

Classic apple pie gets a twist with a cinnamon-spiced oat crumb topping that adds texture and flavor. It's the perfect dessert for any fall occasion! #AppleWeek

Check out more AppleWeek recipes

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

David Markoe

Thursday 24th of September 2020

So...the nutmeg, cloves and allspice sit on the counter then and just offer encouragement while we prepare the other ingredients? For the benefit of other bakers, 10 tbsp. of sugar is equivalent to 2/3 cup.

Ing

Saturday 27th of June 2020

Why is my Apple crumb pie Not crumbles on top🥺? Looks like I just sprinkled sugar & flower on top of it 😔

Catherine Cox

Friday 26th of January 2018

I didn't bake the pie, but put the crumble topping on a very berry crisp. So good. Thank you

Coleen

Friday 26th of January 2018

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

Rust

Sunday 1st of October 2017

I love apple strudel and apple pie the best.

Jennifer Essad

Thursday 28th of September 2017

deep dish apple pie using granny smith apples, apple turnovers and most definitely apple cider

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe