Dutch apple pie, also known as Appeltaart, is one of the most beloved desserts in the Netherlands. It stands out for its deep, crisp crust and rich filling of apples, cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts.
The apples are often cut into large pieces, giving the pie a delicious homemade texture and full flavor. The characteristic latticework on top gives it a beautiful, traditional appearance.
It is usually served lukewarm, accompanied by whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Dutch Apple Pie (Appeltaart)
Dutch apple pie, also known as Appeltaart, is one of the most beloved desserts in the Netherlands. It stands out for its deep, crisp crust and rich filling of apples, cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 75 grams dark brown sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 300 grams unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
For the filling
- 1,800 grams apples peeled, cored and sliced
- I used Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Pink Lady
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 30 grams cornflour corn-starch
- 3 Digestive biscuits finely crushed
- 20 grams walnuts roughly chopped
For the topping
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Add the egg and the melted butter, which should be warm but not hot. Mix until a soft, homogeneous dough forms.
- Do not overwork the dough. Once it comes together, stop mixing.
- Divide the dough into 3 equal portions.
- Use one portion for the bottom of the pie.
- Use one portion for the sides.
- Use the final portion for the lattice topping.
- Wrap the dough portions and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
Prepare the apples
- Peel and core the apples, then cut them into relatively large slices or chunks.
- Place them in a large bowl and add the lemon juice, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
- The apples will release some juice.
Prepare the apple filling
- Drain the apples, reserving the liquid.
- Place the reserved apple juices in a saucepan together with the 50 g butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the liquid has reduced and become slightly syrupy and caramel-like.
- Remove from the heat.
- Place the apples in a large bowl and toss them with the 30 g cornflour. Add the reduced apple juices and mix gently until the apples are evenly coated.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the base
- Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional oven.
- Line the bottom of a 26 cm springform pan with baking paper and lightly grease the sides.
- Take the portion of dough intended for the base. Roll it out between two sheets of baking paper until it is large enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Carefully transfer it to the pan and press it evenly into the base.
Prepare the sides
- Take the second portion of dough and divide it into smaller pieces.
- Press the pieces evenly around the inside of the springform pan to create a side wall approximately 4–5 cm high.
- Make sure the bottom and sides are well joined, with no gaps.
- Refrigerate the prepared crust for 15–20 minutes.
- Add the biscuits and apple filling
- Spread the crushed Digestive biscuits evenly over the bottom of the pastry.
- Add the apple filling and arrange it evenly, pressing it down gently without compacting it too much.
- Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the apples.
Make the lattice topping
- Roll out the remaining portion of dough between two sheets of baking paper into a rectangle approximately 20 × 30 cm.
- Place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes if the dough is too soft.
- Cut the dough into approximately 12 strips.
- Arrange the strips over the apples in a traditional lattice pattern, creating diamond-shaped openings.
- Trim any excess dough around the edges and gently press the ends of the strips into the pastry rim.
- Egg wash and sugar
- Brush the lattice and pastry edges with the beaten egg.
- Sprinkle the 1 tbsp granulated sugar evenly over the top.
Bake
- Place the pie in the preheated 200°C oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Then reduce the temperature to 175°C and continue baking for approximately 40–50 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling gently.
- If the edges of the pastry are browning too quickly, cover them loosely with strips of aluminium foil.
- Remove the foil during the final part of baking if necessary, so that the crust can brown evenly.
Cooling
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool in the springform pan for at least 1–2 hours before removing the sides.
- For the best texture, serve it lukewarm or at room temperature.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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