Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
A twist on the traditional classic dessert, this apple crumb pie has a graham crust and a lot of juicy filling. The result is fantastic. It can be made year-round, so add it to your holiday tables, casual gatherings and barbecues.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the crumb crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the apple filling:
- 4 pounds apples
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple spice mix
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice orange for a sweeter pie
For the crumble mixture:
- 1 cup unsalted butter diced and cold
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
Instructions
For the crumb crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Have ready a 9-inch pie plate or pie pan with a removable bottom and high sides.
- For the cookie crumbs, the easiest way is to use a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Make sure there are no large pieces or that it's a very coarse crumb mixture as it will prevent the mixture from compressing well.
- By hand: mix 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup unsalted butter and combine everything until it resembles wet sand and no dry spots remain.
- Food processor: you can make the mixture directly in the bowl of the processor. Simply process the graham crackers with the sugar and add the melted butter to the bowl of the processor, pulse a few times, and you have your graham mixture ready.
- Press the mixture onto the pan, starting at the edges and the angles where the base and sides join together and make sure it's compacted. This will help when removing the pie from the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
- Don't turn off the oven.
For the crumble:
- Mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup white sugar and ⅔ cup light brown sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add 1 cup unsalted butter in pieces and integrate them with a fork, a pastry cutter, or your hands (my choice).
- Keep refrigerated while making the filling.
For the apple pie filling and assembly:
- Wash, dry, peel and core 4 pounds apples.
- Cut in half and then in half again to have 4 wedges. Remove the seeds with the hard center parts. Cut into medium-thick slices with a kitchen knife and transfer to a large bowl.
- Sprinkle ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons apple spice mix on top. Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and drizzle over the apples. Mix with a spatula or spoon until the apple pieces are all covered in the sugar-spice mixture.
- Transfer the apples to the prepared crumb, mounding them carefully in the center. It will be tall.
- Sprinkle the crumble carefully to cover the apples completely. Start at the center and then aid yourself by placing one hand on the edge of the pan, creating a wall as you distribute the crumb mixture with the other hand. Some of it might spill. It is a bit messy. Press very lightly so the crumble is not so loose.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown, the filling bubbles and apples are easily pierced with a knife. If the sides are browning too quickly, tent with foil, creating a ring, and continue baking.
- Let cool on a wire rack before serving with a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Make ahead crumble: the crumb mixture can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for a month in an airtight or freezer-safe container. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature (if frozen) and break up with our hands if needed, as large clumps can sometimes create.
Depending on the kind of apples you use, you can vary the sweetness of this simple apple cobbler. I'm partial to tart apples, but some people like sweeter cobblers.
