Make an apple pie with graham cracker crust and crumb topping with this simple recipe. Packed with warm flavors and crisp apples, this recipe is almost too good to share.
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Apple pie season is always great, but apple pies are a perfect dessert any time of the year. Make your holidays and gatherings more special with this apple pie recipe with graham cracker crust.
This Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust is very well spiced and warm, perfectly inviting for some caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Yum! Pair it with some Spiced Orange Ginger Ale Mocktail for a seasonal combination perfect for fall weather.
If you love apple pie recipes, make sure to check out my Apple Pie Bites, and Applesauce Custard Pie.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's simple. Made with an easy DIY graham cracker crust (or storebought) this pie is pretty simple and easy to throw together. We took our No Bake Graham Cracker Crust and baked it.
- Basic ingredients. We don't need anything fancy, and we don't need any eggs either. This recipe is great for using up pantry staple ingredients and some fresh fruit.
- You can make the filling in the Instant Pot! This stovetop filling is actually a variation of my Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling, so if you wanted to, you can simply whip up the filling in the pressure cooker and add it to the crust for even less effort.
🛒 Ingredients
Graham crackers- You will need some graham cracker crumbs to make the crust of this pie. Buy them as prepackaged crumbs from the store's baking aisle, or crush them yourself.
Apples- You will need some fresh baking apples for this recipe. I like to use Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or a variety of apples for different flavors and textures. If you still have apples left over you should try this Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake!
Crumble topping- Using flour, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and salt, we create a Dutch crumble topping for our apple pie. We use a similar crumb topping in our Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Spices. You can swap out the apple pie filling spices for apple pie spice instead. Use 3 teaspoons of apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Butter. For a dairy free version, swap out the requested butter with a good plant based option.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Choose affordable apples. Granny Smith, Gala, or whatever's on sale work perfectly, mixing varieties stretches flavor without increasing cost.
Swap butter if needed. Margarine works fine in both the crust and crumb topping for a lower-cost option.
Stretch the crumble. You'll have extra topping, freeze leftovers and use it on muffins or baked oatmeal to avoid waste.
🥄 Instructions for Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: Add your graham crackers to a food processor (Image 1).
Step 3: Blend until fine crumbs. (Image 2)
Step 4: Add in the melted butter and sugar (Image 3).
Step 5: Pulse again until combined (Image 4).
Step 6: Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate (Image 5).
Step 7: Press out into a crust. Make sure to cover the bottom and sides well so that there are no gaps (Image 6).
Step 8: Carefully place the pie crust into the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 9: While the crust is baking, peel your apples (Image 7). *This is optional
Step 10: Slice your apples into larger sized pieces, about 8-12 pieces per apple (Image 8). Remove the core and seeds.
Step 11: Add the apple slices, lemon juice, butter, sugars, spices, and 1 ¾ cups water to a large skillet over medium-high heat (Image 9).
Step 12: Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer (Image 10). Cook for 10 minutes.
Step 13: Add the crumble topping ingredients to a bowl (Image 11).
Step 14: Stir together the crumble ingredients until the size of coarse crumbs or peas (Image 12). Set aside in the fridge until needed.
Step 15: Add the remaining ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of cornstarch to a small bowl or liquid measuring cup (Image 13).
Step 16: Stir together to create a slurry (Image 14). Set aside.
Step 17 After the apples have simmered, remove the lid and give them a good stir.
Step 18: Add in the cornstarch slurry (Image 15) and stir again to combine (Image 16).
Step 19: Continue to cook and stir until the apple filling has thickened (Image 17). Then remove the skillet from the heat and turn off the stove burner.
Step 20: Pour the pie filling into the baked crust (Image 18). Be careful not to disturb the sides, or the crumbs may fall. I like to use a slotted spoon to scoop the apple pieces and fill the crust before adding enough liquid to fill the gaps in the pie. This way, it's a better apples to filling ratio.
Step 21: Spread the prepared crumble topping over an apple filled pie (Image 19). There will be crumble mix leftover.
Step 22: Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes (Image 20).
Step 23: Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour before placing in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
Let the apple pie cool before slicing and serving. The filling will thicken as it cools.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Cooking the filling before adding it to the crust is crucial for optimal results. Stovetop cooking helps it set properly and prevents crust issues during baking.
- In my lemon bars with graham cracker crust mishap, I discovered that graham cracker crusts dislike excessive moisture, leading to crumbling or rising during baking.
- The size of your apple slices is key in this easy apple pie filling. Thinner slices yield a more "applesauce-like" texture, while larger slices retain more apple texture. I recommend cutting a single apple into no more than 8 slices for perfectly sized, fork-tender apples. Peeling is optional.
- I prefer tart Granny Smith apples for my pies, but sweeter baking apples or a blend offer a richer flavor. Using a variety of baking apples ensures the best flavor profile.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Keep covered and refrigerated for 3-5 days. The crust holds up well when chilled.
Make Ahead: Bake the pie at least 4 hours before serving so the filling can cool and fully set. For the cleanest slices, chill 2-3 hours after cooling on the counter.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve your apple pie with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a warm fall drink like spiced cider. It also pairs beautifully with simple sides like fruit salad or a refreshing mocktail for holiday gatherings.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
A baking variety of apples includes Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Braeburn, and more. These apples hold up well to the baking without becoming grainy, and all have their own level of sweet and tart flavors that can make your pie unique.
Since the filling and the crust are both technically cooked before being assembled you don't really NEED to bake the pie. The baking is more for the topping at this point. I do however recommend baking for the best results as the added bake time will help to thicken the filling some more and help it to adhere to the crust well so they don't separate when served.
I like to serve apple pie with a nice dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Adding caramel syrup is also great for adding more flavor to every slice.
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🐝 If you tried this apple pie with graham cracker crust, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Apple Pie With Graham Cracker Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, about 1 sleeve - ($0.74)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted - ($0.74)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar - ($0.05)
Apple Pie Filling
- 6-8 cups apples, sliced ¼ inch thick, about 6 apples - ($4.94)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - ($0.12)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - ($0.25)
- ½ cup brown sugar - ($0.22)
- ½ cup granulated sugar - ($0.18)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon - ($0.16)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg - ($0.04)
- 1 pinch ground cloves - ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- 2 cups water, divided - ($0.00)
- ¼ cup cornstarch - ($0.16)
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour - ($0.13)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - ($0.08)
- ½ cup brown sugar - ($0.22)
- ⅓ cup cold butter, cubed - ($0.62)
- ¼ teaspoon salt - ($0.02)
Instructions
- Make crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse until combined.
- Bake crust. Press the mixture evenly into a 9 inch pie plate, covering the bottom and sides. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Start filling. While the crust bakes, add the apples, lemon juice, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and 1 ¾ cups water to a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Thicken. Whisk the remaining ¼ cup water with the cornstarch to form a slurry. Uncover the skillet, add the slurry, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Fill pie. Spoon the apple mixture into the baked crust, adding liquid only as needed to fill gaps.
- Make topping. Stir together the crumble topping ingredients until coarse crumbs form.
- Bake pie. Sprinkle the crumble over the filling and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Cool and chill. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Substitutions. Use 3 teaspoons apple pie spice in place of the individual spices. Plant based butter works for a dairy free version.
- Recipe Tips. Cooking the filling first helps prevent a soggy crust. Slice apples thinner for a softer texture or thicker for fork tender pieces. Peeling apples is optional.
- Make Ahead. Prepare the pie at least 4 hours in advance to allow time for cooling and thickening.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended, as the crust may become soggy after thawing.
Nutritional Information
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