Apple Slab Pie with Crumble Topping
This Apple Slab Pie with a buttery crumble topping feeds a crowd with flaky pie crust, cinnamon-spiced apples, and a sweet streusel finish, perfect for fall gatherings.
Why This Apple Slab Pie Is the Ultimate Fall Dessert
If you love the flavors of a classic apple pie but never have enough slices to go around, this Apple Slab Pie with Crumble Topping is about to become your new favorite fall pie recipe. Baked in a sheet pan instead of a round dish, it gives you double the servings with all the same buttery, cinnamon-spiced goodness. It is, quite simply, one of the easiest fall pies recipes easy enough for a weeknight, yet impressive enough for a holiday table.
This recipe takes everything people love about apple and pie crust recipes and stretches it across a big, shareable pan. Think of it as an apple crisp with pie crust, all in one dessert. You get a flaky, buttery base, a thick layer of spiced apples, and a crunchy oat crumble topping that turns golden brown in the oven.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A sturdy half sheet pan, a good pastry cutter, and a quality rolling pin will make assembling this easy apple pie crust dessert so much smoother.
The Best Apples for Slab Pie
Not all apples bake the same way, and choosing the right variety matters more than you might think for any recipe with pie filling. For the best texture and flavor balance, use a mix of:
- Granny Smith for tartness and structure
- Honeycrisp for natural sweetness and juiciness
- Braeburn or Jonagold as great alternatives if those are unavailable
Using a blend keeps the filling from turning mushy or overly sweet, which is the secret behind so many great homemade apple desserts.
Chef's Tip: Slice your apples about a quarter inch thick. Any thinner and they will turn to mush, any thicker and they may not cook through fully in the baking time.
Building the Perfect Crust and Crumble
This recipe borrows from both the one crust apple pie tradition and the crumble-topped apple crisp world, giving you the best of both textures. The bottom layer is a simple, flaky pie crust, pressed into a sheet pan rather than a pie dish. On top goes a generous layer of spiced apples, and finishing it all off is a rich, buttery oat crumble.
The crumble topping is what really sets this apart from other apple tarts with pie crust. Cold butter worked into flour, oats, and brown sugar creates those irresistible golden clusters that add crunch to every single bite.
A Few Keys to Success
- Keep your butter cold until the moment you mix the crumble
- Do not skip the lemon juice, it brightens the apple flavor and prevents browning
- Let the pie cool fully before slicing so the filling has time to set
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Apple Slab Pie with Crumble Topping
This Apple Slab Pie with a buttery crumble topping feeds a crowd with flaky pie crust, cinnamon-spiced apples, and a sweet streusel finish, perfect for fall gatherings.
Ingredients
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts, or homemade double pie crust, rolled to fit a half sheet pan
- 5 lb apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/8 cup all-purpose flour, for the apple filling
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 tsp salt, fine sea salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, for the crumble topping
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed, for the crumble topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 1 cup powdered sugar, optional, for glaze
- 2 tbsp milk, optional, for glaze
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and line a half sheet pan (13x18 inches) with parchment paper.
Unroll the pie crusts and press them together on a lightly floured surface, then roll out into one large rectangle to fit the bottom and up the sides of the sheet pan. Press the dough into the pan and trim any excess.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust in the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and brown sugar for the crumble topping. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work it in until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs.
Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples, covering the filling completely.
Brush any exposed edges of the crust with the beaten egg for a golden finish.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apples are bubbling. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Let the slab pie cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
While the pie cools, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk to make a simple glaze, then drizzle over the top before serving.
Equipment
- Half sheet pan (13x18 inches)
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Large mixing bowl
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Variations
This slab pie is best served slightly warm, with the glaze drizzled generously over the top. It also pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you want to lean even further into apple crisp with pie crust territory.
For storage, keep leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to five. Individual squares reheat beautifully in a warm oven, which helps the crumble topping crisp back up.
If you want to switch things up, try adding a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble, or swap in pears for half of the apples for a fun autumn twist. However you slice it, this easy apple pie crust dessert is guaranteed to disappear fast at any fall gathering.
