This easy-to-prepare Slab Apple Pie takes just minutes to assemble. It’s deliciously simple — a huge hit for fall. Bake one for now and stash an extra in the freezer for later.
Perfect for buffet of Homemade Pies, you can dish up this crumb-topped Slab Apple Pie alongside Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie and Mixed Berry Pie for a beautiful, festive spread.
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Apple pie is almost a perfect food. What with its buttery, flaky crust, tender, sweet filling, and crunchy, nutty topping, an apple pie makes an excellent breakfast, snack, or dessert.
It is probably one of my favorite foods ever. My Gramma John used to make it when she’d come to visit, but it was one of my mom’s specialties as well. Making it is one of my favorite fall recipes.
When I luck out and find apples at a great price, I like to make many pies at once and freeze them to enjoy throughout the fall and winter. This Slab Apple Pie is one of my favorite versions of the classic dessert because it’s SO EASY to assemble.
Why Make This
It serves a lot of people. The only problem with your typical apple pie is that it only yields 8 servings, often not enough for seconds. Or thirds. Baking a slab apple pie in a 9×13 baking dish allows you a world of possibilities, including extra servings. And leftovers.
It’s freezer-friendly. This pie freezes beautifully and can be baked from frozen. Not only that, but baking your pie in a rectangle makes it easier to fill your freezer with a stack of pies to bake throughout the fall and winter months. (If you don’t have enough pans in the house, freeze each layer’s ingredients in its own freezer bag. Then thaw and assemble prior to baking.
This pie looks good without a lot of fuss. A slab apple pie is what I call the Lazy Woman’s Pie. You don’t need to roll out a fancy crust. You don’t need to arrange the apple slices in fancy patterns. You don’t need to make a pretty top crust. Just layer the ingredients and bake.
The secret is in the crust! There’s a bigger crust to apple ratio in a slab apple pie which makes for the most amazing dessert. A sweet layer of cooked apples sandwiched between two buttery layers of crust? What’s not to love?
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make a Slab Apple Pie:
flour – We’re going to do a double crust for this Slab Apple Pie, so you’ll need flour. I like to use unbleached, all-purpose flour, but you can use regular all-purpose or even whole wheat pastry flour.
butter – All-butter crust is absolutely delicious, but you can use margarine, lard, shortening, or another plant-based butter if you like.
apples – Use apples that are good for baking, such as Jonagold, Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Crispin, Winesap, and Pink Lady.
sugar – You’ll want granulated sugar for the apple filling and brown sugar for the top. In a pinch you can use all brown sugar or make your own brown sugar.
lemon juice – Lemon juice adds great flavor to the filling and helps it retain its color.
ground cinnamon – Cinnamon is a perfect pair for apples, but you can also use apple pie spice if you prefer or try a mixture of ginger and nutmeg.
chopped nuts – I love adding nuts to the crumb top, but you can easily make this slab apple pie nut-free if you omit the nuts or replace them with rolled oats.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This recipe is super simple to assemble. I use my food processor to speed up the process.
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place the flour, salt, and butter cubes. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed. Pulse in cold water until the dough easily holds together.
2. Transfer the crumbs to a 9×13-inch baking dish and press the crumbs into a crust across the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Using the paper wrapping from the stick of butter can help the crumbs from sticking to your hands.
3. Peel and slice six apples. Place them in a mixing bowl with sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared pie pan. Spread evenly.
4. In the same food processor (no need to wash), place the flour and butter for the topping. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed. Add the brown sugar and chopped nuts. Stir to combine.
Sprinkle this crumb topping over the surface of the apples. Bake until the apples are tender and the filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes. If the top starts to brown too much, cover it with a piece of foil until the filling is ready
Cool on a rack before serving.
Notes:
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender, fork, or two knives to cut the butter into the flour.
- Not quite sure how to slice an apple? I’ll show you four different ways to make easy apple slices.
Freezing Instructions
If you’d like to freeze this pie, do so prior to baking. Simply cover the pan securely with a lid or heavy duty aluminum foil. Label it with the date and baking instructions and store in the freezer until you’re ready to bake.
When you want to bake the pie, do not thaw it. Preheat the oven, remove the lid, and bake the pie from frozen at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375° and continue baking until the filling is tender and bubbling, about another 40 to 45 minutes.
FAQs
Yes! While pies are traditionally baked in pie tins, you can bake a pie in cake pans as well. If you use an 8- or 9-inch cake pan you’ll have a very similar proportion of crust to filling as you do in a pie pan.
If you bake your pie recipe in a 9×13 baking dish, your ratio of crust to filling may trend more toward crust. If you like, 1 ½ times your filling to make for a fuller pie.
You don’t need to grease a pie pan for apple pie. Your typical pie crust has plenty of butter or other fat to keep it from sticking to the pan.
An apple pie is done when the apples are tender and the filling is thick and bubbly. If the top crust browns too much before the filling is done, cover it with aluminum foil to allow the filling to catch up.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- flour – $0.38
- butter – $1.84
- apples – $1.50
- sugar – $0.22
- lemon juice – $0.10
- ground cinnamon – $0.10
- chopped nuts – $0.15
You costs may vary depending on where you shop and what’s on sale, but you can expect to pay about $4.29 for a large slab apple pie, or about 35 cents/serving.
More Great Pie Recipes
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Slab Apple Pie with Easy Crumb Top
Equipment
- food processor
- pastry blender
- cutting board
- paring knife
- large mixing bowl
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the bottom crust
- 1 ½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks) cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon ice water
For the apple filling
- 6 apple peeled, cored, and sliced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the top crust
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped nuts
Instructions
To make the bottom crust
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place the flour, salt, and butter cubes. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed. Pulse in cold water until the dough easily holds together.
- Pat these crumbs into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. You can use a butter wrapper to press and keep the crumbs from sticking to your hand.
To make the apple filling
- In large mixing bowl, combine apple slices, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Spread this mixture in an even layer over crust.
To make the top crust
- In the food processor, combine the flour, butter, and brown sugar, pulsing until coarse crumbs are formed, or in a large mixing bowl, combine these ingredients, cutting butter into sugar and flour with a pastry blender or two knives held together. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle crumb top over apple layer.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until filling bubbles. Cool completely.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender, fork, or two knives to cut the butter into the flour.
- Not quite sure how to slice an apple? I’ll show you four different ways to make easy apple slices.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Michele Choo
I just tried this recipe out today! It was so easy and foolproof!!! Thanks! My younger boy loved it! Will definitely use this recipe again. 🙂
Kristine
This was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Fleur
Do you freeze this in one portion or cut it up before freezing? I can’t imagine that we would be able to eat all that delicious pie in one sitting.
Jessica Fisher
We are a family of eight and the kids can often eat one on their own. It’s thinner than a traditional pie. But, if you want, you could divide it into two 8 inch square pans.
Fleur
@Jessica Fisher, This recipe is fantastic & so easy! I divided the mix into 2 dishes – one for now & one for the freezer. Absolutely delicious! I love the push in crust – so quick & simple. I used macadamia nuts in the topping – divine!
Nia
@Jessica Fisher,
I’ve had my eye and mind on this pie for a while now. My 4 year old has been asking for 3 day could we make apple pie and I finally caved in and made your recipe. DELICIOUS. Love your grandma’s crust and I used it in a traditional pie pan ’cause the crust in a pie is my favorite part. Used 4 apples for this pie pan so the pie would be loaded with apples. Also didn’t use the processor for topping so we’d have noticable crunch from the almonds I used. Jessica, I had a crumb apple recipe I was content with but this is by far my favorite and definitely a keeper. Love the loads of cinnamon throughout those apples too. And you are right, store bought pies are gross and don’t hold a match to THIS PIE! Sorry for the long message
FishMama
Use good baking apples, like Jonathan or Granny Smith. Anything that is considered a baking apple.
Lori
Does if matter what kind of apples you use? What do you use?
Marion
I made this pie for a function and I loved how easy it was. It tasted wonderful. I did add some oatmeal to the chopped nuts for a more crusty topping. I will be making this again VERY soon!
Brian
This looks so good. I think I'm ready to start making some apple desserts. I might have to start with this one.
gfe--gluten free easily
This sounds like a genius idea! Sometimes a dessert in a 9 x 13 pan is just what you want–for all the reasons you cited. Your Slab Pie looks and sounds very delish. I bet the concept could be a applied to other pies. Great for a big crowd, too!
Shirley
heartnsoulcooking
What a GREAT!!! recipe. I love that it sounds so EASY!!!
Geri
FishMama
Courtney, you know what they say…. when life hands you persimmons, make slab pie.
Or something like that. 😉
FishMama
Kris, I've never done the foil thing. I've heard mixed reviews from others. I have three glass pans that I use and every once in awhile I buy a few packages of the foil pans. I wash and reuse them if they're easy to clean up.
Courtney
Just found your blog and saw this pie, then looked at the enormous bag of Fuyu persimmons my neighbor gave me. No one will eat them but me,so I tried them in this pie recipe. It worked! So good and super easy (I made it with my 2 year old and she loved helping). Thanks!
Kris
This looks awesome (and do-able by a non-confident chef!) Might try it soon. A question about pans etc. I read somewhere that some folks line pans w/ foil, prep then take out and freeze. That way they just thaw back in the pan to cook. Do you do it this way?
Hoosier Homemade
I bet that's a lot easier to serve too. Looks yummy! Thanks for joining in the fun at the Holiday Food Fest!
~Liz
Lauren
I've never had a slab apple pie, but I think I'll have to change that! This looks absolutely delicious =D.
Miranda
Wonderful! I have some apples waiting to be used. This looks like the recipe I was waiting for!
Ann Marie
ooooooOOOOOO this sounds yummy!! I've recently started using those foil pans for things I need to freeze/take to a potluck (because I only have so many dishes!) I may have to try this sometime!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing it!
Anne
I love your blog! I passed on the Over the Top award to you. Find out more at: http://quickeasycheaphealthy.blogspot.com/2009/11/blessed-are-flexible.html
Anonymous
I don't have my big food processor any more (it went away when we moved) but I actually have a big freezer for the first time. This looks like a good project for it. Thank you!!
Jessika
This looks delicious! Love the ease of freezing this too!