Today, Memphis chef and author Jennifer Chandler shares with us a perfect dessert: Apple Crumble Pie. Taken from her cookbook, The Southern Pantry, this pie combines the best of two classic fruit desserts: a traditional apple pie with the nutty and cinnamon-y topping of a crumble. At Thanksgiving, she adds dried cranberries to the apple filling for a perfect seasonal treat. Give it a whirl and your family or guests will be forever thankful for your excellent dessert choice!

Apple Crumble Pie from “The Southern Pantry” cookbook by Jennifer Chandler | Image credit: Justin Fox Burks
- 1 unbaked pie crust (9-inch), homemade or store-bought
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pea-size pieces
- 6 Granny Smith apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the pie crust in a deep-dish pie pan and flute the edges, if desired.
- Refrigerate the crust until ready to fill.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and pecans.
- Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like pebbles.
- Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the apples, lemon juice, salt, remaining ¼ cup flour, remaining 1 cup sugar and remaining 1½ teaspoons cinnamon.
- Toss to coat.
- Fill the center of the pie crust with the apple mixture in an even layer.
- Crumble the topping evenly over the filling.
- In case of overflow, place the pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake the pie until the fruit juices bubble and the topping turns golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm.
Cooking Tip: Crumbles work well with all types of fruit. Consider using this topping on fillings made from berries, peaches, pears, or cherries. If using frozen fruits, be sure to drain well before adding the other ingredients.Do-Ahead: This crumble topping freezes well. My sister always has frozen fruit and prepared crumble topping in her freezer to serve dessert for impromptu guests. Store the topping in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the whole pie, unbaked for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
Thank you, Jennifer! We will all have an even happier Thanksgiving with a slice of your Apple Crumble Pie.
Tune in to Jennifer’s new radio show, “The Weekly Dish” on WKNO 91.1 FM Memphis. Jennifer will share cooking tips every Tuesday morning at 6:49 a.m. and again at 8:49 a.m. We will be listening, Jennifer!
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