Apple Slab Pie with Crumble Topping
This apple slab pie with crumble topping turns classic apple pie into an easy, crowd-feeding sheet pan dessert, with a buttery pie crust, spiced apple filling, and a crunchy crumble top.
The Easiest Way to Feed a Crowd Apple Pie
If you love the flavor of classic apple pie but dread rolling out a top crust, this apple slab pie with crumble topping is about to become your new favorite fall dessert. It takes everything wonderful about recipes with pie filling and stretches it across a full sheet pan, so instead of eight slices you get sixteen generous squares. It is one of the easiest apple and pie crust recipes you will ever make, because there is no lattice, no crimping, and no fuss.
Think of it as an apple crisp with pie crust underneath instead of on top. You get a buttery, flaky base, a thick layer of spiced apples, and a crunchy oat crumble that shatters slightly when you bite in. It is also one of those homemade apple desserts that looks like it took hours, when really it comes together with a food processor's worth of effort and a little patience while it bakes.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good rimmed baking sheet keeps the juices from spilling into your oven, and a sturdy pastry cutter makes quick work of the crumble topping without warming the butter too much.
Why This Is an Easy Apple Pie Crust Recipe Worth Repeating
Unlike a traditional double crust pie, this recipe uses one crust on the bottom and skips the top crust entirely in favor of a crumble. That means:
- No worrying about a soggy or torn top crust
- No blind baking required
- A higher topping to filling ratio in every single bite
- A dessert that slices into neat squares, perfect for potlucks and parties
It genuinely might be the easiest apple pie crust recipe in your rotation, since two store-bought crusts pressed together do all the heavy lifting.
Chef's Tip: Let your pie crusts sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before pressing them into the pan. Cold crust straight from the fridge is more likely to crack instead of stretching smoothly to the edges.
Choosing the Best Apples for Slab Pie
For the best texture and flavor, use a mix of tart and sweet apples. Granny Smith apples hold their shape and add welcome tartness, while Honeycrisp or Braeburn bring natural sweetness and a bit of juiciness. This combination is what separates good fall pies recipes easy enough for weeknight baking from truly memorable ones.
Toss your sliced apples with sugar, a touch of brown sugar, flour, warm spices, and a splash of lemon juice. The flour is essential here. It thickens the natural juices released by the apples as they bake, so your slices stay tidy instead of swimming in syrup.
Building the Crumble Topping
The crumble is what turns this from a simple apple tart with pie crust into something closer to an apple crisp. Cold butter, oats, flour, and brown sugar are worked together with your fingertips until they form small, buttery clumps. Scatter that mixture generously over the apples before baking, and it bakes up into a golden, craggy topping that contrasts beautifully with the soft fruit underneath.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Apple Slab Pie with Crumble Topping
This apple slab pie with crumble topping turns classic apple pie into an easy, crowd-feeding sheet pan dessert, with a buttery pie crust, spiced apple filling, and a crunchy crumble top.
Ingredients
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts, store-bought or homemade, at room temperature
- 4 lb apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed, divided between filling and crumble
- 3/8 cup all-purpose flour, for thickening the filling
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed, for the crumble topping
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats, for the crumble topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, for the crumble topping
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream, optional, for serving
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and line a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides.
Unroll both pie crusts and press them together into the bottom of the prepared baking sheet, patching any gaps with your fingers to form one even layer that reaches the edges. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until evenly coated.
Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust in an even layer.
In a separate bowl, combine the oats, remaining flour, remaining brown sugar, and cold cubed butter. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the mixture until it forms coarse, pea-sized crumbles.
Scatter 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 50 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden and the apple filling is bubbling at the edges.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing into squares to allow the filling to set.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
Equipment
- 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowls
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Pastry brush
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Make-Ahead Tips
This slab pie is wonderfully forgiving when it comes to timing. Bake it the morning of a gathering, or even a full day ahead, since it holds its texture beautifully once cooled and covered.
- Serving: Slice into squares once fully cooled and serve with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Storing: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: A few minutes in a warm oven brings the crumble topping back to life far better than the microwave ever could.
Chef's Tip: Resist the urge to slice into the pie right out of the oven. Letting it cool for a full hour allows the thickened apple juices to set, so your squares hold together instead of sliding apart.
Whether you are baking for a holiday table or simply craving one of those comforting easy apple pie crust desserts, this slab pie delivers everything you love about apple pie in a format built for sharing.
