Chef Tom shares his recipe for Apple Streusel Pie, including scratch-made pie dough, baked on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Using frozen, cubed butter in the dough keeps the fat cold as it's cut into the flour, which is what builds a flaky texture rather than a dense, tough crust
- Adding the eggs one at a time before any water lets the dough hydrate gradually, so it's easier to judge exactly how much water is actually needed
- Mixing two apple varieties, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, balances tart and sweet in the same filling rather than relying on one apple's flavor alone
- Pouring a custard base over the sliced apples binds the filling together as it bakes, giving the pie a creamier texture than dry-spiced apples alone would have
Apple Streusel Pie
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.8 stars by 4 users
Category
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
2 hours
Calories
773
Bake the deliciously sweet and crunchy classic Apple Streusel Pie! Indulge in the sweet and savory deliciousness of Chef Tom's Apple Streusel Pie with his special recipe.
Ingredients
- 9 oz (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed, frozen
- 7 oz (1 1/2 cups) cake flour
- 7 oz (1 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 oz (5 tbsp + 1 tsp) white sugar
-
3/4 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
- 2 eggs
- cold water (as needed)
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
-
2 tbsp Noble Saltworks Maple Smoked Turbinado Sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
-
1/2 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
- 3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/2” thick
- 3 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/2” thick
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 egg
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Pie Dough:
For the Streusel Topping:
For the Pie Filling:
Directions
- To make the pie dough, combine the frozen butter, flours, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium low until the butter chunks are smaller than pea sized, and the mixer is mealy in texture. Add one egg at a time, mixing in between additions. The dough will start to become hydrated and shaggy. When both eggs are incorporated, add a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough begins to stick together.
- Turn the dough mixture out onto a floured surface. Press together into a dough ball. Press into a 1” thick circle. Wrap in plastic. Place in the refrigerator to relax for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 375ºF, set up for indirect grilling.
- Roll the dough out into a circle that is large enough to cover a 9” pie pan, about 1/4” thick. Place the circle of pie dough on top of a buttered 90” pie pan. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan. Trim the excess dough about 1” past the edge of the pan. Roll and press the top edge of the dough, crimping with your fingers. Store the pie shell in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
- To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process just until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer to a bowl and store in the refrigerator.
- To make the apple pie filling, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and mix together. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and whisk to combine.
- Place the sliced, peeled apples in the pie shell. Pour the custard filling over the apples. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the apples.
- Bake the pie on the second shelf of the grill at 375ºF until the top and edges are browned and the filling in the center of the pie reaches 160ºF, about 2 hours.
- Remove the Apple Streusel Pie from the grill and cool for at least one hour before slicing to serve.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why use frozen, cubed butter for the pie dough instead of softened butter?
Keeping the butter cold as it's cut into the flour is what creates the small pockets of fat that turn into flaky layers during baking. Softened butter would blend in too smoothly and produce a denser crust.
Why add the eggs one at a time before adding any water?
Incorporating the eggs first lets the dough hydrate gradually, so by the time water is added a tablespoon at a time, it's easier to judge exactly how much is actually needed to bring the dough together.
Why mix Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples instead of using just one variety?
Granny Smiths bring tartness while Golden Delicious add sweetness, so combining both balances the filling rather than relying on a single apple's flavor profile throughout.
Why pour a custard mixture over the apples instead of just tossing them in dry spices and sugar?
The egg-and-cream custard binds the filling together as it bakes, giving the pie a creamier texture than apples coated only in dry spices and sugar would produce.
Why does the recipe target 160°F in the center of the pie?
That temperature is what fully sets the egg custard binding the apple filling together, similar to how a quiche or custard pie is judged done — it's a texture target, not a food safety minimum the way it would be for meat.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 — this bakes in a regular oven exactly the way it does on the grill; the pellet grill is only being used as an outdoor oven, not for smoke or char.
Recipe Highlights
Frozen butter dough: Builds flaky layers through cold-fat pockets.
Sequential egg-then-water hydration: Makes it easier to judge the right amount of water.
Two-apple filling: Balances tart and sweet in one pie.
Custard-bound apples: Gives the filling a creamier texture than dry-spiced apples alone.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 11.97 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 773
- Carbs
- 90 grams
- Protein
- 7 grams
- Fat
- 45 grams
- Sodium
- 629 milligrams
