Shortcrust apple pie with crumb – the best autumn recipe
Aug 29, 2025
If you are wondering what to bake with apples , go for the classics. Apple pie with crumb is a recipe with a French twist that combines shortcrust pastry, juicy apples and fragrant cinnamon. And if you also use L'Integrale premium wholemeal flour , the dough will have a full flavour, beautiful colour and higher fibre content.
This recipe is great for processing apples in September, when our harvest is usually very abundant.
Why bake this particular shortcrust apple pie?
– a simple autumn recipe full of flavors
– you will use common ingredients that you have at home
– L'Integrale whole wheat flour will give the dough thanks to the composition, the excellent taste of roasted nuts
– whole grain crumb will provide a rustic look and beautiful crunch as a perfect contrast to the thick apple filling
Apple pie with crumb topping recipe
Servings: Ø 24 cm mold, 6–8 servings
Ingredients
For the dough
200 g wholemeal flour
100 g cold butter
60 g cane sugar
1 egg yolk
2–3 tablespoons cold water
For filling
3–4 apples (approx. 500 g, ideally more acidic)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
50 g chopped walnuts (or hazelnuts or almonds)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
juice of ½ lemon
On a crumb
70 g wholemeal flour
50 g butter
40 g cane sugar
Step by step procedure
1) Dough: In a large bowl, place the wholemeal flour, butter and sugar and rub together until crumbly. Add the egg yolk and 2-3 tablespoons of cold water, quickly kneading into a compact dough. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes .
2) Filling: Meanwhile, peel the apples and cut them into thin slices. Melt the butter in a pan, add the apples, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and nuts. Simmer for 5-7 minutes (the apples should soften slightly but remain firm). Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.
3) Crumbs: Rub the whole wheat flour, cold butter, and sugar between your fingers until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.
4) Baking: Preheat the oven to 180 °C . Take the dough out of the fridge, roll it out and place it in a pie dish (Ø 24 cm), creating a low edge. Spread the apple filling and sprinkle the crumbs evenly . Bake for 35–40 minutes , you can add the top grill for the last 3 minutes to brown the crumbs (if the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil).
5) Serving: Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar while the cake is still warm, then let cool for 10–15 minutes . Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Tip from Mari
1) Whole wheat flour binds more liquid – if the dough is crumbly, add an extra tablespoon of water. 2) Instead of walnuts, you can try hazelnuts or almonds.
👉 If you want the cake to be truly honest, I recommend using high-quality whole grain flour L'Integrale from our e-shop - it's a difference you'll notice at the first bite.
When is apple pie with crumb topping suitable?
This shortcrust apple pie is the perfect fall recipe when you have a lot of apples and don't know what to do with them. It's a quick recipe for a weekend bake and will be appreciated by guests. It's great with tea, hot cider or as a sweet finish after Sunday lunch.
