Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust comes together with gooey homemade apple pie filling, sweet and salty pretzel streusel topping, and a thick, buttery graham cracker crust for the best apple pie ever.
Jump to:
- A Tasty Twist on Traditional Apple Pie
- Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to keep a graham cracker crust from getting soggy
- How to Make Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
- Storage
- Freezing
- Make Ahead
- Success Tips
- FAQs
- Stuff I Use
- More Favorite Pies
- Let's Stay in Touch
- Gooey Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust is a scrumptious spin on a classic dessert.
This delicious pie starts with a thick, buttery homemade graham cracker crust with just a touch of cinnamon.
The gooey apple pie filling has all the warm spices (plus a hot one) and is pre-cooked and cooled to keep from getting the crust soggy.
As it bakes, the apples keep their shape and stay perfectly soft (not mushy!), and the filling bubbles up and gets caramelly around the edges.
For a sweet and salty finish, perfectly golden brown pretzel streusel topping.
A Tasty Twist on Traditional Apple Pie
A pie like this could easily be too sweet, but it's not. It has just enough sugar to add sweet flavor without going over the edge.
It's the perfect pie to enjoy during apple season, any special occasion, or whenever you're craving a comforting slice of apple pie.
Have a bunch of apples to use up?
Try Apple Crisp without Oatmeal, Taffy Apple Salad, or dip them in Caramel Apple Dip!
Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
- Delicious twist on classic apple pie
- Gooey cinnamon apple filling with a spicy secret ingredient
- Thick, toasty graham cracker crust (not soggy!)
- Irresistible sweet and salty pretzel crumble
Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients.
Graham crackers. For this thick, sturdy homemade crust, you'll need 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs from 14-16 graham cracker sheets (size varies from brand to brand). You can also use a store-bought graham cracker crust. Just know that a premade graham cracker crust is much, much thinner and nowhere near as flavorful.
Apples. A combination of sweet and tart apples keeps this pie from being too sweet. I used a blend of Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith apples. Peel and core the apples and cut them into equally sized slices, about ¼" thick, so they cook evenly.
Brown sugar. Dark brown sugar adds rich, caramel flavor, but light brown sugar will also work well.
Spices. A combination of ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger gives warm flavor to the filling. You can substitute with apple pie spice if you like.
Cayenne pepper. In apple pie? Yes. Just a pinch kicks up the spicy flavor. You can definitely leave it out if you like.
Cornstarch AND all-purpose flour. Pie fillings with just flour can get too "floury." And cornstarch can get gluey -- plus, it doesn't freeze well. The combination of the two is just right and allows the filling to freeze well.
Pretzels. Crushed pretzels add saltiness and crunch to the crumb topping.
How to keep a graham cracker crust from getting soggy
Follow these easy tricks to keep your graham cracker crust from getting soggy.
- Brush beaten egg white into the baked crust, and bake for 5 more minutes. The egg white creates a barrier that keeps the filling from making the crust soggy.
- For store-bought crust, no need to pre-bake, just brush with egg white and bake for 5 minutes.
- Cool the crust and the filling before assembling and baking the pie.
- Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, which helps conduct heat and make a crispy crust.
- Store the baked pie in the fridge (and definitely not on the counter over a running dishwasher ... she said from experience).
How to Make Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
1. Make the graham cracker crust.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a medium bowl.
Firmly pack the crumb mixture into a pie pan with a measuring cup or flat-bottomed glass.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Brush the crust with beaten egg white and bake for 5 more minutes.
Cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
2. Make the homemade apple pie filling.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple slices and stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour, brown sugar, spices, and salt, and reduce to medium heat. Stir and cook until the apples are fork-tender, 5-7 minutes.
Combine the cornstarch and white sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the apples and stir for 3 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
Remove apple mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
Spread the apple pie filling on a baking sheet and cool in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
3. Make the crumble topping.
Grind or crush pretzels into a mixture of fine crumbs and small pieces (¼").
Combine flour, crushed pretzels, sugars, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Stir in the melted butter with a fork until the mixture is moist and crumbly.
4. Assemble the pie.
Spoon the cooled apple pie filling into the cooled graham cracker crust.
Sprinkle the pretzel streusel topping over the apple filling.
Bake apple pie at 375 for 60 minutes or until the filling is bubbly.
5. Cool, serve, and enjoy!
Place on a wire rack and cool completely at room temperature.
Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Storage
Store apple pie with graham cracker crust wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If desired, let it sit at room temperature before serving.
Warming the pie will make the crust very soft -- it's still incredibly delicious, though!
Freezing
Freeze slices or a whole pie tightly wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Make Ahead
The best way to make apple pie with graham cracker crust ahead of time is to make the crust and filling ahead of time. Make the pretzel crumble the day of to keep the pretzels from getting soggy.
- Assemble the graham cracker crust (unbaked). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The day of, brush with egg wash and bake for 5 minutes.
- Make the apple pie filling up to 3 days in advance and store it in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator.
Success Tips
- Pack graham cracker crumbs firmly, but don't press too much, or the crust can become hard.
- Feel free to substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.
- To avoid a soggy crust, fill the cooled crust with cooled filling and cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge.
- If the graham cracker crust tears while brushing on the egg white, let it cool for a few minutes before trying again.
FAQs
Yes, you can use a variety of apples for your pie. Some popular choices include Granny Smith (tart), Honeycrisp (sweet), and Pink Lady (tart and sweet). You can also mix different apple varieties for a more complex flavor.
Yes, pre-baking the graham cracker crust makes it nice and sturdy and helps prevent it from getting soggy.
To prevent the graham cracker crust from becoming soggy, you can brush the inside of the crust with a beaten egg white. This creates a barrier between the crust and the filling, helping to maintain its crispness.
Cooling the crust and the apple pie filling before assembling the pie is another way to help keep the crust from getting soggy.
Stuff I Use
This mini food processor is perfect for grinding graham crackers and pretzels. I also use it to make single-serve smoothie bowls!
A silicone pastry brush is great for brushing the delicate pie crust with egg wash, as well as slathering BBQ sauce on ribs!
More Favorite Pies
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Gooey Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 14-16 crushed graham crackers
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons melted butter 1 stick
- 1 beaten egg white
Apple Pie Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 cups apple slices 8-10 medium apples peeled, and cored. I use a mix of tart and sweet, such as Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Cosmic Crisp
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper ⅛ teaspoon or less, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pretzel Streusel
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup crushed pretzels About 1 ½ cups mini pretzel twists
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled 1 stick
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Crush graham crackers in a food processor, blender, or ziptop bag and rolling pin.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. Firmly pack the crumbs into a pie plate with a measuring cup or flat-bottomed glass. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Gently brush the baked crust with the beaten egg white. Bake for 5 more minutes. Cool on the counter for a few minutes, then place in the refrigerator to cool while you prepare the filling.
Apple Pie Filling
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the apples. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour, brown sugar, spices, and salt. Reduce heat to medium. Stir and cook 5-7 minutes* or until the apples are fork-tender.
- While the apples are cooking, mix the cornstarch and granulated sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture over the apples. Stir for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and lemon juice. Spread filling in a single layer on a baking sheet and cool in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Pretzel Streusel
- Turn the oven temperature up to 375.
- Crush pretzels into a mixture of fine crumbs and small (¼") pretzel pieces.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, crushed pretzels, sugars, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter with a fork until the mixture is moist and crumbly.
Assemble the Pie
- Place the cooled apple pie filling into the cooled graham cracker crust. Sprinkle the pretzel streusel on top of the pie.
- Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 60 minutes or until the filling is bubbly. As needed, cover the top with foil to keep it from getting too brown. I cover it around the 30 to 35-minute mark.
- Let the pie cool completely at room temperature. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
This is the best pie I have ever tasted. I learned about cooking the apples first and that made a big difference in the consistency of the overall apple flavor. I followed the ingredients exactly which sometimes I don’t do, using the Apple recipe I have used for years. I am going to make some batches and freeze them as it is apple season and the apples are really good.
Ann, thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the pie!