Gooey Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

side view of apple pie with graham cracker crust topped with vanilla ice cream

5 from 2 votes

Gooey Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

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.

Prep Time35

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 612kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs 14-16 crushed graham crackers
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
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, sugar, 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. After you remove the crust, turn the oven temperature up to 375 for the pie.
Cool crust 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

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.

Video

Notes

*Cook time of apples may vary depending on the variety.

Pack graham cracker crumbs firmly, but don't press too much, or the crust can become hard.
If the graham cracker crust tears while brushing on the egg white, let it cool for a few minutes before trying again.
Feel free to substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger
To avoid a soggy crust, place cooled filling into a cooled crust and cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

Nutrition