Oma Beek’s Apple Pie
For the past few years, I’ve baked an apple pie for my father-in-law’s birthday based on his mother’s recipe—with a few of my own tweaks. Nothing beats the smell and taste of warm apple pie fresh from the oven, I mean… come on!
Think buttery pastry, sweet apples, cinnamon, rum-soaked raisins, creamy almond paste, a scattering of almond flakes, and a big dollop of freshly whipped cream. It’s comfort baking at its absolute best.
I’ll be honest—the pastry gave me a bit of trouble this year thanks to the heatwave in Amsterdam, so she’s not the prettiest pie I’ve ever made… but oh my, she’s one of the tastiest! And as a little extra touch, the tablecloth in the photos was embroidered by my Oma Sonja. ❤️
Why You’ll Love This Apple Pie
- Classic Dutch apple pie flavours with a rich almond twist.
- Perfect for celebrations—or just a rainy Sunday.
- Make-ahead friendly—bakes beautifully and stays delicious for days.
- Customisable—switch rum raisins for sultanas, or add chopped nuts for crunch.
FAQs
Can I make this without alcohol?
Yes, you can soak the raisins in apple juice or tea instead of rum. Or just leave them out 😉
What are the best apples for apple pie?
Firm, tart-sweet varieties like Jonagold, Elstar, Braeburn, or Granny Smith work beautifully.
Can I freeze this apple pie?
Absolutely. Bake, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm before serving.
Another great Dutch classic is my grandma’s strawberry tart, check it out here.
Oma Beek’s Apple Pie
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- Dough
- 200 g unsalted butter, softened but not all the way till room temperature
- 200 g caster sugar
- 400 g self raising flour
- 1 egg (half for the dough, other half to glaze the top of the dough)
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Filling
- 1,2 kg tart apples, like jonagolds
- 75 g caster sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp bread-crumbs
- Optional
- 250 g almond paste (amandelspijs in Dutch)
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- 100 g golden raisin soaked in rum or hot water
- 1 tbsp apricot jam to glaze the cake
- To serve (optional)
- Vanilla ice-cream or freshly whipped cream
Instructions
If using, soak the raisins in some rum or warm water.
Preheat the oven to 175°C.
Line the base of a cake tin (± 27 cm diameter - those ones with removable sides) with some baking paper and grease the sides with butter.
The Dough
Beat the egg in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl mix the butter, caster sugar, self raising flour, half of the egg, vanilla sugar (or essence) and a pinch of salt. Easiest is to knead with your hands, mix until you get a firm dough and it all sticks together. Divide into 3 parts, wrap with cling film and set aside in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes (one part will be for the bottom, one for the sides and one for the top).
The Filling
Peel and core the apples, cut them into slices or bitesize chunks.
To the apples add the cinnamon and sugar and toss to coat.
Remove one piece of the dough from the fridge and roll out with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of baking paper or cling film. Place the dough into the bottom of the cake tin and press into the corners. The dough might crumble a bit but that's no problem, just press into the tin so there are no holes.
Roll out the 2nd piece of dough, cut in to broad strips and press into the sides of the cake tin (same comment about crumbling dough as mentioned above).
Divide the bread crumbs over the dough base, this will soak up the juices from the apples so the base won't go soggy.
If using, roll out the almond paste, roughly into the size of the cake tin and lay on top of the bread crumbs.
Divide the half of the apples into the tin, sprinkle over the raisins, and top with the rest of the apples. It will be pretty full!
Now divide the 3rd ball of dough into 2 pieces and roll one out, slice and into ± 2 cm wide strips. Divide these over the top. Repeat with the rest of the dough and lay them over the top at 90° angle so you get a nice criss-cross pattern.
Brush the beaten egg over the dough to make it shine.
Sprinkle the almond slivers over the top.
Place the pie in the bottom 3rd of the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and while still hot brush over apricot jam all over the dough (optional).
Let cool in the tin to set, as long as you can stand to wait, and serve with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
Oh and it's even better the next day. It will keep 2-3 days in the fridge in a closed off container.
1 Comments
Oma Sonja’s Strawberry Tart with Pastry Cream – A Pinch of Saffron
26 June 2025 at 13:37
[…] Another great Dutch classic is my BF’s grandma’s apple pie, check it out here. […]