Pumpkin Apple Pecan Pie
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Nutty pecan crust, apple slices soaked in tangy lemon water, layered under spiced pumpkin custard, topped with crunchy streusel. A combo of textures, flavors. Subtle brown sugar sweetness balanced by warmth from cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Oven aroma fills kitchen, crust golden, streusel crisp and browned just right. Chill dough to avoid tough crust. Thin apple slices keep filling tender, not mushy. Use cold butter for streusel, pulse until crumbly, never overworked. Visual and tactile cues guide doneness not clock watching. Switch apples or nuts, tweak sugars to taste. Perfect for autumn or winter gatherings, not for quick fixes.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
60 min
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#American desserts
#fall baking
#layered pies
#streusel
#holiday pies
Pumpkin and apple together. Not your standard single filling pie. Tried combos over years, some too sweet or soggy. Thin apples soaked in lemon water keeps crisp, pumpkin sweet deep and mellow. Toasted pecan crust oils nutty notes, less flour makes it dense, buttery but never bland. Chill crust dough before rolling; a rookie mistake is warm dough sticking to pin or tearing in pan. Streusel topping adds crunch and sugar bite, balance pie without hard bake. Bake in stages for layered texture, listen for golden smells, look for gentle jiggle indicating near done. Finessing times gives best results. Also swapped apple butter with quince preserves once—nice twist.
Ingredients
Pecan crust===
- 1 cup pecans finely ground but still a bit coarse
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 3 tbsp heavy cream chilled
- Cold water 2-3 tbsp approx
Pumpkin filling===
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Apple filling===
- 3 medium tart apples (Granny Smith or Pink Lady) very thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tbsp apple butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
Streusel topping===
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter diced
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Optional decorative cutouts from leftover crust
- Egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp cream
About the ingredients
Pecans: toast them lightly before grinding if you want bolder flavor. Substitute walnuts or hazelnuts but taste differs. Butter needs to be ice cold for crust and streusel. Flour: all purpose, sifted. Brown sugar adds moisture, granulated sugar gives snap. Heavy cream or substitute full-fat coconut milk. Pumpkin puree canned or fresh roast. Apple variety affects sweetness and texture—Granny Smith tart, Pink Lady sweeter. Lemon juice cold to prevent browning; water icy for crispness. Apple butter binds filling, sub with spiced preserves or jams. Pumpkin pie spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger key to flavor, buy or DIY. Egg binds pumpkin custard, evaporated milk adds richness; full milk dilutes custard. Egg yolk and cream wash for shine and browning on decorations only, skip if you want matte finish. Streusel sugar can be less if preferred, keep butter ratio same for crumble.
Method
Preheat and prep crust
- Set oven at 345F. Deep 9-inch pie pan ready. Grinding pecans can be uneven; aim paste but some texture remains. Small food processor ideal. Add flour, butter, salt, brown sugar, cream; pulse lap after lap till clumps form. Water next: drizzle slowly, stop when dough just holds together. Avoid overworking or sticky mess. Disc shaped, plastic wrapped, fridge chill 25-35 mins for firm roll. Too warm? It’ll tear or gum up rolling pin. Use extra flour on surface to help.
- Roll dough into 12-13 inch circle. Sticky edges? Cool dough more or flour rolling pin lightly. Roll onto pin and gently settle into pie plate. Finger-press crust snug into curves and base; no gaps, no cracks. Pinch rim thumb and forefinger into scallops or freeform shapes. Save scraps for cutout decorations if you want. Cover cutouts damp towel to keep pliable until baking.
- Dock crust surface with fork or fill with pie weights (dry beans work) to prevent puff or bubbles. Slide crust into oven. Check at 13-17 mins; edges should glow golden, walk fine line before too dark. Pull out, cool completely before filling. Overbaking shrinks crust, so watch closely.
Apple prep
- Mix lemon juice and chilled water in large bowl. Slice apples paper thin, like 1/8 inch max. Speed is key here; sliced apples brown fast even in acid bath. Toss immediately into lemon water to keep crunch and color. Drain on towels after 15 mins. Dry thoroughly to avoid watery filling.
- Mix apple butter, cinnamon, sugar, and flour in small bowl. Spread apple slices on rimmed sheet pan, pour mixture over and pat through with hands to lightly coat. This helps apples stay lively in pie, gentle thickener and spice. Blend flavors early for even results.
Pumpkin filling blend
- In large bowl comb pumpkin puree with pie spice, sugar, salt, egg, evaporated milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Electric mixer or stand with paddle attachment keeps mix even. No streaks, no lumps. Cover and chill until ready to use. Chilling tightens mix and helps it bake more evenly.
Streusel topping
- Cold diced butter, sugars, flour, spices together in processor or with pastry cutter till crumbly but not melted. Chill streusel while assembling pie so it stays crumbly and toasty on top, never soggy.
Assemble and bake
- Oven at 375F now. Lay apple slices evenly into cooled pie crust base. No pooling wetness, discard leftover apple mix. Pour pumpkin filling layered smoothly over apple bed; thick liquid will fill crevices.
- Bake pie uncovered 38-43 mins. Is center set? It should jiggle slightly but not fluid or wet. If edges brown too soon, cover crust rim loosely with foil or use crust protector ring for shield. Remove pie carefully, top with streusel and optional crust decorations brushed with egg wash for glossy finish and bonding.
- Return pie to oven 12-17 mins until streusel crisps golden and decorative crust has toasty edges. Center should no longer wobble. If unsure, a toothpick at center should come out clean or with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Rest pie at least 10 mins for filling to firm up before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream or pool of whipped cream for contrast. Any leftovers reheated gently, low heat to keep crust crisp.
Notes and tips
- Pecan crust can be swapped with walnuts but flavor shifts nutty. Butter temperature crucial, too warm and dough’s greasy; too cold and hard to combine. Water needs to be icy. Apples: mix textures if you like, firm and sweet or tart will change pie personality but always thin slice. Apple butter can be replaced with spiced preserves for extra twist.
- Watch crust edges or topping for visual browning, smell cues (nutty, caramel scent). Overbaking dries filling but underbaking makes it runny. Use cooling and cutting to judge doneness better than clock. Resting is critical; otherwise pumpkin curdle and apples slip out slippery mess.
- Don’t rush cooling stages in fridge, dry out or soggy crust follows if wrapped too hot. Streusel sweetness can be dialed down; I prefer less sugar and stronger spice punch more balanced. Egg wash on decorative cutouts adds color and helps glue edges but skip if allergic.
- Perfect for gatherings; pie holds shape well, serves easily. Crust crack? Patch with milk and flour paste; bake briefly to seal. Easy to rescue. Leftovers reheated in toaster oven crisp crust back swiftly. Play with pie spice ratios—more clove or nutmeg changes depth. No pie weights? Fork docking works but watch for stray bubbles.
Cooking tips
Grinding pecans to paste avoids dry crust but keep texture; too fine means dense. Chill dough 30 mins minimum prevents shrinkage and tears. Roll out 13 inches for shrink allowance in pan, prevent bubbling by docking or weighing. Watch crust in oven closely; light golden edges signal right time, too dark means bitter. Apple slices need to be paper-thin for tender filling; soak immediately in lemon water to hold color and crunch. Apple butter mix for flavor coating and thickening slices ensures filling doesn’t get watery. Pumpkin filling beaten smooth; no streaks but don’t overbeat—too much air results in cracks. Assemble apple layer bottom, pumpkin custard over. Initial bake at 375F soft sets custard; streusel added midway or after prevents sogginess; bake extra 10-15 mins ensures crisp topping. Visual jiggle test better than strict time. Rest at least 10 mins for filling to firm. Use foil shields to prevent edges burning. Decorative cutouts brushed with egg yolk and cream for gloss, adhere better. Last bake browns topping perfectly. Avoid any rush in cooling or risk falling pie. Serve with ice cream or cream last touch. Leftovers reheat gently to keep crunch.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Chill dough well. Warm crust dough tears or sticks to rolling pin. Use extra flour sparingly on surface only. Rolling to 12-13 inch circle allows shrink and snug fit. Dock crust or weight for no bubbles. Check early at 13 minutes for golden edges. Pull before dark brown or bitter.
- 💡 Slice apples paper thin—1/8 inch max. Quickly toss in lemon water mix, cold water essential to keep crunch and prevent browning. Drain and dry thoroughly before spreading. Apple butter mix coats and lightly thickens; skip thick clumps or watery filling. Keep slices lively, no mush.
- 💡 Streusel needs cold butter diced small so it stays crumbly, never melted with processor or cutter. Chill while assembling keeps it crisp post bake. Add delicately mid-bake for top texture or after initial pumpkin set; avoid soggy topping traps moisture otherwise.
- 💡 Pumpkin filling beaten smooth—no lumps, no streaks. Too much air means cracks after baking. Use a paddle or hand mixer low speed. Chill custard mix tightens texture; bakes evenly. Pour carefully over apple bed for layering. Layering key to distinct flavors and textures.
- 💡 Watch for sensory signs to judge bake times: pie jiggles but filling firm at center means done. Edges golden, not burnt. Smell caramelizing sugars, nutty crust aroma signals readiness. Rest pie minimum 10 mins for filling to settle; cutting early leads to collapse or runny mess.
Common questions
How to avoid soggy crust?
Chill dough cold lot. Dock or weight crust in blind bake. Cool fully before filling to keep crisp. Apple layer dry, no puddles. Use butter cold always; warm fats make soggy. Baking in stages helps too.
Can I swap pecans in crust?
Yeah walnuts or hazelnuts. Each shifts flavor nutty depth. Walnuts more bitter, hazelnuts sweeter. Toast nuts first for extra flavor. Grind texture important; too fine makes dense, too coarse crumbly.
What if streusel melts or soggy?
Butter melted or warm mix. Use ice cubes butter chunks. Chill before baking. Add streusel late in bake, not raw. Keep sugars balanced; too sticky causes moisture trap. Optional decorations dry faster, keep crisp.
How to store leftovers?
Cover loosely room temp if eaten next day. Refrigerate if longer but crust softens. Reheat gently low heat oven or toaster oven to crisp base. Avoid microwave or fast heat, makes crust chewy or limp.
