Experience the Ultimate Twist: Creamy Sour Cream Apple Pie with Buttery Streusel Topping
Prepare to elevate your autumn baking with a truly unforgettable dessert: this incredible Sour Cream Apple Pie. Forget traditional apple pies for a moment, because this non-traditional delight offers a uniquely tart, creamy, and custard-like filling that beautifully cradles tender, spiced apples, all crowned with an irresistible buttery cinnamon streusel topping. If you’re searching for something a little different, yet utterly delicious, to bake this fall or for the upcoming holidays, your quest ends here!
You might initially raise an eyebrow, thinking, “Sour cream in a pie?” But trust us, it’s not only revolutionary, it’s absolutely delicious and transforms the texture of a classic apple pie into something truly special. This recipe is a delightful twist on a beloved classic, offering an exciting apple pie upgrade that will surprise and impress everyone at your table. It’s the perfect way to add a sophisticated yet comforting dessert to your repertoire.
What sets this Sour Cream Apple Pie apart is the innovative custard-like filling. The apples are baked within a rich, tangy sour cream base, resulting in a wonderfully creamy texture that still allows the apples to retain a pleasant, tender bite. This creamy base perfectly balances the sweetness and tartness, creating a complex flavor profile that’s both refreshing and deeply satisfying. Adding to this harmony is the cinnamon crumble topping, which provides a delightful crunch and a warm spice note. Encasing all these incredible layers is a perfectly flaky pie crust shell, holding every component together in a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. Bursting with fabulous seasonal flavors, this apple pie is an absolute must-try for fall gatherings and holiday baking, making it a standout addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert spread.
Table of Contents
- Why This Sour Cream Apple Pie Is So Great
- Essential Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Sour Cream Apple Pie
- Preparing This Pie Ahead of Time
- Sour Cream Apple Pie Recipe FAQs
- More Pie Baking Resources
- More Delicious Apple Pie Recipes
- Get the Full Recipe
Why This Sour Cream Apple Pie Is So Great
This unique apple pie offers a refreshing departure from the ordinary, promising to be a standout dessert. Here’s why it deserves a spot on your baking list:
- It’s Fun, Different, and Unexpected: Ditch the conventional and surprise your guests with an innovative take on apple pie. The sour cream element might sound unusual, but it introduces a delightful tang and an incredibly smooth, creamy texture that sets it apart from any other apple pie you’ve tasted. It’s a conversation starter and a palate pleaser!
- A Delicious Combination of Flavors and Textures: Every bite of this pie is a harmonious blend. You get the crisp, tartness of perfectly baked apples, enveloped in a rich, velvety custard-like filling, all complemented by the sweet, buttery crunch of the cinnamon streusel. The flaky pie crust beneath ties everything together, creating a symphony of sensations that is truly addictive.
- Surprisingly Easy to Make: Despite its gourmet taste and unique presentation, this sour cream apple pie is remarkably straightforward to prepare. Even if you’re not an experienced baker, you’ll find the steps manageable and the results incredibly rewarding. We provide a foolproof pie crust recipe, but a good quality store-bought crust also works beautifully, simplifying the process even further.
Essential Ingredients You’ll Need
Crafting this exceptional pie requires a few key ingredients, each playing a crucial role in its distinct flavor and texture profile. Quality ingredients are key to a truly delicious outcome.
- Single Prepared Pie Crust: A flaky, buttery crust is the foundation of any great pie. While a homemade crust elevates the pie to another level (we’ve included a recipe below!), a good quality store-bought crust is a perfectly acceptable shortcut for busy bakers. Ensure it’s for a 9-inch pie.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream, Eggs, Granulated Sugar, and Vanilla Extract: These ingredients are the magic behind the pie’s signature creamy, custard-like filling. The full-fat sour cream provides the essential tang and richness, while the eggs give the filling structure and a silky-smooth texture when baked. Granulated sugar balances the tartness, and vanilla extract adds a comforting, aromatic depth of flavor.
- Thinly Sliced Apples: The star of the show! Choosing the right apples is vital. Look for varieties that are tart, firm, and hold their shape well during baking. Excellent choices include Granny Smith (for pronounced tartness), Jonagold (a balance of sweet and tart), or Honeycrisp (for sweetness and crispness). Slicing them thinly ensures even baking and a pleasant texture throughout the pie.
- Butter, Brown Sugar, All-Purpose Flour, Ground Cinnamon, and Salt: These components come together to create the irresistible crisp streusel topping. Melted butter binds the ingredients and adds a rich, nutty flavor, while brown sugar contributes a deep, caramel-like sweetness. All-purpose flour gives the streusel its crumbly texture, and ground cinnamon infuses it with a warm, inviting spice that perfectly complements the apples. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness.
How to Make Sour Cream Apple Pie: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this magnificent pie is simpler than you might think. Follow these detailed steps for a perfect result every time.
- Prepare Your Pie Crust: If you’re opting for a homemade crust, it’s best to prepare it in advance. Our recipe below is a halved version of our foolproof flaky pie crust, designed to be easy and deliver outstanding results. Ensure your dough is well-chilled before rolling. If using store-bought, simply unroll and prepare as directed.
- Line the Pie Dish with Crust: On a lightly floured surface, roll out your chilled pie crust dough into an approximate 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. Gently press it into the dish, ensuring it fits snugly. Fold the excess edges over and crimp them decoratively as desired—this not only looks beautiful but also helps prevent the edges from burning.
- Make the Buttery Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and melted butter. Use a fork or your fingertips to mix these ingredients until they form a coarse, crumbly mixture. The texture should resemble wet sand with some larger clumps. Set this aside; it will be sprinkled over the top just before baking.
- Mix the Creamy Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the full-fat sour cream, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This forms the luxurious custard-like base for your apples.
- Peel, Core, and Slice the Apples: This step is best done right before assembly to prevent browning. Peel your chosen apples, core them carefully, and then slice them thinly and uniformly. Aim for slices that are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick so they cook evenly and become tender, but still retain some texture.
- Assemble the Pie Layers: Add the thinly sliced apples directly into the large bowl with the sour cream mixture. Quickly and gently toss the apples to ensure they are thoroughly coated with the creamy filling. Immediately pour this entire apple and filling mixture into your prepared pie shell. Arrange the apples to create an even layer, ensuring the filling is distributed well. Then, take your prepared streusel mixture and scatter it evenly over the top of the apple filling, covering it completely.
- Bake and Cool to Perfection: Place the assembled pie on a baking sheet (to catch any potential drips and ensure even bottom crust baking) and bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 50-60 minutes. Look for a golden brown crust and topping, and a filling that is set and just barely jiggles in the center when gently shaken. If the topping or crust edges begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. Once baked, it is crucial to let the pie cool completely to room temperature. This allows the creamy filling to fully set, ensuring clean and beautiful slices. This can take up to 3 hours, or you can chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Serve and Enjoy! Once properly cooled, your Sour Cream Apple Pie is ready to be devoured. It’s truly amazing on its own, showcasing all its unique flavors. For an extra touch of indulgence, serve it with a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream, a dollop of freshly whipped cream, or a decadent drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.
Preparing This Pie Ahead of Time for Effortless Baking
While this pie is best enjoyed within 24 hours of baking for optimal freshness, many components can be prepped in advance, making it a fantastic option for holiday baking or when you need to save time. This strategic planning ensures a stress-free baking experience.
- Streusel Topping: Prepare the crumbly streusel mixture up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 1 month. Just remember to bring it to room temperature or lightly loosen it before scattering over the pie.
- Pie Crust Dough: If making your own crust, prepare the dough and shape it into a disc. It can be stored wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight before rolling.
- Unbaked Pie Shell: You can also line your pie dish with the crust, crimp the edges, and then freeze the unbaked pie shell directly in the pan for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw; simply fill and bake straight from frozen, potentially adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
baking tip: How to Prevent a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
A soggy bottom crust can be a common pie woe, especially with fruit fillings. Here are some expert tips to ensure your Sour Cream Apple Pie has a perfectly crisp base:
- Use the Right Pie Dish: The material of your pie pan significantly impacts heat transfer. Ceramic and metal pie pans are highly recommended because they conduct heat efficiently and evenly, promoting a beautifully golden brown and crisp bottom crust. Glass pie pans, while pretty, are notorious for being poor heat conductors, often leading to under-baked bottom crusts.
- Time Your Filling Addition: Fruit and sugar create liquid as they sit. To minimize excess moisture, preheat your oven first. Have your bottom crust already in the pan and your streusel topping ready. Only then combine your apple slices with the wet filling ingredients, and assemble your pie quickly to get it into the hot oven as soon as possible.
- Consider Par-Baking the Crust: For single-crust pies, or pies with very wet fillings, partially baking the crust (blind baking) before adding the filling is a fantastic preventative measure. This gives the crust a head start and ensures it cooks all the way through before the filling adds moisture.
- Bake on a Hot Surface: Place a heavy-duty sheet pan or a baker’s stone in the oven while it preheats. Once your oven reaches temperature, place your pie directly onto the hot sheet pan or stone. This direct heat transfer from the bottom will significantly help the bottom crust cook and brown more quickly and effectively.
Sour Cream Apple Pie Recipe FAQs
You’ll know your Sour Cream Apple Pie is perfectly baked when you observe a beautiful golden color on both the streusel topping and the edges of the pie crust. The filling should appear puffed up and the center should barely jiggle when you gently shake the pie. You might also notice small bubbles appearing at the edges of the filling, indicating it’s cooked through.
Achieving those picture-perfect, clean slices you see in bakeries and food magazines is all about one crucial step: patience during the cooling process! This pie absolutely needs to be cooled completely to room temperature, which typically takes about 3 hours. During this time, the custard-like filling fully sets and firms up. If you’re short on time, you can chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours instead. Remember, the colder and more set the pie is, the easier and cleaner it will be to slice.
Due to the dairy (sour cream) and eggs in its filling, this pie must be stored in the refrigerator. Wrap it loosely with plastic wrap or cover it with foil. It will keep well for about 5 days, but for the absolute best flavor and texture, we recommend enjoying it within 2-3 days of baking.
Yes, this pie freezes beautifully! You can freeze it either before or after baking. To thaw, simply transfer the frozen pie to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. If you’re reheating a previously baked and frozen pie, and wish to crisp up the topping again, warm it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through and the streusel is crisp.
More Essential Pie Baking Resources
Enhance your pie-making skills with these helpful guides and tips from our kitchen:
- How to make foolproof flaky pie crust
- My favorite pie tools for every baker
- How to make pie crust in the food processor (a quick method!)
- How to fix most common pie issues and ensure success
Explore More Delicious Apple Pie Recipes
If you’re an apple pie enthusiast, you’ll love these other variations perfect for any occasion:
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Sour Cream Apple Pie
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter , cold and cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons water , cold
For the topping:
- ½ cup (106 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter , melted
For the filling:
- 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 5 cups (550 grams) apples , peeled and thinly sliced
Equipment
Instructions
To make the crust:
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In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar (if using for a slightly sweeter crust). Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small peas with some smaller, sand-like pieces.
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Gradually add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just starts to come together. Be careful not to add too much water; the dough should not be sticky. Dump the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead it a few times just enough to gather any dry bits into a cohesive ball. Work quickly to prevent the butter from warming too much.
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Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Chilling is crucial for a flaky crust.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pie crust into a rough 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough from the edges and then crimp or flute the edges as desired for a decorative finish.
To assemble and bake pie:
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Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). If using, place a baking sheet or pie stone in the oven to preheat with it.
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In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon with a fork until well mixed. Pour in the melted unsalted butter and stir until the mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand. Set this streusel topping aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, two large eggs, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. This will form your creamy pie filling.
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Only peel, core, and thinly slice your apples just before you are ready to combine them with the filling to prevent them from browning. Once sliced, immediately add the 5 cups of apples into the sour cream mixture and toss quickly to ensure all apple slices are thoroughly coated. Then, carefully dump the entire filling, including the apples, into your prepared pie crust, arranging the apple slices as evenly as possible.
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Using your hands, evenly scatter the prepared streusel topping over the entire surface of the apple filling, ensuring good coverage for that delightful crumble in every bite.
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Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet (if using) and bake in the 400°F (200°C) oven for approximately 50-60 minutes. The pie is done when the streusel topping is golden brown, the crust edges are nicely browned, and the filling is set (the center will barely jiggle) and possibly bubbling slightly at the edges. If the topping or crust begins to brown too quickly before the filling is set, loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
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Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing and serving. This crucial step allows the creamy filling to fully set up and firm, which can take up to about 3 hours. Alternatively, you can chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to speed up the setting process.
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Notes
- Feel free to use your own favorite flaky pie crust recipe, or for convenience, a good quality store-bought pie shell will also work wonderfully for this recipe.
- Because the luscious filling for this pie contains dairy (sour cream) and eggs, it is essential to store any leftovers in the refrigerator. It will maintain its quality for about 5 days, but for the freshest taste and best texture, we recommend enjoying it within 2-3 days.
- This pie is freezer-friendly! You can successfully freeze it either before or after baking. To thaw a frozen pie, simply transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. If you prefer a crispier topping for a thawed, previously baked pie, you can warm it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 20-30 minutes.
This recipe was originally published in October 2015 in partnership with Go Bold With Butter, and has been updated for clarity and expanded content.
We hope you enjoy this delightfully unique Sour Cream Apple Pie as much as we do. Its creamy texture, tart apple goodness, and crunchy streusel topping make it an irresistible choice for any occasion, especially during the cozy fall and winter months. Happy baking!