Apple Pie: compare the 2 variations
Time, effort, key ingredients, diets, nutrition and cleanup side by side, so you can pick the one that fits tonight.
Which should I make?
- Fastest Crumb-ToppedReady in 5 hr 55 min; the other takes 7 hr 20 min.
- Easiest Crumb-ToppedMedium, where the other is hard.
- Kid helper Crumb-ToppedA child can do 10 of the 16 steps: no knife, no heat.
- Least cleanup Classic Double-Crust3 things to wash: pie dish, sheet pan, mixing bowl.
Side by side
| Crumb-Topped | Classic Double-Crust | |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | 5 hr 55 min | 7 hr 20 min |
| Prep | 45 min | 1 hr |
| Level | Medium | Hard |
| Steps | 16 | 12 |
| Serves | one 9-inch pie | one 9-inch pie |
| Key ingredients | all-purpose flour, unsalted butter and apples | all-purpose flour, unsalted butter and apples |
| Only in this one | None | egg and coarse or granulated sugar |
| Dietary | ||
| Calories | 510 | 540 |
| Protein | 4 g | 6 g |
| Carbs | 80 g | 78 g |
| Fat | 21 g | 24 g |
| Cleanup | 2/5 4 things to wash | 3/5 3 things to wash |
| Kid helper | Yes, 10 of 16 steps | No |
Nutrition is per serving. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Dietary: Based on the ingredient list and estimated nutrition; check labels; not medical advice. Cleanup score: 5 means one thing to wash, 1 means six or more. We count pots, pans, bowls and appliances, not the knife, board and spoons.
How we pick
- Fastest: the shortest total time, at least 10 minutes ahead of the next.
- Easiest: the lowest level (easy, medium, hard), then at least 2 fewer steps.
- Lightest: the fewest estimated calories a serving, at least 15% and 40 calories under the next (only when two or more have an estimate).
- Kid helper: the variation where a child can do the biggest share of the steps (no knife, no heat), when that's not all of them equally.
- Least cleanup: the best cleanup score, a point ahead of the next.
- Make it ahead: the only variation whose notes say how to make it ahead.
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free: the variation that fits a diet the others don't, from the ingredient lines.
A pick needs a clear winner; close calls are left out.