BYI can hear it already. “But Kate,” you say, “it is August. Why are you posting pie recipes?” Well. That is because it is August and while I love my darling children so very much, tomorrow is the day that they go back to school and while we greatly enjoyed our time together this summer, right now, they are basically plotting each others’ murders over things like one brushing their teeth while the other one is in the shower. I posted about this on my Instagram story the other day, but we are at Threat Level Midnight. What is Threat Level Midnight, you ask?
Well, in the world of The Office, it is the name of the fictional screenplay that Michael Scott wrote about him being secret Agent Michael Scarn. 
But for me, it’s when things get so out of control that the only term to describe them is Threat Level Midnight. Let me be very clear that I love my kids very, very much and we have spent most of our summer enjoying our time off. I’ve loved having them around and I will miss them when they go back to school. Let me also say that I realize my limits as a mother and that a homeschooling situation would never work for me (or for them.)
Back to Threat Level Midnight. For instance, on this mid-August day, every single laundry basket I own (7…7 laundry baskets) is filled to the brim, and the washing machine is also currently running. Because laundry is at Threat Level Midnight (both day-to-day laundry and because of a situation we shall refer to as the Schmed Schmug Schmituation of 2018.) The fighting. The late bedtimes. The eating out. The fact that the TV remote is missing and I didn’t get to watch Parks & Rec after they went to bed last night because it could not be located. The hours of YouTube that have been watched over the last 3 weeks. These are just a sampling of things that are Threat Level Midnight status at my house. And, really, I suspect that as summer comes to an end, lots of you are in a similar situation, so there is only one remedy.
Pie. 
Pie in August. Buttery, crumbly, apple-y pie. Because Pie in August is a promise of fall, when everyone is in school and your bathroom sink isn’t filled with soap bubbles from people using, like, 10 pumps of hand soap and your kitchen sink isn’t filled with every plastic Ikea cup you own.
To get started, preheat your oven to 350.
Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, and chopped pecans in a small mixing bowl, 
then add the melted butter. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a measuring cup and set it aside;
gently press remaining mixture into a 9″ pie plate.
Be sure not to pack it in there too tightly or it will be too hard and messy to slice the pie when it’s baked.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vanilla and bring to a boil. While mixture is heating, place 3 sliced, peeled apples in the pie crust.
After sugar/water mixture has come to a boil, pour the hot mixture over the apples.
Sprinkle reserved crumb topping over apples
and then place the pie plate on a baking sheet.
Bake for 43-45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes or so, you may need to cover the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the pie from getting too brown.
Serve warm (if you can)
with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
But really. This is August Pie. So eating it cold is still going to be pretty amazing.
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PinDescription
This crumb-topped apple pie is a cross between a pie and apple crisp–always a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. uncooked regular oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. butter, melted
4 c. tart, thinly sliced apples (like Granny Smith; about 3 apples)
1/3 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
reheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, chopped pecans, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a measuring cup and set it aside; gently press remaining mixture into a 9″ pie plate. Be sure not to pack it in there too tightly or it will be too hard and messy to slice the pie when it’s baked.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vanilla and bring to a boil. While mixture is heating, place apples in the pie crust. After sugar/water mixture has come to a boil, pour the hot mixture over the apples. Sprinkle reserved crumb topping over apples and then place the pie plate on a baking sheet.Bake for 43-45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes or so, you may need to cover the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the pie from getting too brown.
Serve warm (if you can) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
That sure is gorgeous! I'm actually trying a different pumpkin pie today, crossing my fingers!
I so want to make this for pie in a jar! How many apples do we need?
Eek, Jen, thanks for catching my mistake! How could I forget the apples in the recipe, lol?? Anyway, it's 4 c. of thinly sliced baking apples, which ends up being about 3 medium apples.
Thank you for the lovely apple pie! I love the toppings, I just wanted to add that I sometimes use a lovely bit of cassia and cardamon for an interesting kick to the old tradition.
Another idea is bits of chocolate under the crust for a sinful addition. At least, that is how my wife likes the crumble made. I am sure it would translate well to this recipe as well. LOL
Does the leftover pie need to be refrigerated? Not that I'm planning on leftovers 🙂 but I'm donating a pie to a correctional facility for Thanksgiving and they only want ones that need immediate refrigeration.
Can't wait to try it – looks delish!
I LOVE crumb-topped apple pie, I can't wait to try this one. I think I'll make it for Thanksgiving since I always make something other than pumpkin!
This sounds so delicious and perfect for me- the girl who struggles with pie crust.
Ooooh, this is my husbands favorite! I'll try this one out on him : )
Beautiful apple pie! This crumb topping looks like something I could handle since my top crust never turns out nicely. Yum!
I have been craving a crumb apple pie all day… this does not help! Besides, can you believe I don't have a pie plate?! It's on my Christmas list. Along with a pastry cutter. And quite a few other kitchen items. 🙂
This looks just like something I am in the mood for…I think I may just make it tomorrow or Saturday!
I swear you guys read my mind! I am going to make Dutch apple pie for thanksgiving and was just going to start looking for recipes on line. I can stop my research now b/c I know your recipe will be awesome!
One question….
what portion of this recipe can I make ahead? I'd love to assemble the pie at home in the morning around 11am and then bake it at the house where we're eating at around 5pm. Would this work with this recipe?
Kaitlyn–the trick thing with this pie when it's unbaked is the crumb topping–you're likely to lose a lot of it in transit. The only make-ahead thing I can think of is to make it a few days ahead of time and then freeze it, but I'm not sure how long to bake it once it's frozen, you know?
The good thing is that this IS a pie that holds up well–it's not like a pie with regular pastry that will start getting soggy and stale after a little while. You could definitely make it 1-2 days ahead of time and it would still be fabulous, just keep it covered tightly in the fridge.
YUM! I just found your blog via Lollychops! I want to try everything. Thanks!!!
can i make this without the nuts? or could i substitute almonds instead?
I think nuts are really important, mostly for the richness and crunchy texture. If you don't like pecans or walnuts, I promise, you can hardly taste them. If you're allergic, chopped whole almonds (not chopped sliced; I think they'd probably burn) or macadamias would be great, too!
thanks kate! i ended up making this for thanksgiving with the nuts. it turned out great and i'll be making it again next week for christmas 🙂
Hey Kate, I assume by regular oats you mean the non-quick cooking. Since I want to make this today and it’s freaking snowing in March, I’m not going to the store and I only have quick cooking oats on hand. Would they work or totally ruin it?
Mary, I think you’ll be totally fine with quick cooking oats. Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
Ya, if ruined is totally awesome, where has this been all my life, delicious, it’s ruined :). Paired with the sweet cream (and I followed another commenter’s tip and added cinnamon and vanilla) and WOW! WOW WOW WOW! Y’all have ANOTHER hit on your hands!
Has anyone ever tried this with peaches?
I did today…loved it…
If I wanted to swap blackberries for apples, would I need to adjust the liquid (sugar and water mixture)?
I just made this for Thanksgiving and it was divine! I did make a few alterations…added cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cardamom in crumb topping and crust, and I used brown sugar instead of white for the filling. I added a tiny bit of lemon to the apples to keep them from discoloring while I prepared the rest of Thanksgiving dinner, so that might have added a little oomph to it as well. And I served it with rum raisin gelato. OMG {drool}!
Could this be made as a sort of apple crisp? Just leave out the crumble on the bottom and put it all on the top? If I bake it in a 9×13 do you think I’d need to double the recipe? I’ve made this as a pie and loved it!!
Yep- that would be good! I’d double it for a 9×13.
Do I shorten the cooking time if I am using the canned apple pie filling recipe from your blog in place of the fresh apples?
We’ve made this recipe about 6 times in the past 2 months here in south Texas. Love this one.
I just love you so much! Threat Level Midnight sometimes occurs if I work too many Saturdays in a row and my house resembles the rubble-y remains of a hurricane, as well as this time of year before the school year starts and they start acting like they in fact did grow up in a barn and/or pygmy tribe. I thrive on order and predictability and alone-ness and at this point, I am sitting very patiently using self-talk techniques to not go crazy all over my kids… and pie might just help me cope.
This pie looks so yummy! I can’t wait for the apples on our tree to be ready so that we can make one!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I’ve been making this pie for years. It’s one of my favorites from Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. Everyone needs this easy and delicious pie in their arsenal. Happy first day of school!
This is perfect! I love an easy pie in August. Can’t wait!
The pie looks amazing! But the true gem in this whole post is your writing skills, Kate! You are real, and you are clever, and witty, and very funny. I don’t know what the Schmed Schmug Schmituation might be but I just want to say those silly words over and over because it makes me giggle!
Got this recipe in your special email today and made it for after-dinner dessert with my 3yo, right away! It was delicious! A perfect use to get rid of the full bag of apples we had that weren’t super tasty on their own. We just doused the slices in lemon juice to make them tangy enough since they were just bland organic fuji apples (walmart was not the best place for out-of-season organic apples; not that we don’t shop there for a ton of other things) .
I love how the ‘crust’ came out like its own oatmeal cookie. We made a little extra of that so the top would have plenty, and I accidentally added a little bit more butter than I should have, but not too much where I’d need to add any other dry stuff, and it was still perfectly delicious with a great buttery taste!
We also used kerrygold grassfed butter; jovial, organic, einkorn flour; and mixed up our own organic brown sugar with cane sugar and molasses. But kept to the recipe as is. So yum!
I am certain that you are my soulmate, and this pie is my soul food.
It looks so fun to make. Thank you for sharing! This recipe is perfect for upcoming Fall.
Oh wow this is definitely something I am going to make this autumn.