Skip to main content

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping

If your family has a favorite kind of fruit pie, this traditional crumb topping is a great way to mix things up on top while keeping the Traditional Pastry Piecrust (page 5) on the bottom. It adds a sweetness and texture that blend wonderfully with a number of fruit pies, including Country Apple Pie (page 19), Blueberry Pie (page 27), and Peach Crumb Pie (page 43), to name just a few. This crumb topping can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to five days before use.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes enough topping for one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter by “cutting it in” to the flour until the butter forms small, pea-size pieces.

    Step 2

    Pair this topping with a traditional pastry pie shell and the filling of your choice. Once the filling has been placed in the pie shell, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar crumb topping evenly over the filling until it is completely covered. Bake as directed.

Cover of the cookbook Perfect Pies by Michele Stuart, featuring a blackberry key lime pie.
From Perfect Pies: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes From America’s Pie Baking Champion © 2011 by Michele Stuart. Reprinted with permission by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy the full book from Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.
Read More
Think a Hugo spritz, a gin basil smash, and plenty more patio-ready pours.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like cottage cheese caramelize onion dip and a lentil barley salad.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
The magic of this hibachi chicken recipe comes from a combination of miso and peanut butter and how it beautifully caramelizes when it hits the grill.
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Like fattoush salad and strawberry shortcake roll.