If you feel like apple pie but are short on time, try this old-fashioned apple pandowdy recipe. Think of it as pie’s messy cousin, with all the incredible autumnal flavors you love made in a fraction of the time. This is one of the best apple desserts!
Apple Pandowdy’s big draw is that it is not a neat dessert. No need for a lot of precision, as you’ll break the crust to allow the sweet juices to seep through and caramelize on top. The result is mind-blowingly delicious. Serve it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for a perfect fall dessert. For more easy apple recipes, try my apple galette, apple cobbler, and apple crisp.
What is Apple Pandowdy?
Apple pandowdy is an old-fashioned American dessert dating back to colonial times. Think of it like an easy skillet apple pie. It’s a rustic twist on a pie made by cooking apples in a subtly spiced and sweet brown sugar sauce before being topped with pieces of pie crust and baked.
The word “dowdy” means untidy or messy. After the dessert is baked for a short while, the crust is then broken or “dowdied” so the pan juices can flow over the crust and caramelize while it finishes baking. An apple pandowdy’s charm lies in its somewhat haphazard appearance.
Ingredients
Pie crust — you need a single store-bought or homemade pie crust. An all-butter pie dough will give the best flavor.
Butter — unsalted butter cooked into the apple filling creates a luscious caramel-like sauce for the apple pan dowdy.
Apples — peel, core, and slice your favorite baking apples. I like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples for this recipe. You can also use a mix of varieties!
Brown sugar — apple pandowdy was originally sweetened with maple syrup or molasses. Brown sugar adds those same butterscotch notes to the dessert with a convenient pantry staple. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Lemon juice — fresh lemon juice brightens the apple filling. Be sure to squeeze your own and avoid bottled lemon juice.
Cinnamon — for warm flavor, ground cinnamon is a must!
Cornstarch Slurry — mix cornstarch with apple juice or water to thicken the apple pandowdy filling.
How To Make Apple Pandowdy
1. Roll the pie crust into a 10-inch circle. Cut the crust into 2-inch square pieces. Don’t worry if they aren’t all perfect squares; a slightly messy look is an apple pandowdy signature! Place the pieces of crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze while you make the filling.
2. In a large bowl, combine the apple slices, brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside for the moment. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the apple mixture and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the apples start to soften.
3. While the apples cook, whisk the apple juice (or water) and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
4. Add the cornstarch slurry to the skillet containing the apples and immediately mix well to combine. Cook for 1 more minute, just until the liquid around the apples starts to thicken. Remove the apple filling from the heat.
5. Spread the apple mixture into an even layer in the skillet using the back of a spoon.
6. Place the chilled pie dough squares randomly over the top. Overlap them slightly and leave space between some pieces so steam can escape.
7. Brush all over with heavy cream or milk before sprinkling with coarse sugar. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
8. Remove the skillet from the oven and press down on the crust with the back of a spoon in a few places so the juices flow over the crust in certain spots. Don’t submerge the entire crust. Bake for another 15 or so minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the apple pandowdy cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different sweetener: Go the more traditional route and use molasses or maple syrup instead of brown sugar. You can also use granulated sugar.
- Add more spices: Apples pair well with cozy spices like ground nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves. Add additional spices to suit your taste.
- Add vanilla: This adds a delicious depth of flavor to the filling. Add 1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract to the apples, along with the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Use brown liquor. Instead of water or apple juice for the cornstarch slurry, try a liquor like bourbon, rum, or cognac to add extra flavor to the filling.
Why Do You Break The Top Of A Pandowdy?
Breaking or “dowdying” the pastry crust is a signature of a pandowdy. You do this by pressing the back of a spoon into the top of the crust. This allows the sweet pan juices to flow over the crust and caramelize in the oven, forming a delicious caramel-like coating. Breaking the top also adds to the rustic appeal of an old-fashioned apple pandowdy.
How To Serve Apple Pan Dowdy
Let the apple pandowdy cool for 15 minutes so the filling has time to set a little and so it is not piping hot. Spoon the sweet, cinnamony apple filling and crisp crust into bowls. A big scoop of vanilla ice cream is a wonderful finishing touch. For extra sweetness, feel free to drizzle a little caramel sauce over the top.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Best sugars for sprinkling: Turbinado or sparkling sugar are great coarse sugars for a little crunch. You could also use cinnamon sugar or a different spiced sugar for additional flavor.
- If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you can transfer the apple mixture to a 2½ to 3-quart casserole dish before topping it with the crust and baking.
- If you don’t have heavy cream or milk, you can also brush the crust with an egg wash (which is just 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water).
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the cooked apples, then stir in the apple juice or water. Cook until the mixture simmers and thickens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use puff pastry. No other changes are necessary for the recipe. The topping will of course have a different texture and be much puffier, but it will be delicious!
Pears are an excellent swap in this recipe. Pears that hold up well when cooked are Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc pears. Remember to wash and peel the pears before slicing them around the core.
To save some time, you can cut and freeze the pastry crust cutouts a few days in advance. You can also make the filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake, assemble the apple pandowdy and bake.
Alternatively, you can assemble the entire dessert up to 24 hours in advance in a baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Do not use cast iron if you decide to try this make-ahead option.
Once cooled to room temperature, leftover apple pandowdy will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the crust will continue to absorb the filling juices, so it will become softer as the days pass. So try to finish leftovers as soon as you can. Reheat in an oven at 350°F until warmed through.
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If you’ve tried this apple pandowdy recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Apple Pandowdy Recipe
Equipment
- 10-inch oven proof or cast iron skillet
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 single pie crust store-bought or homemade
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g)
- 2½ pounds apples (1.1kg), peeled, cored and sliced
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (70g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup apple juice or water (180mL)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- On a cutting board, roll the pie crust into a 10-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the pie crust into roughly 2-inch square pieces. (Some pieces will not be perfect squares.) Place the pieces of crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until melted. Add the apple mixture and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to soften and their juices are bubbling.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk to combine the apple juice (or water) and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the skillet and immediately mix well to combine. Cook for 1 more minute, just until the liquid around the apples starts to thicken. Remove from the heat.
- Use the back of a spoon to spread the apple mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Place the pie dough pieces randomly over the top, shingling them slightly while leaving a little bit of space between some pieces where steam can release. Brush the crust all over with heavy cream or milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and press down on the crust with the back of a spoon in 6 to 7 places all over the top so that the pan juices flow over the crust in certain spots. You do not want to submerge the whole crust! Just about half of it.
- Return to the oven for about 15 more minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Best sugars for sprinkling: Turbinado or sparkling sugar are great coarse sugars for a little crunch. You could also use cinnamon sugar or a different spiced sugar for additional flavor.
- If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you can transfer the apple mixture to a 2½ to 3-quart casserole dish before topping it with the crust and baking.
- If you don’t have heavy cream or milk, you can also brush the crust with an egg wash (which is just 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water).
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the cooked apples, then stir in the apple juice or water. Cook until the mixture simmers and thickens.
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