Apple Pan Dowdy

This Apple Pandowdy Recipe is loaded with sweetly spiced tender apples and covered in a pie crust that’s been sprinkled with cinnamon sugar! It takes only 30 minutes to prep this baked, cozy apple dessert!

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This Recipe For Apple Pan Dowdy

If you’re a lover of cozy baked apple desserts, then you’re going to fall in love with this Apple Pandowdy with every bite! The combination of slightly glazed golden brown pie crust paired with tender spiced apples creates a texture that’s just as good as the flavor!

This is the ultimate crisp fall treat to bake up as soon as you get your hands on fresh-picked apples from the orchard. Though it’s so good, you’re going to want to carry this recipe through the holidays, too!

And since it’s best served with a scoop of ice cream, we can just count it as a summer treat, too! 😉

What Is A Pandowdy?

Pandowdy is a deep-dish baked fruit dessert that has a sliced-up top crust. Typically, a pandowdy is sweetened with maple syrup or molasses and brown sugar or granulated sugar.

The classic look of a pandowdy comes after it has finished baking when the crust is immediately cut into squares. Once the crust has been cut, it’s gently pushed into the spiced fruit filling so that the sauce slightly covers the crust.

Think of it like an easier, deconstructed apple pie of sorts.

Where Did The Term Pandowdy Come From?

The term pandowdy dates back to the 18th century and is said to have come from the “dowdy” appearance that the crust takes on once it’s been cut into and pressed into the hot filling.

Apple Pandowdy Recipe Ingredients

• Honeycrisp Or Granny Smith Apples
• 100% Pure Maple Syrup
• Light Brown Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Cornstarch
• Vanilla Extract
• Ground Cinnamon
• Speculaas or Apple Pie Spice
• Salt
• Salted Butter
• Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts
• Milk
• Granulated Sugar

Substitutions & Variations

• Apples – I like to make apple desserts using crisp, juicy apples such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. However, you can make this pandowdy with your favorite apples or even a mixed variety of apples!
• Pie Crust – puff pastry or homemade
• Molasses– Apple Pandowdy can be made with molasses instead of 100% real maple syrup. Both lend a distinct flavor to the dessert, so feel free to choose the one that better suits your taste buds.
• Coarse Sparkling Sugar – King Arthur Baking carries coarse sparkling sugar that you can use to make the cinnamon sugar mixture with. This coarse sugar would give the dessert more of a crunchy topping.
• Fruit – Instead of making this pandowdy with apples, give it a try with peaches, pears, or another fruit of your choice. You can even do a mixed fruit pandowdy!

How To Make Apple Pan Dowdy

1. Prepare the apples by peeling, coring, and slicing them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Then, add them to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the light brown sugar, pure maple syrup, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, Speculaas or apple pie spice, and salt to the bowl with apples. Toss together to coat the apples.
3. Transfer the coated apples to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. If you only have an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, that’s okay; just reduce the apples by 1!
4. Add salted butter cubes on top of the apple mixture.
5. Top the skillet of apples with one crust and press the edges of the crust down into the pan around the edges a bit.
6. Brush the milk onto the top of the pie crust.
7. Stir together ground cinnamon and granulated sugar in a small prep bowl. Then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the milk-washed pie crust. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the other pie crust on top of the first.
8. Cut 6 slits around the center of the apple pandowdy.
9. Bake until the filling bubbles around the edges and the crust has turned golden brown. This should take about 35 to 40 minutes.
10. Once the pandowdy is removed from the oven, immediately slice across the top of the crust in lines about 2 inches apart, then slice in the opposite direction, leaving square pieces on top of the pie.
11. Using a spoon, press the square pieces of crust down into the filling just enough for the sauce to run over the top of the crust. The sauce will dry over the crust, creating a glaze on top, giving the dessert its signature pandowdy appearance.
12. Cool the pandowdy at room temperature for 2 hours, allowing the juices to thicken. Then serve and enjoy!

How To Serve This Recipe For Apple Pan Dowdy

Serve this baked fruit dessert in a bowl while it’s still slightly warm from baking. Then top it with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or even a splash of heavy cream.

How To Make Apple Pandowdy Ahead Of Time

Apple pandowdy can be made ahead of time to bake it off for a fresh treat later easily! I’d recommend assembling the recipe in the skillet (without baking it) and then storing it in the fridge overnight.

Then you can just slide it into the oven without the kitchen mess when you’re ready to enjoy it the next day!

Apple Pan Dowdy Recipe Storage

Store leftover Apple Pan Dowdy in an airtight container. Then, you can keep the leftovers at room temperature for up to 48 hours or store them in the fridge to enjoy for up to 5 days.

To Reheat: For best results, heat the leftovers in the oven using a skillet. This will make the pandowdy taste like it’s been freshly baked!
You can also heat individual servings in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl until warm.

More Apple Recipes:

• Mini Caramel Apple Cheesecakes – Prep this easy dessert in just 30 minutes!
• Apple Fritters – Covered in sweet vanilla glaze!
• Apple Cider Whoopie Pies – Hand-held treats that are rolled in cinnamon sugar!
• Brown Sugar Apple Pie – Filled with homemade apple pie filling!
• Apple Cider Bundt Cake – Made with shredded apples, apple sauce, AND apple cider!