The Genius Way To Transform Your Costco Apple Pie Into A New Treat

Anyone who knows me knows that I take the apple pie from Costco very seriously. Dare I say it rivals any scratch-made family recipe or the unique way Gordon Ramsay prepares apple pie — it's just that good. This pie checks all the boxes: The apples are thickly sliced, preventing them from becoming mushy, yet they still have a tender bite as they sit tightly compact in a perfectly spiced, caramel-like filling. The pie filling is encased in a flakey crust that tastes like it has the glaze of a Krispy Kreme donut on top. That and it only costs around $13 dollars, despite being the size of a small child. Just when I thought this pie couldn't get any better, a Costco employee shared her hack on social media for taking an already delicious apple pie and into turning it into something illegally delicious. The entire pie gets mixed together and then baked again, but with a streusel crumb topping.

While I normally would consider it sacrilegious to buy this apple pie with the intention of doing anything other than appreciating its beautiful construction while savoring its harmonious blend of flavors and textures, who could argue against adding a streusel crumb topping on anything? This ingenious idea transforms the pie into something uniquely yours, as demonstrated by the Costco employee. Moreover, since this pie is freshly baked by the Costco bakery, it has minimal preservatives. Once you slice into it, the crust tends to become soggy within a day, just yearning for a second chance. This is really where mixing the pie's contents together and applying a new top layer comes in handy.

Whether you're trying this idea with a fresh Coscto apple pie or one that needs a refresh after a few days (if you can resist devouring it in that time), you'll want to use a large spatula to break up the pie. As you do this, simultaneously incorporate the crust and apple filling with one another until everything is evenly combined. You want a consistency of hardy chunks of apple and crust, not baby food. You can either keep the pie in the disposable aluminum pie dish it came in or transfer it to a baking dish. Spread the filling out evenly, coating the bottom of the dish while keeping the layer of filling about ½-inch thick.

Now, its time to add a streusel crumb topping and bake. You can use the streusel topping recipe from the perfect fruit crumble, which is a simple mixture of butter, flour, sugar, and spices. Bonus points for adding chopped nuts if you want more of a contrasting crunch. Distribute the crumb topping generously throughout the top of the pie filling, then pop it into an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake it until the streusel topping is golden brown and the apple pie filling is bubbling.

Sometimes even the best apple pies call for a little bit of culinary destruction because now you have an entirely new and irresistible dessert. The next time you're entertaining guests or find yourself with a Costco apple pie all to yourself, give this pie hack a try and claim all the credit for creating a sweet treat that dreams are made of.