Apple Pizza

Think of this as apple pie’s cooler cousin: a soft, slightly sweet yeast crust piled high with spiced apples and finished with a crumbly streusel topping.

The cream cheese layer underneath the apples keeps the crust from getting soggy while adding a cheesecake-like richness.

Serving it warm brings out all the cinnamon and butter aromas, though it’s equally good cold for breakfast the next morning (if there’s any left).

Chef Tips

• Use firm apples: Granny Smith or Honeycrisp hold their shape during cooking. Softer varieties like McIntosh turn to mush.
• Cool the apple filling: Let the cooked apples cool completely before spreading on the dough. Hot filling will melt the cream cheese layer and make assembly messy.
• Don’t skip the second rise: The 15-minute rest after topping lets the dough puff up around the edges, creating that classic pizza crust rim.
• Cut the streusel small: Use a fork or pastry cutter to make pea-sized crumbles. Too large and they won’t bake through; too small and they’ll disappear.

Variations

• Swap apples for fresh peaches in summer for peach pizza
• Add ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping
• Drizzle with vanilla glaze after baking for extra sweetness