Apple Pie and Pie Crust

Since I am an October baby, all of my birthdays have had apples involved. Whether it was bobbing for apples, Carmel covered apples or an apple toss, each birthday memory is sweeten by the thought of apples!

Well this year, as I was throwing my first large dinner and dessert party for my birthday, I knew I had to make an apple pie! I just love apple pie and couldn’t think of any other dessert I would want for my birthday.

I guess I didn’t realize how much work would be involved in making a gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free recipe that would work. This apple pie was definitely “my Everest” of desserts; however, the outcome was worth it! The pie was a hit!

Apple Pie Filling:

5 Apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices
3/4 cup honey (1 cup if you like sweeter pie)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 Pie Crusts (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl add your, Peeled, cored and sliced apples. Pour the lemon juice over the apples to prevent browning. Heat the honey on medium low until it flows freely. Combine flour, spices and salt. Sift flour, salt and spices over the apples.

At this point I like to set the apples aside and prepare the top crust, that way the apples don't get soupy while they wait, covered in sugar, for the top crust to be ready. 

I spent a lot of time trying to find a pie crust recipe I could roll out and top a pie with, after about 5 tries, I decided that with grain free pie crusts, that just wasn’t an option. I decided to use a small cookie cutter, and cut out shapes to top the pie, rather than one large crust (see picture above).

Once your top crust is prepared, pour the honey over the apples and gently combine. Place the apples in your bottom crust. Add your cut out shapes to the top of the pie to almost completely cover your pie. You can brush the crust with milk or egg white to help it brown.

Cover the crust with tin foil to keep the edges from burning. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Rotate the pie front to back and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake until bubbling, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Pie Crust: (from Spunky Coconut)

Add to bowl:

3 tbsp flax seed meal OR 1.5 tbsp Chia Seed meal

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp applesauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 drops Vanilla Creme liquid stevia

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Mix with electric mixer.

Add:

1 cup almond meal flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Mix again.

Roll out the dough.

Flatten the dough out slightly, so it's about 6 inches wide, then put it in the dish, and press it the rest of the way out with your hands.

(I also lightly grease and flour my pie dish first, so the crust doesn't stick.) Then bake and the time listed above!

I’m sharing this on Pennywise Platter Thursday and Simple Lives Thursday!