Gluten-Free Apple Pie – Two Ways

Fall is my favorite time of year to bake! And apple pie is something I crave as soon as the weather starts to turn a bit cooler. As you know, I don’t share recipes all that often because I’m more of an “I like to decorate my kitchen” than an “I like to cook in my kitchen” kind of lady. But I just can’t gate keep this crust recipe any longer. Gluten-free friends, this crust is so easy to make and can easily be used for all of your pie-baking needs from apple pie to chicken pot pie.

I’ve been gluten-free for over 10 years now, and I’ve tried a number of crust recipes. Through lots of trial and error, I’ve pulled from all of the different ones I’ve tried to create one that is simple to make, rolls out beautifully, and tastes great!

So let’s get into it! Whether you like a traditional apple pie or an apple crumble pie, I’ve got you covered. *And if you’re not gluten-free, you can totally substitute the gluten-free flour for regular flour.

For the Pie Crust:

• 3 cups gluten-free flour – I like this one best as this blend includes xanthan gum. So you don’t have to add it in as a separate step.
• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) – cut cold butter into small pieces
• 8 to 10 tablespoons milk – I prefer to use almond milk, but any milk will work.

*This crust recipe makes enough dough for 2 crusts.

For the Apple Filling:

• 6 cups granny smith apples – peeled & sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar or more if you prefer a sweeter pie
• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch/flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

*Squeeze lemon juice over apples if they start to turn brown when peeling and slicing.

For the Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons butter – cut cold butter into small pieces

Directions:

To Make a Traditional Apple Pie

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Start with the crust – In a mixing bowl, add flour then cut butter into flour. Add milk, and use your hands to work the butter and milk into the dough. Work into one large dough ball, then split into two. Wrap dough balls in parchment/wax paper and refrigerate.

3. For the apple filling – In a large bowl, combine apples, sugars, starch/flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Pull the dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out each dough ball between two pieces of parchment/wax paper.

5. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and place the pie plate upside down on the dough. Flip the plate and dough over so the pie plate is now right side up. Then peel the parchment paper off the top. Carefully pat the dough down into the pie plate, and trim the edges if needed.

6. Add apple filling.

7. Carefully remove parchment paper and place the second pie crust over the apples. Pinch dough edges together, and either flute or fork the edges.

8. Use a fork to make small holes all over the top of the crust to allow steam to escape while baking. Then brush the top of the crust with a mixture (1 beaten egg & 1 tablespoon of water) and lightly sprinkle with sugar.

9. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the pie, cover it with foil (to keep the top from over-browning), and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes.

To Make an Apple Crumble Pie

Follow steps 1-6 above, then

7. Combine crumble topping ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to mix. The topping should be crumbly, kind of like wet, rocky sand.

8. Evenly sprinkle topping over the apple filling.

9. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven, cover with foil to prevent the top from over-browning, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes.

When you make an apple crumble, you’ll end up with one dough ball left unused as the crust recipe makes two. So you can either cut the ingredients in half in order to make just one crust, or you can use the leftover crust to make individual pies!

Once you roll out the dough, use either a biscuit cutter or a round cookie cutter to cut the dough. Then place one dough circle inside a ramekin, fill it with apples, and place one on top. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, then cover with foil, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.

I recommend not filling your ramekin all the way to the top with apples, so you have room for a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

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