Paleo Apple Pie

This Paleo Apple Pie has a flaky gluten-free lattice crust with a delicious spiced apple filling! Your holiday dessert table isn’t complete without apple pie, and this healthier refined sugar free recipe will satisfy any apple pie lover.

I’m sitting here trying to think of what to say…while my mind is really on the election, nervously watching electoral votes roll in. I can’t even go there – this is a baking blog, not a political one, so I’m going to take a break from my worrying to talk about one of my favorite foods – apple pie!

There’s nothing polarizing about apple pie, is there?! Except maybe whether you prefer a lattice crust or a crumble crust – but that’s easily solved…just make two pies! ;)

If you’re in the lattice apple pie camp, I’ve got you covered today. Lattice top pies are always one of my favorites to look at, because the woven crust looks so mesmerizing and seems so much harder to do than it actually is.

I’ve been wanting to paleo-ify apple pie for a while now, and I had to get it done before Thanksgiving. Thankfully, it came together beautifully after a couple of recipe tests, and we’ve got ourselves a sweet, tender apple pie with a gorgeously golden brown, super flaky crust just in time for the holidays!

The crust, made with almond flour and tapioca flour, is pretty easy to work with as far as grain-free or gluten-free crust goes, but it’s definitely a little tricker than regular pie crust. You see, gluten is what holds together traditional pie crust, and without the gluten, the crust wants to crack and break.

Luckily, gluten being overworked is what makes a crust get tough, so without the gluten, there’s no need to worry about overworking the dough. If the dough breaks while rolling it, or moving it, or folding it, you can press it back together with your fingers – no harm, no foul. Also, to make dealing with the dough easier, keep it nice and chilled and you’ll have less breakage.

Now for the star of the show – the apples! A lot of apple pie recipes call for Granny Smiths, but I’ve found that the best apple pies use a variety of different apple types for the best flavor and texture in the pie.

I used a mix of Granny Smiths, which are firm and tart, Honeycrisps, which are firm and sweet, and Red Delicious, which are soft and sweet. After they’re baked, the Granny Smiths and the Honeycrisps stay firm with a bit more bite, while the Red Delicious break down and become more saucey. The variety of flavors and textures is key for a fantastic filling! I like to stop by the farmer’s market and go for the mix-n-match apple bag, grabbing a few of whatever the farmers have that day.

The apples are sweetened with coconut sugar, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger, and lemon juice and vanilla extract add extra delicious flavor. The apples get soft as they bake, soaking in the sugar and spices. This pie is super flavorful, and a scoop of ice cream or whipped coconut cream on top of a warm slice would be the perfect ending to a holiday meal.

I think this pie is best in the first day or two after it’s made, but it’ll keep in your fridge for about 5 days (if it lasts that long!!!). If you have leftovers, it’s also great for breakfast with some Greek yogurt ;) pie for breakfast is a thing, right?! If not, it should be. Happy pie baking – enjoy!

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Paleo Apple Pie

Save Print Prep time 1 hour 30 mins Cook time 1 hour Total time 2 hours 30 mins Author: Rachel Conners Serves: 1 9" pie Ingredients

3 cups (288g) almond flour
1 cup (113g) tapioca flour
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons cold grass-fed butter, cubed
1 large egg, cold

For the filling

2.5 pounds apples (I used a mix of Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Red Delicious), peeled, cored and sliced into ¼” slices
2 tablespoons (14g) tapioca flour
½ cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, cubed

Directions

- Combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, salt and butter in a food processor, or use a pastry blender in a bowl. Pulse or blend until the texture of coarse meal.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla extract and then add to the dry ingredients. Pulse/mix again until dough comes together. If you’re mixing in a bowl, you may want to use your hands to bring the dough together at the end.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into flat, round discs. Wrap each dough disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Roll out one round of dough in between two sheets of parchment or on a silicone baking mat into a 12-inch circle. Carefully lay dough into a 9-inch pie dish (not deep dish). If the dough breaks, that’s okay! Just press it back into place and repair any holes/cracks that may have formed. Place in the freezer while preparing the filling.
- Place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Add the tapioca flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Toss to combine, until all the apple slices are evenly coated.
- Fill the bottom crust with apple slices, leaving any extra liquid/juice in the bottom of the bowl. Dot the small pats of butter on top of the apples.
- Roll out the second round of dough in between two sheets of parchment or on a silicone baking mat into a 12-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into even ½” strips (you can also make them wider, depending on what sort of look you want). At this point, I recommend putting the cut strips back into the refrigerator about 10 minutes to firm back up - it will make them easier to work with and reduce breakage. Use your chilled dough strips to cover the pie with a lattice work crust - I used the method depicted here. Be extra careful when folding the strips - the lack of gluten in the crust makes the dough much more susceptible to breaking, but if it does, just press the strips back into place. Mine broke a fair bit but you can’t tell once it’s baked!
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the temperature to 350°F, and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the pie is golden brown on top. Tent with foil if the pie starts to brown too quickly!
- Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve warm or chilled. Keep any leftovers stored in the refrigerator.

3.5.3218