Naturally Sweet Classic Apple Pie

The fall season can be quite dangerous. Fall always calls for pie and at my house – it’s apple pie. 

This particular naturally sweet apple pie is pure danger. Because its sugar-free, contains fruit and is filled with natural spelt flour – I call it healthy. You are not alone if you find your pie half gone on the first day. . .and you’re the only one home to eat it!

My husband loves this pie so much, he’s told me it’s better than my sugar-filled version. Oh how I wish you all could have seen my smile at that statement! But this particular pie gives me even more to smile about. I made a small change to my recipe using sorghum molasses! The verdict- success!

Sorghum smells and tastes very similar to regular molasses. I found it even has the same color and texture as well. I was beyond happy that I can now use this wonderful molasses in place of the sugar cane product. It yielded nothing short of a delicious, scrumptious pie.

I wanted to share my three secrets to making a delectable apple pie.

#1. Use organic fresh apples! There really isn’t a substitute for pure organic produce! You will not be disappointed in the quality of your pie.

#2 Use a variety of apples. I use three varieties in my apple pies, and the combination of sweet and tart apples creates the perfect texture and flavor. If you don’t want to use three, be sure to use one sweet type of apple and one tart.

and lastly #3….. Find a wonderful mother-in-law to give you an adorable pie pan!

Honestly, how cute is this dish? I’m thinking this last tip might actually be the most important. Why? Because cute pie pans make for happy bakers and happy bakers make fabulous pies. And when there are fabulous pies around, everyone is happy!

UPDATE: Recently, in the filling, I tried adding 2 Tablespoons of Agave Inulin in place of the flour and used Maple Syrup in place of the Agave or Honey. It was a delicious success and the filling held up great!

 

Naturally Sweet Classic Apple Pie (Makes one 9″ or 10″ pie)
Print Recipe

Pie Crust:
3 cups White Spelt Flour or White Flour
1 teaspoon Pink Salt
3 Tablespoons Powdered Honey
2 1/2  sticks frozen diced Unsalted Butter
5-6 Tablespoons Ice Water

Filling:
2 organic Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into slices
1 organic Pink Lady apples, peeled and cut into slices
2 organic Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cut into slices
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 cup Coconut Sugar
1/4 cup Honey or Agave
1 Tablespoon Sorghum Molasses
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Sea or Pink Salt
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Spelt Flour or White Flour

When making pies, I like to prep my fillings first so that when the crust is done, it can go into the oven more quickly. I usually peel and cut up my apples first, put them in a bowl, coat the slices in the lemon juice, cover the bowl and set aside. You can also do this step after making your crust.

Prep your crust dough. In a food processor, or in a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and powdered honey. Add your butter and pulse on and off until your mixture combines into pea size pieces. Add 4-5 tablespoons cold water in between pulsing and continue until just combined. Add more water if needed. If using a large bowl to make the dough, cut in your butter until pea size chunks form and add water until it’s all combined. Add more water if dough is a little dry. The dough should hold together but not be super sticky.

On a floured work surface, divide your dough into 2 equal parts. Roll into 2 disks and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Remove 1 pie disk from the fridge and roll out the first half of the dough into a 1/8-1/4 inch thick circle. Transfer to a greased pie pan. Roll the other half of the dough to the same thickness. This is the top of your pie to be used after you fill your shell with the apple filling. You can leave the dough in a circle, cut out strips to form a lattice top or use cookie cutters to cut out shapes to cover your pie.  Whichever way you prefer, if your filling is not made yet, cover the 2 pieces with plastic wrap and set in the freezer to keep cold.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Next, start on your filling. In your bowl with your sliced apples, add the lemon juice, if you haven’t already, the coconut sugar, honey or agave, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add flour and mix until all of the apples are nicely coated. Pour your filling into your pie crust. Top your pie with the remaining dough and/or cutouts.  If you decide to leave your dough in a circle, don’t forget to use your knife to cut a few slits in the top, seal the seams together and flute the edges to make it pretty!

Cover pie with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove pie cover in the last 15 minutes of baking. Let cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and enjoy!