This gluten free apple pie recipe bakes to golden, flaky perfection on the outside and has a warm, gooey center. This tried and true recipe will amaze your friends, they won't know it's gluten free.
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If there's a staple Thanksgiving Pie (aside from pumpkin pie), it's an apple pie. I've never been to a Thanksgiving dinner that doesn't have an apple pie on the dessert table. Not only is it a classic for the holidays, but it's a great treat to have all summer and fall.
I love this gluten free apple pie because it's still so buttery and flaky, no on will know it's made sans gluten. This way all friends can enjoy!
Does apple pie contain gluten?
Traditional apple pie contains gluten because of the flour made in the pie crust. Water, butter and all purpose flour are the typical ingredients. However, there is an option to make it gluten free. It's why I love to use a pre-made gluten free flour blend.
My favorite gluten free all-purpose baking flour: Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. It contains the xanthum gum already in the mix so no need to add it separate.
Ingredients
- Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour or similar 1:1 baking flour (with xanthum gum)
- Very cold grass-fed butter (could also use vegan butter)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ice water
- Apples
- Coconut sugar
- lemon juice
- Tapioca flour
- Spices: cinnamon, all spice, cloves, nutmeg
Is there a gluten-free ready made pie crust?
Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour both have ready-made gluten free pie crust mixes with great reviews. If you don't want to make your own, you can use those!
What variety of apples to use
I prefer a mixture of a few apple varieties including: granny smith, honeycrisp, braeburn or jonagold. These all are a great mixture between sweet and tart and they're pretty firm. They stand up to the heat of the oven and don't become overly sweet in the filling.
How to make gluten free apple pie
- Mix the dough: Whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. Add the cold water 2 tablespoons at a time. Stop adding water when the dough comes together easily and starts to clump.
- Chill dough: Turn onto a gently floured surface and work gently until flour is combined to the butter. Form the dough into a ball and cut the dough in half. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir really well to combine. Set the filling aside to rest while you roll out the dough.
- Roll out the dough: Remove one dough disc from the fridge and roll it out into a 12 inch circle between two pieces of parchment paper. Flip a 9-inch pie dish upside down in the center of one piece of dough then carefully flip both over so the crust is inside the pan.
- Assemble the pie: Spoon the apple filling inside the dough and discard any extra juices from the bottom of the bowl. Remove the other dic of chilled dough from the fridge, roll into another 12 inch circle then lattice on top of the filling. between parchment paper. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes then, keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 25 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
- Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
How to make it in advance
Make the dough, wrap them into discs and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days before. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and allow to come to room temp before serving.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you.
Check out more healthy Thanksgiving desserts or these gluten free pies:
Recipe
Gluten Free Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the crust
- 4 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend with xanthum gum I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks very cold grass-fed unsalted butter, diced and chilled
- 1 cup ice cold water
For the filling
- 6 large apples cored, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (11 cups total)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- Zest from 1 lemon about 1 teaspoon
- Juice from 1 lemon about 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- For the egg wash: 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water
Instructions
- Whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the very cold butter cubes to the flour and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until all of the flour is coated. They should be larger than peas but not very large clumps.
- Combine 1 cup of water with ice and allow it to sit for about a minute to let the water get very cold then measure out 1 cup from there. Add the cold water 2 tablespoons at a time to the butter and flour and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition. Stop adding water when the dough comes together easily and starts to clump. The dough will be a little sticky but shouldn’t stick to your fingers.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and gently fold the dough onto itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the butter. Form the dough into a ball and cut the dough in half. Form each half into a disc and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. This would be a great time to make this recipe in advance by prepping the dough.
- When you’re ready to make the pie, preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix together the filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir really well to combine. Set the filling aside to rest while you roll out the dough.
- Remove one dough disc from the fridge and roll it out into a 12 inch circle between two pieces of parchment paper. Start in the center of the dough and work your way out with a rolling pin, turning the dough slightly between each roll to create an even circle.
- Flip a 9-inch pie dish upside down in the center of one piece of dough then carefully flip both over so the crust is inside the pan. You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough up and then unroll onto the pie pan.
- Spoon the apple filling inside the dough and discard any extra juices from the bottom of the bowl.
- Remove the other disc of chilled dough from the fridge and roll into another 12 inch circle between parchment paper. Cut the dough into 12 strips and lattice the pie on top of the filling. See notes for lattice instructions. Once the lattice is done, crimp the edges all around the pie to seal. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
- Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle
- Cut the circle into twelve 1-inch vertical strips using a pie or pizza cutter
- Remove every other strip and place them vertically on top of the apple filling one inch apart.
- Take the top of the farthest left strip of dough on top of the pie and pull it backward toward you, folding it over itself. Repeat this with every other strip.
- When every other strip is pulled back, take a strip of dough from the work surface and place it across the pie horizontally. You should start to see a weaving pattern come together.
- Put the strips of dough back and repeat the process with the alternate vertical strips until the whole pie is criss-crossed.
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