Kitchen Classic: Amazing Gluten Free Apple Pie

No matter what season or what event, apple pie is the perfect make and take dessert. Imagine it, a hot summer cookout with apple pie a la mode. You can just as easily imagine a brisk Thanksgiving or snowy Christmas with warm apples and cinnamon. I love this recipe and there are lots of places where you can make adjustments to suit your preferences or time constraints.

This particular recipe features a gluten free (cinnamon roll!) crust with a streusel top. However, you can easily use regular flour throughout the recipe, use a store-bought crust, or make a double crust or lattice top pie. I generally prefer sweeter apples, but for this recipe I recommend granny smith. This pie is perfectly sweet and tart, soft and crunchy, and delicious every time. I use a deep pie pan so the crust does not need to be covered and it will not burn. Check out the full recipe below! I used gluten free all-purpose flour throughout. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it’s mostly sugar and butter…like any good dessert, right?

Ingredients

The ingredients are listed below for each component of the pie so you can prepare in advance. However, they are also listed throughout the recipe since some of the steps overlap and some ingredients are used multiple times.

Pie Crust

• 1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 2 cold eggs
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water
• 1 tablespoon melted butter (unsalted)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Filling

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 7 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon or apple juice

Topping

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• Water or melted butter

Directions

1. Add some flour (2-3 tablespoons) to a gallon bag. Add 1 cup cold, cubed butter to the gallon bag and shake to coat each cube so they won’t freeze together. Seal the bag and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk 2 cold eggs and ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar until mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Place 2.5 cups flour into a large bowl. Pour the butter and flour from the gallon bag into the flour. Cut the cold butter into the flour using your fingers, two butter knives, or a dough blender. Cut until the mixture is sandy with some large lumps of butter remaining. Stir in the egg mixture. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball (with GF flour it usually takes 4 tablespoons).
4. Wrap the ball of dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
5. While the dough is chilling, you may prepare your filling.
6. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
7. Peel and slice the apples. I cut my apple slices very thin so I can pack them tightly into the pie. Once sliced, place them into a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon lemon or apple juice to keep them fresh. Add sugar and spice mixture from step 6 and stir to coat apples. Set aside.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease pie dish.
9. After the dough is firm, roll to desired thickness on a floured work surface. I use a pastry silicone mat to help with measuring and mess. If you do not want a cinnamon roll crust, you can skip steps 10 and 11 and use the dough to make a double crust pie.
10. Brush your crust with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll the crust tightly and slice into ½ inch rounds.
11. Press each mini cinnamon roll into the pie dish until the bottom and sides are covered (cut some in half to go up the sides).
12. Pour the filling (from step 7) into the prepared crust.
13. To make the topping, combine 2/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Cut in ¼ cup cold butter until crumbly. Add water or melted butter if you want the streusel to be more caramelized versus dry. I typically add the leftover melted butter from the crust and a little water. Add topping to pie.
14. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, turning halfway through (until the apples are tender crisp). I recommend covering your pie crust with tin foil or a crust guard if you are not using a deep dish pie pan (for at least the first 25 minutes or so).
15. Cool on a wire rack to desired temperature and then ENJOY!

Is apple pie a crowd pleaser at your house?

Katie G.