The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (2024)

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This gluten free apple pie has all of the flavor - and texture - of traditional apple pie... just without the wheat. Enjoyed by everyone!

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (1)

With all of the fall recipes we’ve been working on, obviously I had to post my gluten-free apple pie recipe!

After all, not only is fall just around the corner - with the promise of juicy apples, fresh from the tree - but I also realized that I don’t have many gluten free pie recipes posted.

Lots of gluten free dessert recipes in general, but only Gluten Free Earl Grey Pie and Gluten Free Maple Pumpkin Pie in the pie department.

Whoops!

This delicious gluten-free apple pie is a classic apple pie, perfect to be served warm or cold, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

As you should, when it comes to homemade apple pie!

When made with my new and improved gluten free pie crust recipe, this delicious apple pie is the real deal - and passes for a traditional pie.

Sure to be the BEST apple pie you’ve had, and is totally suitable to be served to both those who need gluten-free, and others!

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (2)

Ingredients

Gluten-free Pie Crust

You can use your favourite gluten free pie crust recipe for this recipe, and I’ll be sharing mine soon.

I had the post ALL ready to go - and it’s the one I used to make the pie photographed for this post. It tasted great and behaved just like regular pie crust.

... but then I improved my recipe, and made an even MORE flaky crust with it!

Truly the best gluten free crust I’ve ever made - I just need to re-shoot it and re-write that post. It’s coming soon though, I promise!

Edit: Here it is! Gluten Free Pie Crust recipe.

Originally, It was designed using a great gluten-free flour blend that I came up with for pie crusts in general.

I’m not a fan of all purpose flour blends - I designed this flour mixture to work well for gluten-free dough, specifically. It made a tasty pie shell, with a relatively flakey crust*.

Assuming it’s handled right, anyway. I overhandled it when making the crust for the pie photographed here, as I got it mostly done before deciding that no, I wanted to do braids. Still tastes great, just not as flaky as it usually is!

Anyway, originally, I made that crust using a food processor to cut the cubed butter and cold water into the dough.

... that’s been changed - just the technique, not the actual inigredients. Will post here soon!

Apples

I like to use crisp apples - usually tart apples - for this gluten free apple pie recipe, but any good baking apple will work.

IMHO Mutsus are the best apples, but I tend to use Granny Smith apples, or a mixture of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples, depending on what’s available and what I’m in the mood for.

Everything else

Rounding out this recipe, you’ll need:

Brown sugar (Can sub Maple syrup for this!)
Granulated sugar
Unsalted butter
Cornstarch
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg
Large egg
Heavy cream / whipping cream
Salt

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (3)

Equipment

This recipe doesn’t really require any special equipment - a 9-inch pie pan and a rolling pin.

For best results, recommend using a Rolling pin with adjustable thickness guides, as they can be a BIG help getting your pie dough rolled out to a nice, consistent thickness (⅛" thick, ideally!).

While I used to suggest using a baking sheet under the pie - to catch any drips - I haven’t needed that since I changed my recipe up a bit, to a partially cooked filling.

Not only does it bake up to the perfect texture, it’s less of a mess in the oven!

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (4)

How to Make Gluten Free Apple Pie

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post. This is a pictorial walk through, to show what each of the simple steps actually looks like.

Apple Pie Filling

Filling:

In a large bowl, combine sugars, cornstarch, spices, and salt, set aside.

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Add apple slices to the large mixing bowl of dry ingredients, gently toss to coat apples with the sugar mixture. Set aside.

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (5)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the apple mixture to the pan, stir well to incorporate the butter

Simmer for about 5 minutes, just until the apples start to soften and give off some liquid.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

If you’re not using it right away, cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container, and chill it until you’re ready to assemble the pie.

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Apple Pie Assembly:

Set an oven rack to the lowest position, preheat oven to 425F.

Dust your clean work surface with corn starch.

Roll out half of your pie dough to form a circle about 12" in diameter - ⅛" thick is the goal.

Carefully transfer the rolled bottom crust to a 9" pie dish.

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (7)

Mound cooled apple filling into the lined pie pan, taking care to avoid getting pie filling around the top edge of the pan/crust.

Roll out your second crust.

You can transfer the top crust as-is to cover the pie filling, or slice it into strips to make a lattice crust.

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (8)

This time around, I cut strips of various widths, and even braided some. I was feeling EXTRA that morning!

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (9)

Apply the crust whichever way you’d like on top of the apples.

Here’s how I do a lattice pie top:

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (10)

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (11)

Trim and crimp the edges of the upper and lower crusts together around the entire pie..

In a mug or small bowl, whisk together egg and heavy cream, brush this egg wash over top of the crust.

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If doing a whole top crust - rather than lattice - be sure to cut a few slits in the top, to allow air to escape.

Do this AFTER the egg wash, though - the egg wash can seal your air slits closed!

Bake pie on the lowest rack in the oven for 15 minutes.

While I usually bake on the center rack, using the lowest rack helps the bottom crust cook quickly, which prevents it from going soggy. Also, this helps to not overcook the top of the pie.

Reduce oven temperature to 375, cook for another 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Note: If the edges of the pie crust are browning too fast, use a pie shield, or carefully wrap a long piece of aluminum foil around the edge of the pie, as shown.

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Remove from heat, allow to cool for an hour or two before serving.

This is great as-is, or with a bit of vanilla ice cream for “a la mode”.

Leftover pie can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days or so.

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Lining the Pan

Generally speaking, you’re not supposed to NEED to grease or line a pie pan before putting the crust in.

Theoretically, it’s self-greasing, from the amount of butter or other fats in the dough.

... I don’t know if I’m just a messy pie maker or what, but I’ve NEVER been able to get away with not greasing a pan.

Some kind of sugar, fruit, or whatever always manages to slip in under the crust somehow. It caramelizes, and GLUES the pie to the pan.

Up until recently, I’d never gotten a perfect slice out of a pan on the first go. It’s why I was never much of a pie person - cutting that first slice out was always too much stress and disappointment.

... so I decided to start lining my pie plates, and it has COMPLETELY changed my view on making pies, and now I make them often.

Here’s what I do

Spray the pie plate with a bit of baking spray. This will help keep the parchment in place.

Cut a ~ 12" circle from a piece of parchment paper, center it over the pie plate, and press down. Smooth out all of the air bubbles across the bottom of the pan.

Carefully cut slits from the outer edge of the parchment circle, straight down to the bottom edge of the pan. I do this a couple inches apart, the whole way around the circle.

Smooth and slightly overlap the flaps, so the whole thing is form fitting to the pan.

Trim the upper edge of the parchment if you’d like.

Place the pie crust in, ensuring that everything is still laying flat and even after doing do. Bake the pie as normal.

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Once the pie is cool, slice and serve from there - You can leave the parchment paper in, if you like.

As a food blogger, I have to pull it out before photographing, as a nice clean plate just look better when a slice is missing.

So, I cut a slice out, and use the opening to gently pull the parchment paper out from under the pie.

Sometimes I can just whip it out - like the whole “pull a tablecloth out from under the settings” thing - but it never seems to work quite so smoothly when I’m recording to SHOW that!

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One More Tip

While I’m on the subject of “things I do for prettier photos”, let’s talk about that perfect cut!

To get a really nice clean cut, I let the pie cool to room temp, then let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting it.

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (17)

More Gluten Free Apple Recipes

Looking for some more tasty, gluten free apple desserts? I’ve got you covered with even more easy gluten free recipes!

Apple Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn
Apple Crisp Macchiato
Candy Apples
Gluten Free Apple Cake
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Gluten Free Caramel Apple Pancakes
Hard Apple Cider
Maple Caramel Apple Recipe

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (18)

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment, and/or sharing this post on social media!

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (19)

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (20)

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5 from 1 vote

The BEST Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe

This gluten free apple pie has all of the flavor - and texture - of traditional apple pie... just without the wheat. Enjoyed by everyone!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 250kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling:

  • ½ cup Brown sugar packed
  • cup Granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • ¼ Ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 3 lbs Apples
  • ¼ cup Unsalted butter

Assembly:

Instructions

Filling:

  • In a large bowl, combine sugars, cornstarch, spices, and salt, set aside.

  • Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Add to the large mixing bowl, gently toss to coat apples with the sugar mixture. Set aside.

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

  • Add the apple mixture to the pan, stir well to incorporate the butter

  • Simmer for about 5 minutes, just until the apples start to soften and give off some liquid.

  • Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Assembly:

  • Set an oven rack to the lowest position, preheat oven to 425F.

  • Dust your clean work surface with corn starch.

  • Roll out half of your dough to form a circle about 11-12" in diameter.

  • Carefully transfer rolled pie crust to a 9" pie plate.

  • Mound cooled apple filling into the lined pie pan, taking care to avoid getting pie filling around the top edge of the pan/crust.

  • Roll out your second crust.

  • You can transfer it as-is to cover the pie filling, or slice it into strips to make a lattice design.

  • Apply the crust whichever way you’d like, trim and crimp the edges of the upper and lower crusts together.

  • If doing a whole top crust, be sure to cut a few slits in the top, to allow air to escape.

  • Whisk together egg and heavy cream, brush over the pie crust.

  • Bake pie on the lowest rack in the oven for 15 minutes.

  • Reduce heat to 375, cook for another 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

  • Remove from heat, allow to cool for an hour or two before serving.

Notes

Note: Nutritional information is for filling and assembly only, as the information for the crust will vary based on the recipe you use.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 327IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (21)

Related posts:

Gluten Free Pie CrustMaple Caramel ApplesGluten-Free Pumpkin PieGluten Free Apple Cake
The Best Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe - Beyond Flour (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of all purpose flour in apple pie? ›

All-purpose flour- For the pie filling, I opted for flour to thicken the mixture. If you want it to be less runny, you can replace the flour with cornstarch to hold it together better. Cinnamon- Cinnamon adds the perfect sweetness & spice! Nutmeg- A little goes a long way, another great spice addition.

What is the best thickener for apple pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.

Will gluten-free flour thicken pie filling? ›

Gluten free flour mix, such as the one found here on Gluten-Free-Bread, not only makes amazing gluten free crescent rolls and gluten free biscuits, but it's also an excellent thickener. But, like with cornstarch, mix it with cool water first before adding the mixture into the sauce or soup to thicken it.

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch for apple pie? ›

Corn starch lends a glossy thickness and adds sheen to the filling while flour adds opacity and some mouthfeel so that it has a sort-of creaminess. With all corn starch the filling reminds me too much of store-bought pies with that gloopy clear gel-like texture and with all flour it can get too lumpy and stodgy.

What happens if you don't add flour to apple pie? ›

Skipping the thickener will guarantee that your pie turns to soup. The most common pie thickeners are flour, cornstarch, and tapioca, though each one has its strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to do a bit of research on which thickener will work best for your pie before you dive in!

What can I use if I don't have enough all-purpose flour? ›

Four All-Purpose Flour Alternatives
  1. Chickpea Flour. Relatively new to American households, chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour or besan in Indian kitchens) is arguably one of my favorite ingredients. ...
  2. Rice Flour. ...
  3. Almond Flour. ...
  4. Buckwheat Flour.

What is a natural thickening agent for pie filling? ›

Cornstarch as Pie Filling Thickener

Just like the name suggests, cornstarch is derived from corn. Cornstarch is faster-acting than flour and forms a smooth, relatively clear filling. Just be aware that too much cornstarch can create a slimy texture.

How do you keep apple pie filling from being runny? ›

Cornstarch: Works with the flour to thicken the filling, ensuring it isn't runny. Beaten Egg/Cream/Milk: Brushed over the crust to give it a golden, glossy finish. Any of these 3 options will work nicely. Granulated or Turbinado Sugar: Sprinkled on top for added sweetness and a slight crunch.

What gluten free flour thickens best? ›

Tapioca flour: ideal as thickener or for healthy baking

Tapioca flour is extremely popular as a thickening agent because it thickens at a low temperature and maintains its consistency in freezing temperatures.

What happens if you add too much xanthan gum to gluten free flour? ›

If not enough xanthan gum is used, your baked goods will be crumbly and lack moisture. If too much is used, the dough/batter will become overly sticky, making it hard to mix and spread.

What can I add to gluten free flour to make it moist? ›

Also, very generally, when making things like cakes, cookies, brownies, cupcakes and muffins, you'll need to add about ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum per every 120g of gluten free flour blend. I go into more detail about the function and importance of xanthan gum in the Xanthan Gum 101 post.

What ingredient can be used to thicken your apple pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

Is it best to make apple pie the day of or before? ›

There's absolutely no need to stress over apple pie less than 24 hours before sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner. You can prepare the pie entirely (save for baking it) and freeze the whole thing, then pop it into the oven once the turkey comes out. Or you can make the crust dough ahead, wrap, and chill or freeze.

How can I thicken my apple pie without cornstarch? ›

All-Purpose Flour

It thickens at at lower temperature than other starches and works great as an all-purpose thickener since you probably have it around.

What can I use instead of flour in pies? ›

Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste. For full effectiveness, make sure the pie filling is bubbling up through the crust before removing your pie from the oven.

What is a substitute for all-purpose flour in pie crust? ›

If you're stuck without all-purpose flour and aren't looking for a gluten-free alternative, you can turn to other wheat-based flours. Pastry flour has less gluten than all-purpose flour, making it a great choice if you're making tender pie crust, muffins, and cake.

How do you thicken apple pie filling without flour? ›

Tapioca-it's not just for pudding! This old-school ingredient may be what your great grandmother used to thicken her pies, and it's still great for making a perfect fruit pie with a clear, stable filling. Tapioca is derived from cassava (also known as yuca or manioc), a starchy root native to South America.

What can I add if I don't have flour? ›

11 best flour substitutions
  • Chickpea flour. Often confused with besan (see below), chickpea flour is made from ground white chickpeas. ...
  • Almond flour. Almond flour is an excellent alternative to have in your kitchen cupboard. ...
  • Gluten-free flour mixture. ...
  • Coconut flour. ...
  • Gram flour (besan) ...
  • Rice flour. ...
  • Buckwheat flour. ...
  • Oat flour.
Jan 31, 2023

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