This Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie is a delicious twist on the classic apple pie — a rich, flaky gluten-free pie crust on the bottom, a warming, spiced apple filling, and instead of a traditional full or lattice pie crust top, it gets a sugary cinnamon crumble topping. For someone like me, who is not a huge fan of pie crust, this is the perfect festive holiday dessert! And given the busyness of this time of year, a huge bonus is how make-ahead friendly this recipe is; the dough and filling can both be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and bake!
The crust
Gluten and grain-free, this classic basic pie pastry is one to master and use again and again. It uses 100% palm shortening which has a similar melting point to butter (though you’re free to sub butter), so it slowly melts in the oven, creating that perfectly flaky crust. Remember to roll it out between sheets of parchment to reduce its tendency to stick. And if it comes apart a little when you transfer it to the pie plate, no problem, just gently press it back together! A little egg wash before you add the filling will impart a rich golden color as it bakes and will seal in that nice chew and rich texture.
The filling
I love using two different types of apples in any recipe calling for them — one tart varietal and one that breaks down a bit more and gets softer. I find that using two types balances and enhances the flavor and texture of the filling. Here, bright lemon, unrefined maple or coconut sugar, and cozy spices compliment the apples, the arrowroot thickens it all just enough, and the dash of salt brings out the sweet baked flavor of the filling. Don’t be afraid to heap the crust with the filling as it will reduce down a bit as it bakes.
The topping
This cinnamon crumb topping on this Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie is incredibly addictive and would be delicious atop any fruit, but it pairs so well with warm apples. Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour works here, but I love using my grain-free flour mix, which is available exclusively to students of my Eat Well, Feel Good cooking course. So if you’re itching to get your hands on my exact blend, head over and pop your name on the waitlist to be notified the next time the course opens up!
Photo Credit: Ashley Lima
If you enjoyed this Dutch Apple pie recipe, here are some more of my favorite treats to try:
Apple pie bars
Chocolate pudding pie
Gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie
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PrintGluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie
- Prep Time: 25 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dutch Apple Pie Ingredients:
- 1 basic pastry pie (recipe and ingredients below)
- 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 4 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- ½ cup maple or coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup light-colored raw honey
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of freshly ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk
Crumb topping:
- ½ cup grain-free flour mix*
- ¼ cup maple or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or sustainable palm shortening
Basic Pastry Pie Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
- 1 cup arrowroot powder
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 eggs, chilled
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons palm shortening, chilled
Instructions
Dutch Apple Pie Instructions:
- Prepare the crust as instructed. Pack the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove the pastry disk from the fridge and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll into a circle about 11 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment, then carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Use the palm of your hands to press the crust into the plate, and ensure the crust is even throughout. Press together any breaks in the dough, then crimp or flute the edge with your fingers and trim any excess. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling and topping.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, toss the apples with the coconut or maple sugar, honey, lemon juice, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Place the skillet over medium heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until a thickened syrup has formed. Remove from the heat.
- Make the crumb topping: add the flour mix, maple or coconut sugar, and cinnamon to a bowl. Add the butter in 1 teaspoon increments, and use your hands to pinch the butter into the flour and sugar mix until it resembles coarse sand.
- Pour the apples mixture into the pastry-lined pie plate, heaping them in the center. Top the apples with the crumb topping.
- To make an egg wash, whisk the egg yolk and coconut milk together and brush it all over the outer rim of the crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the apple syrup is bubbling and the crumb is golden brown.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack, at least 6 hours. Serve warm with whipped coconut cream.
Basic Pastry Pie Instructions:
- Combine the almond flour, arrowroot, coconut sugar, eggs, water and salt in a food processor. Process for 10 seconds, or until combined.
- Add the palm shortening, spacing out where the tablespoons are dropped into the dough. Pulse 4 or 5 times, until pea-size bits of dough form.
- Gather the dough into a tight ball and flatten it into a disk.
- Wrap tightly and freeze for 1 hour.
Notes
*You can find Danielle’s exclusive grain-free flour mix within her Eat Well, Feel Great course. But until you sign up, you can substitute Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour.
12/16/22
Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie
Can you please let us know how many carbs are in the recipe? We are doing Keto so carbs are extremely important! thanks.
Hi! You can use an app such as My Fitness Pal to calculate the nutritional information you need. Happy Cooking and enjoy!
Love this recipe! I love how easy the crust is to make and the pie is so tasty. I’ve made it three times now! I was so thankful to be able to have pie I could eat for the holidays. Thank you!
This pie recipe is really easy and delic :). I usually end up making 2 at a time because they are so good!! Sometimes there is a bit of crust extra you can turn into cutout cookies as well!! If you are impatient like me and don’t want your crust to do the fridge time it works to put in the pie plate and work into shape with your hands ❤️
I was so nervous about making this pie but it turned out beautiful and delicious! I was in heaven to finally have apple pie again. It was so yummy!
Yay! I’m so glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it. This is one of our new favorite recipes.
I made this recipe for Mother’s Day. It was a big hit. Everyone loved it & didn’t even realize it was grain free. Love your recipes!
Yay!! That’s always a win! Thank you so much for your support and I hope you had a fantastic Mother’s Day.