A few days ago we stopped by the apple orchard (a fall tradition) and I found myself gazing longingly at the boxes and boxes of apple pies at the register. So we found some Cortland apples, which are perfect for pies, and I attempted to make a gluten free vegan apple pie that would taste as authentic as possible. Normally the crust is filled with butter and the filling is held together with white and brown sugar. With all the substitutions I made, it still tasted authentic enough to fool my father, who said the crust tasted just like shortbread! The four of us polished off the entire pie in minutes.
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Trader Joe's)
- 1/2 cup solid coconut oil
- 1 tbsp sugar/coconut sugar/sugar substitute
- 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor, then pulse in the coconut oil until it's finely blended. Slowly pulse in the cold water and vanilla until it starts to forms a dough when you pinch it. mold the dough into a floured pie tin. (You can refrigerate the remaining dough until you need it if you want, but you may need to put it through the food processor again.)
Filling
- 4 or 5 large cortland apples (or apples of choice), peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/4 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour
- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses
- 1/8 tsp salt
Combine everything in a food processor and blend until it makes a thick paste. Toss the mixture and the apples in a gallon ziploc bag until all the apples are coated.
Pour the filling into the crust, and with the remaining dough top the pie your design of choice. Bake at 350° on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crust is slightly browned. Let it cool before serving and enjoy!
