Hello dear friends, today I want to share a recipe that I hold dear to my heart. Apple pie is usually served on our holiday table every year so it has became a reminder to me about happy times and comfort. I call it the ‘pretty healthy apple pie’ because the recipe is a cleaner and healthier version of mom’s traditional recipe, plus it has skin-beautifying benefits (I will share later in this post).
I still recommend this as a rare treat, but you can feel good about it because this pie is the kind of clean treat that you can feel proud of making for just yourself and having it for dessert 3-5 days in a row.
What’s more, allow this clean, healthy recipe will bring out your natural beauty from the inside out.
Pretty Healthy Apple Pie
Serves 12
This yummy apple pie packs in skin beautifying power, made with clean ingredients and it's so simple to make!
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
Buttery GF Tart Shell
1 cup almond flour
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
3 eggs
⅛ cup coconut or palm oil*
Apple Pie Filling
4-5 large apples, thinly sliced (I like to use a mixture of different varieties to create a balance between the sweetness and tartness)
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
¼ tsp salt (I’m using raspberry salt that’s why it looks pink, but regular sea salt is perfect)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp ginger
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
1 cup coconut palm sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the shredded coconut, almond flour and brown rice flour until well combined.
Add the eggs and palm oil to the mixed dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until well combined-the dough will be slightly crumbly (see picture).
Evenly pat the dough on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Poke the bottom and sides of the shell slightly to prevent the crust from bubbling while baking.
Bake the tart shell for 15min.
Meanwhile, slice your apples and put them into a large mixing bowl.
Combine the rest of the filling ingredients and add them to the sliced apples in the mixing bowl. Fold with a spatula and combine well.
Once the tart shell is baked for 15 min, add the filling mixture into the pie crust and spread it evenly.
Bake the tart for another 30 min until the filling is cooked through.
Cool for 10 min before cutting into your pie
Notes
I prefer palm oil for this recipe because it makes the tart shell taste extra buttery and gives the finished product a delicious golden colour. You might also consider investing in a little jar of palm oil because it's rich in vitamin A, a anti-oxidant we often ignore but it's crucial to supplement in small quantities for healthy eye sight and digestive system. If you don't have this ingredient, coconut oil is totally okay!
For step-by-step pictures of the pie crust making process, check out my previous post on pear tart
Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
PS. If you want to try another recipe with this versatile and buttery pie tart recipe, check out my pear tart recipe here.
Let me highlight why this recipe packs in so much beautifying power than your average pie you pick up from the grocery store. Your waistline will thank you for going that extra mile to make this healthy dessert.
All baked! Ready to enjoy
For starters, I’m all about avoid getting caught up with calories and rewarding yourself once a week with a treat you desire (Cartem donuts is one of my top picks, not a sponsor). But it might be right to listen to your instincts to pass on that ready-made dessert from the grocery store just because they’re on sale.
I know how tempting it is-the baked cinnamon aroma is almost too enticing for me to remember I am severely sensitive to gluten. One of the problems is that these ready-made pies are loaded with refined sugar and gluten. They increase the inflammation in the body, taking away our immune system’s ability to protect us from colds and infections during the flu season. Meanwhile, if you are someone who feels especially drained after having dessert, please don’t be hard on yourself as you might be more sensitive to the sugar and gluten than others. Fatigue and sore joints are very common during the winter months and if these symptoms affect you, contact me (click here to apply for a 15 min free discovery session). I will help you get to the bottom of it with easy steps.
This is why I replaced refined sugar with coconut palm sugar- it’s rich in minerals that help your body metabolize it faster and I love the caramel flavour it adds to the pie!
I also replaced regular flour with coconut flour and almond flour-which adds fibre and protein to help you buffer the sugar crash.
I also want to highlight the star ingredient in our recipe. Apples are such an great superfood that you can get your hands on during this time of the year.
1. Apples are a great for your skin and waistline!
The pectin is a form of soluble dietary fibre and this gelatinous fibre is often added to jams. Pectin is awesome for your skin because it binds with the toxins in your digestive tract and promotes detoxification from the body.
It’s also great for your waistline-studies have show regular consumption promotes blood sugar balance and reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood.
2. Quercetin protects memory and reduces allergy.
In addition to quercetin, ursolic acid found in apples promotes muscle growth and increases metabolism in a recent animal study.
Do you enjoy apples? Let me know what kind of treats I can make healthier for you next.
Work with me!
Email me your concerns and questions to book a 15 min free discovery session:
tahlia@sweetandsavouryhealth.com