This low-sugar apple pie recipe lets the flavors of the apples shine! I love to make this with Gravenstein apples, but any good cooking apple will do just as well. Apple pie is a classic dessert, perfect for your fall table. This healthier version is made with coconut sugar and might even pass for breakfast. Or add a scoop of ice cream for a sweet evening treat!
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I first became familiar with Gravenstein apples when I was pregnant with my first son. My mother-in-law kindly brought me a box of these delicious apples when she came for a visit. I was in the throes of morning sickness, and somehow those apples were an anti-nausea help. Whenever I felt a wave of nausea come on, I would run to that box and take a big whiff, and my stomach would calm down.
Too bad I couldn’t bottle that up, because Gravenstein apples need to be used fairly quickly, and soon I was turning them into sauce for my baby.
Now I live in an area where the Gravenstein Apple Fair happens every year. These wonderful apples are versatile: a great cooking apple for pies and applesauce, as well as for cider or eating fresh apples off the tree. They are a bit softer than other apples, baking up quickly in a pie and having great flavor. They come early, ready to pick in August.
One of my favorite traditions over the last several years has been to make a Gravenstein Apple Pie for our first day back to homeschool. My kids look forward to it so much. This year, a kind lady invited us to her house to pick some apples at her home, and my kids had the added joy of picking apples right off the tree for our special pie. Next time I may make 2 pies at once, because my growing family is devouring it faster each year!
Try getting the entire family involved and create a special autumn tradition!
Tools for Making Low Sugar Apple Pie
Ingredients for the Apple Pie
About 8 medium apples (I used about 1.75lbs sliced apples for a standard pie dish)
Coconut Sugar – I wanted a healthy apple pie recipe with no refined sugar. If you don’t have it, you can use brown sugar or white sugar. You can also substitute maple syrup, but add an extra tbsp of flour to the filling.
Flour – all-purpose flour to help thicken the filling
Cardamom – I LOVE cardamom and add it to everything I can. The smell and flavor are so amazing. Buy a little in bulk, and it makes your whole pantry smell delicious when it is nice and fresh.
Cinnamon – such a classic, and it helps add a little delicious spice to this pie
Salt – a tiny bit of salt to bring out the flavors
Lemon juice (optional)
Butter – a couple of tbsp of butter adds flavor and helps the apples cook down
How to Prepare the Low Sugar Apple Pie Recipe
If you’d like, first mix up a batch of my Flaky Homemade Pie Crust Recipe (made with avocado oil!)
Once you have a bottom crust ready, prepare your apple filling.
Step 1: Prepare the Filling
Wash and peel the apples.
Slice them thinly, removing the cores as you go. I like to make my slices pretty thin, around 1/8″, so it all cooks down easily into a yummy, gooey apple filling.
If you are using the optional lemon juice, put 1 tbsp in a large mixing bowl before beginning to add apples, giving it a stir here and there as you continue to add more. This helps prevent browning.
Once all the apples are sliced up, it’s time to add the remaining ingredients.
Add the 1/3 cup coconut sugar, 3 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cardamom, and a large pinch of salt to the bowl.
Toss the apple mixture together until evenly coated.
Step 2: Fill the Crust
Arrange the apples in the pie crust.
You can carefully lay the slices in a rosette pattern or simply dump the apple slices in and settle with your hands. Depending on your personality!
Your apples should dome up just a little above the pan, so that when they cook down the pie does not look sunken.
Step 3: Prepare a Top Crust
Next, prepare your top crust if you are using one, and lay it on top of the apples. You can do a solid top crust, or here is a quick visual on how to make a lattice top crust. I plan to post a more thorough tutorial later.
Step 4: Bake the Pie
Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
When it comes to temperature, place your pie on a rack a little lower than the center.
Set a timer for 5 minutes.
While the pie bakes, prepare an egg wash for the top crust.
In a small bowl, whisk one whole egg. When the 5 minutes are up, carefully remove the pie and brush the top of the pie with the egg.
Place the pie back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
After the first 30 minutes, carefully rotate the pie to help make sure it bakes evenly.
Continue baking for another 30-35 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown and the apples are tender when tested with a small, sharp knife. With a lattice crust, I can tell that the apple pie filling is done when it starts to bubble thickly at the edges.
If the crust seems to brown too fast, place a piece of tented aluminum foil over the top for the final 20-30 minutes.
When the pie is finished baking, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. You can serve it slightly warm or allow it to come to room temperature. To store the pie, cover tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. But more than likely it won’t last that long!
I hope you enjoy this low-sugar apple pie recipe! Making a homemade apple pie is a fun fall project for the whole family.
Pin for Later:
Low Sugar Apple Pie Recipe (Gravenstein Apple Pie!)
Equipment
- standard 9" pie dish
- mixing bowls
- vegetable peeler
- cutting board
- chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1.75 lbs apples about 8 medium
- 1 tbsp lemon juice optional
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 whole egg whisked, if desired for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare a bottom crust using my Easy Flaky Pie Crust Recipe with avocado oil (see notes), or use your favorite recipe.
- Wash and peel the apples.
- Slice the apples into 1/8" slices and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- If desired, toss with 1 tbsp lemon juice to help prevent browning.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss the apple mixture until the slices are evenly coated.
- Arrange the apples evenly in the pie crust, filling enough to make a slight dome shape.
- Prepare a top crust (use my lattice crust tutorial if desired).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once the oven has come to temperature, place the pie on a rack that is a little lower than center.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk 1 whole egg in a small bowl.
- Once the pie has baked for 5 minutes, carefully remove from oven and brush the crust evenly with the egg wash.
- Return to oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, rotate the pie so that it continues to cook evenly, and bake for another 25-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling thickly at the edges.
- If the crust starts to brown too soon, place a tented piece of aluminum foil over the pie for the remaining 20-30 minutes.
- Once the pie is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.
- Serve slightly warm or allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Looking for more fall recipes?
You might like:
Easy and Beautiful Pumpkin Cheesecake
This is typically a desert that is loaded with sugar, but I love the healthier option with ingredients that are actually good for you! Homemade is so much better!
This pie is so beautiful!! It also sounds delicious, and I love that is not full of added sugar. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
I have never heard of this kind of apple! I would definitely like to try this recipe. I have been working on low glycemic versions of our family favorites because my husband has some dietary restrictions. I have been thinking about rying coconut sugar in apple pie with an einkorn crust. Glad to know the coconut sugar works well!