Gluten-Free Swedish Apple Pie (Wheat and Fish-Free, Can Be Soy, Egg, Nut and Milk-Free)

I can hardly believe it is December already!  Where has the year gone?!!?  Even though the ground is already white with snow and the temperatures are definitely chilly and below, I'm not ready for winter.  I never am.  Truthfully, I don't really like the cold (yes, I am aware that I live in the wrong state to dislike cold), but I do enjoy looking at snow.  I say "looking" because, though I find snow beautiful, I don't like to be out in it, much to my daughter's chagrin - she LOVES all things snow!  Anyway, though I dislike the cold that winter brings, I do very much enjoy the holidays, family time, and baking it brings my way.  

One of my favorite things to bake at this time of year is this Gluten-Free Swedish Apple Pie.  It is wheat and fish-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be soy, egg, nut and milk-free (see variations).  This recipe is a modification of this recipe I found on Allrecipes.com by S. F. Allen, and it is FANTASTIC!  I make no other type of apple pie now unless specifically asked to do so.  You will not find a better or simpler recipe than this - trust me.  And did I mention there is no dough to roll out?  Seriously.  And yes, it DOES hold together when you slice it (once it has cooled), and no, you DON'T miss the bottom crust.  It tastes like a delicious combo of classic apple pie and pecan shortbread cookies.  SO GOOD!  I promise, you will not regret adding this to your holiday baking repertoire!

Note: Neither of the gluten-free flours I recommend technically contain soy, but one does contain guar gum and the other contains xanthan gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies, and that is why I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free. 

Gluten-Free Swedish Apple Pie

2 1/2 to 4 Cups apples, peeled and sliced very thinly

(I highly recommend using Granny Smith, Ginger Gold or Ida Red apples.  You can also use a combination of those or another baking apple of your choice, but I would definitely go with an apple that has some tang and/or tartness to it.)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon white sugar

(I highly recommend cane sugar.)

1 Cup white sugar

(I highly recommend cane sugar.)

3/4 Cup salted, full-fat butter, melted

1/2 Cup chopped pecans

1 Cup gluten-free cup-for-cup flour

(I recommend Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or Namaste Gluten-Free Organic Perfect Flour Blend)

1 egg, lightly beaten

pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.
     
2. Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter (or other fat).
     
3. Use enough sliced apples to fill the prepared pie pan between 1/2 and 2/3 full.  (Note: How many Cups of apples this takes depends entirely on how thinly you slice the apples and arrange them.  I strongly recommend a very thin slice (around 1/8 inch, but no thicker than that) and arranging the slices in a circular pattern (think how you'd decorate the top of a pecan pie) for the bottom layer, and then continuing in the same manner for each layer until you get the pan 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Normally, I end up using closer to 4 Cups of apples (I tend to fill the pan closer to 2/3 full), and I cut an apple at a time as I'm filling in the pan so I don't end up with a lot of left over apples.)
     
4. Mix the 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the 1 teaspoon of white sugar in a small bowl and then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples in the pie pan.
     
5. In a medium bowl, mix the 1 Cup of white sugar with the melted butter very well before stirring in the chopped pecans, flour, egg, and salt; mix well.
     
6. Spread the "crust" evenly over the apples in the pie pan.  (Note: I find it works best if you dollop spoonfuls of the crust mixture on top as evenly as possible and then spread the mixture to the sides of the pan and fill in the gaps vs. trying to put all the mixture in the middle and spread it out to the edge of the pan.  I also try to make the "crust" as flat as possible so that it cooks evenly.)
     
7. Bake the pie for 45 to 65 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using variations):

• Milk-Free: Use non-dairy butter of your choice, coconut oil or lard in place of the butter in this recipe.
    
• Egg-Free: Use an egg replacer in place of the egg.  For ideas on what to use in place of the egg, check out my ingredient substitutions page.  The flax seed "egg" replacement would be a good fit with this recipe.
   
• Soy-Free: Neither Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour nor Namaste Gluten-Free Organic Perfect Flour Blend claim to contain soy, but Pamela's does contain guar gum and Namaste's does contain xanthan gum.  Since both of those ingredients can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies, I won't claim this recipe is soy-free already.  You can use regular flour (if you can have it) or a soy-free, gluten-free flour of your choice.  Keep in mind that if your blend doesn't contain guar gum or xanthan gum, you may need to add between 1/4 to 1 teaspoons of ground flax seed, guar gum or xanthan gum to help with textural issues, too.  You'll have to make sure all of your ingredients are soy-free, too.
    
• Nut-Free or Other Nuts: Leave out the pecans if you can't have nuts at all or use another type of nut such as walnut or macadamia instead.
    
• Sugar Substitute: You can use any granulated, approved for baking sugar substitute for the sugar in this recipe, such as Splenda.  I would not recommend using a liquid sugar, however, as this would definitely change the texture of this pie, and I'm not sure it would bake correctly.
    
• Other Flavors:  You could substitute any fresh fruit for the apples in this recipe that you'd make pie with - blueberry, pear, peach, strawberry, raspberry, etc.  You could use a single fruit or a combination of a few.  I would not recommend using a puree, frozen, canned or soft fruit (such as bananas), however, as that would greatly alter the moisture in the pie, and it would not cook up properly.  You could also increase the cinnamon if you want more cinnamon flavor or leave it out.  You can use another type of nut (as discussed above) or leave them out.  The possibilities are endless!

And there you have it, folks - 

A super easy, oh-so-delicious pie that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

I promise it tastes better than it looks!  YUM!

Enjoy!