How to Bake a Delicious Apple Pie Without Sugar, Dairy or Gluten

A slice of the apple pie I made for the birthday of my partner, Joe Gallivan, on August 9, 2024.
He’s got a gluten/wheat allergy. I’ve got a dairy allergy and avoid sugar. But I revise recipes to accommodate our dietary needs. The topping on the pie is So Delicious (brand) Coconut Milk/Vanilla Bean dairy-free, low sugar, frozen dessert.

Here is a my revised version of a recipe I found online, with my substitutions:

Gluten-free pie crust (see my recipe here). Don’t bake the crust until the apple filling is added.
2 to 2 1/4 pounds of dense, crisp, organically grown apples
1 1/2 teaspons of organic cinnamon powder
8 tablespoons of organic unsalted plant-based butter (or organic unsalted dairy butter)
3 tablespoons of organic gluten-free all-purpose flour or organic tapioca flour
1/4 cup purified water
1 cup of monk fruit and/or erythritol natural granulated sugar substitute (I used Truvia Sweet Complete, a natural sugar substitute recommended by Martha Stewart in her recipes.)

1. Make two 9″ pie crusts and chill them in the freezer until baking time.

2. Peel, core and slice thin, all of the apples.

Slice off a tiny piece of skin the make it easier to start peeling the apple with a peeler.

Peel off all of the skin except above and below the core.

You’ll need a big bowl for the slices of apple. To core the apple, cut away the pieces surrounding the core, then compost the core, or feed it to some happy ungulate.

Cut thin slices from the bigger pieces cut off the apple. and collect them in the bowl.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered cinnamon to the apple slices.

Stir well, so that the cinnamon coats every apple slice.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over low to medium heat.

Tapioca flour/starch works well for those avoiding grains or gluten.

Whisk the flour into the butter and simmer for one minute, whisking constantly (so no lumps!)

Whisk in 1/4 cup water and 1 cup of natural granulated sugar substitute. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue simmering 3 minutes, whisking constantly.

Stir sauce into apple slices to coat all of them evenly.

Spoon the filling into the two unbaked pie crusts.

Place the two pies into the oven, already preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place a baking sheet or some aluminum foil below the pies to catch drips if they bubble enthusiastically.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes (use a timer if you have one).

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes (or until apples are soft and filling is bubbling.)

Let pies cool at room temperature for one hour before serving.