Gluten Free Gravenstein Apple Pie

Fold tart-sweet apples into a flaky gluten free crust in this luscious gluten free Gravenstein apple pie recipe. From simple ingredients comes a beautiful pie that makes the most of this special apple's short season.

Gluten Free Gravenstein Apple Pie Recipe

This tender and flavorful gluten free Gravenstein apple pie showcases my favorite apple - Gravensteins - and makes the most of its short season. You don't need much to make them shine, just a little brown sugar, warming spices, and a flaky gluten free crust to enfold it in a buttery package. When our apple tree starts drooping with fruit, I know it's time to celebrate my hometown apple and wrap it up into a not-too-sweet pie.

Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Pie

Gravenstein apples have a special place in my heart, being that I grew up when our town still had more orchards than vineyards. And it's so pretty, with a pink-yellow exterior that sets it apart from other apples. In pie it holds its own and its sweet-tart flavor shines through as long as you don't overpower it with extra spices or sugar. A few pie highlights include:

• Flaky gluten free crust
• Not too sweet
• Buttery and delicious!
• Easily adapted to use other apples if needed
• A perfect fall dessert

What Are Gravenstein Apples?

Gravenstein apples are an early-season apple, at least in Northern California, ripening sooner than other varieties. They are crisp and tart, making them a wonderful cooking apple that hold up well during baking. Gravensteins are especially good in sauce and cider, or they're lovely to eat dried (did you know that Sebastopol Gravensteins were the source for apple sauce and dried apples for the U.S. troops in World War II?).

Gravenstein's origins lie in 17^th-century Denmark, and they are grown from California to Nova Scotia to the Pacific Northwest. I like them in nearly everything, from a buttery, rich cake, crisps and crumbles, and of course, pie. For many years now I've turned the Gravensteins I don't tuck into pie into apple jelly.

You can read more about Gravenstein apples in a story I wrote for NPR a decade ago.

Ingredient Notes

Here's a look at what you need to make gluten free Gravenstein apple pie. The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions are in the recipe card lower down.

• Oat flour - Whole grain, naturally gluten free oat flour is a great choice in pie crusts because it creates a sturdy yet tender crust that rolls out well.
• Arrowroot - A little bit of arrowroot, a starchy gluten free flour, adds extra flakiness to the dough. You can omit it if you like and add 3 additional tablespoons of oat flour, or substitute cornstarch.
• Granulated sugar - A hint of sugar adds sweetness to the pastry dough.
• Salt - I always use fine sea salt in my recipes. A good substitute is table salt.
• Butter - Use cold, unsalted butter in the crust.
• Ice water - Have the ice water ready to go when you start to make the crust.

For Filling

• Gravenstein apples - Choose firm, ripe apples that are blemish-free. If you can't get Gravenstein apples where you live, substitute your favorite baking apple.
• Spices - I use a combination of ground cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor the pie.
• Salt - A pinch of salt balances the sweetness of the filling.
• Brown sugar - Use either light or dark brown sugar, or swap granulated sugar.
• Butter - A little salted or unsalted butter adds richness.

How to Make Gluten Free Apple Pie

Take a look at how to put this apple pie together in the photos below:

• Whisk flour: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, arrowroot, sugar and salt.
• Add butter: Cut in the butter with a fork or your hands until the flour is crumbly.

• Add water: Stir in the water a little bit at a time.
• Form a ball: Knead it with your hands until it can form a smooth ball. Divide into two pieces, wrap in plastic, and store in the fridge.

• Make filling: Preheat oven to 425° degrees F. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, then mix lightly through the apples. 

• Prep pan: Rub a pie pan with butter and have a baking sheet ready.
• Add dough: Roll out half of the dough and fit it into the prepared pan.

• Add filling: Pile in the apples in the and dot with thin slices of butter. Place top crust on pie, crimp the edges, and cut a few vents in the top.
• Bake: Place pie on a baking sheet, place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned, apples are cooked through, and the filling is bubbling. 
• Cool: Let the pie cool for at least 3 hours before serving.

Gluten Free Pie Tips

Apply these tips to any type of pie you bake, whether you make an oat flour crust, a crust with your favorite 1:1 gluten free baking flour, or even when you bake with all-purpose flour!

• Use cold butter - Yes, this is a big one! For the flakiest crust, use very cold butter. When the butter mixes in with the flour it will form chunks of butter and flour which in turn steam and melt in the oven, creating those gorgeous flaky layers.
• Ice water - Likewise, make sure the water you use is actually ice water! I prep my ice water first before going on to make the crust so that it's very cold.
• Rest the crust - Keep the crust cold in the fridge until you're ready to roll it out, especially important if your kitchen is warm (this gives the crust a fighting chance of being as flaky as possible). You can make the crust up to 3 days in advance and keep the wrapped discs in the fridge until you make the pie.
• Butter your pie dish! This will help the slices easily remove when you cut and serve the pie (when I forget to do this little step I sorely regret it because it truly does make a difference).
• Use a baking sheet. Another trick that can help the bottom crust to be the ultimate in flakiness is to place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it preheats. Then, when you're ready to bake, place the pie pan carefully on the hot baking sheet. It performs the double duty of catching any spills while also lending its heat the base of the pie pan to help the dough turn into a beautifully flaky crust.
• Make the dough ahead. You can prepare the pie dough and store it in the fridge for 3 days.
• Use a pie shield. This pie has a long baking time, and if you find that the crust is cooking too much you can make a little cover for the crust. First, cut a 14-inch square of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Cut out a 5-inch semi-circle on the folded edge then unfold. Carefully fit the aluminum foil over the pie crust edges, leaving the center of the pie exposed.

Substitution Suggestions & Variation Ideas

I've included some common ingredient substitutions below if you need to make some swaps plus some variation suggestions - ginger anyone? - you can try if you wish.

• Make it vegan - Swap your favorite vegan butter for the butter in the crust and in the pie.
• Make it refined sugar free - Use coconut sugar or maple syrup in place of the sugar in the crust and the brown sugar in the filling.
• Swap all purpose gluten free flour - If you want to use all-purpose gluten free flour here go ahead. Substitute a scant 3 cups of 1:1 gluten free flour for the combination of oat and arrowroot in the crust.
• Use another pie crust - If you wish, use my oat flour pie crust recipe here instead of the pie crust included in the recipe card. Or, use your favorite gluten free or regular pie crust recipe and pair it with the filling.
• Do an apple crumble pie - Want to change up the way you serve the pie? Instead of doing a two-crust pie, use the traditional pie crust on the bottom and top the filling with a delicious oat crumble. Mix 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats with ½ cup of oat or almond flour plus ½ cup of sugar, rub in ¼ cup of butter until it's crumbly, then evenly scatter the crumble topping over the filling.
• Try different apples - This is a Gravenstein apple pie, but if you don't have Gravensteins in the backyard like I do, feel free to use another baking apple of your choice (see some suggestions below for what kind of apples are best for baking).
• Other additions - Cinnamon is a classic addition to apple pie, but ginger is nice too, just make sure you don't add too many spices so that they don't overpower the taste of the apples. You could also add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the filling, or the zest of 1 lemon. Or, thinking outside the box, add ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese to the top of the pie. In my college days I made a Moosewood Cookbook recipe that included cheddar - it was a special, different savory touch to the familiar flavors of apple pie.

Serving Suggestions

Gravenstein apple pie is gorgeous served slightly warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or, make salted caramel sauce and drizzle a spoonful over each slice of pie after you plate it. I'll also nibble on a piece of pie for a morning snack along with a hot cup of coffee. But of course, it makes the quintessential fall dessert.

Proper Storage

Pie freezes well and you can freeze a whole baked pie or individual slices if you have leftovers. Sometimes I'll make a double batch of pie, we'll enjoy it in the moment, and then I'll wrap up the second pie to stash in the freezer for another time. Here's how to properly store your gluten free apple pie in a few different ways:

• Counter - Loosely cover the pie with foil and store it on the counter for one day.
• Fridge - Cover the pie with foil and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer - Wrap the cooled, baked pie in a layer of plastic and a layer of foil and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the pie overnight in the fridge before serving or reheating.
• To Reheat - Place the pie in a 350°F oven until warm.

More Gluten Free Apple Recipes

• Gluten Free Gravenstein Apple Cake
• Gluten Free Apple Galette
• Gluten Free Cranberry Apple Crisp