This gluten-free apple pie recipe returns me to my Polish roots and my "little nana."

Little nana was my great-grandmother, and it was in the early 1900s when she made her way to Ellis Island from Poland. 

She came to America to marry my grandfather, a NYC chef. 

Sadly, he died shortly after she arrived, leaving her with two small children.

With horse, buggy, and kids in tow, she traveled to southern New Jersey to buy a farm.

She didn't grow up on a farm.

Nonetheless, she sure did learn how to work one!

My great-grandfather taught her how to bake in the limited time they had together. 

Making a living by baking and selling all types of pies eventually became her passion.

But, most importantly, it became her primary means of supporting herself, her children, and her grandchildren. 

Subsequently, her homemade apple pie would sell for .75 cents and, at the time, and they were known as "the best apple pie" in all of Griggstown, NJ.

Gluten-Free Apple Pie Recipe (Little Nana's Way!)

Present day: Why Gluten-Free or Reduced gluten?

Most importantly, for those with severe hormonal fluctuations, undiagnosed Celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity, symptoms can feel like they are  overwhelmingly impossible to manage. 

As a result, leaving the gut inflamed. 

Which can further cause dehydration and mineral imbalances making gluten sensitivity worse.

Like a vicious circle.

In addition, as per a research paper written in 2018, reducing gluten might have some health benefits if you have gluten sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, IBS, or a confirmed Celiac diagnosis.

Regardless of the lack of gluten, this delicious apple pie recipe is an homage to my little nana!

MENOPAUSE AND GLUTEN

Gluten is a protein in many grains, such as wheat, barley, and rye. 

It acts like glue, therefore giving bread and pie dough a chewy and elastic feel and texture.

The proteins found in these grains naturally occur and help plants store nutrients. 

Unfortunately, some people can be sensitive to gluten or suffer from symptoms of Celiac disease. 

This auto-immune disorder causes intense inflammation of the intestines. 

A study revealed that beginning a gluten-free diet 10 years before menopause prolonged the fertile lifespan of women with Celiac disease. 

Stress, childbirth, and aging have a direct fluctuating effect on our hormones. 

In other words, as reproductive hormones decline from the 40s - 50s, women become more sensitive to gluten.

BEST GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BRANDS 

When making a gluten-free apple pie, you must find the best gluten-free mixture that handles and bakes like traditional flour.

Years ago, gluten free options were sparse. Subsequently, there are quite a few on the market today.

A traditional recipe typically calls for baking flour.

As an alternative, these gluten-free blends can work at a 1:1 ratio, as a result, there is no need for complicated math skills in the kitchen!

Brands that I use:

TIGER NUT FLOUR

Before you get nervous when you see the word "nut" (nuts are naturally gluten-free), the Tiger Nut is not a nut. 

It is a tuber, a small root vegetable from North Africa and the Mediterranean.

I stumbled upon this flour many years ago and have been baking with it ever since. 

It is naturally gluten-free and gives almost a nutty, slightly grainy texture to your gluten-free dough. 

In short, tiger nut flour is an easy swap-out for traditional flour and, in my opinion, makes the most delicious gluten-free apple pie crust ever!

Health Benefits of Tiger Nut Flour

There are some wonderful benefits of Tiger Nut flour. 

Here are some reasons for instance why you might want to add this to your baking pantry:

• It is known as a superfood
• Tiger Nut flour contains 1/10th the net carbs of whole wheat flour (great for Paleo and Keto baking)
• It is high in insoluble dietary fiber (great for diabetics and improving bowel movements)
• Tiger Nut is considered an alkaline food

BAKING A GLUTEN-FREE PIE CRUST

For me, baking a buttery crust means making it from scratch.

I like to make a little extra dough so the bottom crust and top crust are a little bit thicker.

However, if you want to skip this step and prefer to purchase a pre-made pie shell, for instance, here are some options, saving you on time.

Brands that I use:

Gluten Free Apple Pie Ingredient 

1. Your chosen gluten free flour mixture ( I use 3 cups of Cup4Cup and 1 cup TigerNut flour)
2. A pastry blender (I use a KitchenAid mixer at home but I made this pie at my mother's house so I used her Cuisinart stand mixer)
3. I use 2 TB of beet sugar in my traditional apple pie recipe vs the common use of coconut sugar or brown sugar found in other gluten-free recipes (just because I like the earthy taste)
4. 2 sticks of organic unsalted cold butter, but cut up into cubes
5. 1/2 cup of organic buttermilk
6. 1 large egg
7. 2 TB of very cold water

How To combine The Apple Pie Ingredients

• Place all of the dried ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer. 
• Attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn it on at medium speed.
• Add the butter cubes to the dry mixture and let it mix until it reaches a crumbly consistency.
• In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk them together.
• Most importantly, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until it combines into a large ball.
• Separate the ball into 2 halves and wrap them in parchment paper.
• Afterwards, place the covered dough into the refrigerator for 30 min to 1 hour. 

MAKING A GLUTEN-FREE HOMEMADE APPLE PIE FILLING

If you've gone apple picking, grab your best apples, a large mixing bowl, and a mandolin slicer! After that, get peeling, slicing, and layering!

Certainly, the best apple pie calls for mixing sweet and tart apples; therefore adding some Honey Crips and Pink Ladies can round out the apple flavor.

Granny smith apples, for example, are the best type of tart apples to offset the pie's sweetness, making for the best results.

Gluten Free Apple Filling Ingredients 

1. Firstly, you will need about 7-8 pounds of apples. Secondly, clean them, peel them and use the mandolin to make apple slices as thick or thin as you prefer.
2. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of beet sugar and 2 TB of gluten-free flour.
3. Together, combine 1/4 tsp of Himalayan sea salt, 1 tsp of organic ground cinnamon, and 2 tsp of organic vanilla extract 
4. Squeeze in 1/4 cup of lemon juice
5. Warm up 1/2 cup of apple cider or make your own apple cider
6. Lastly, mix it all up! 

MAKING HOMEMADE APPLE CIDER FOR APPLE PIE FILLING

1. Cut up 3 apples and place them into a saucepan.

2. Cover the apples fully with water and most importantly, let the liquid come to a boil until the water gets thick.

3. Add in 1/4 cup of organic maple syrup

4. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of organic cinnamon powder

5. Mash the apples and liquid together

6. Turn off the flame and strain the apples through a strainer, using the liquid as your apple cider.

7. Store the mashed apples as apple sauce for future use.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER TO BAKE THE BEST APPLE PIE 

• First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Then, butter the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan and lightly dust it with gluten-free flour  
• As soon as you roll out one of the dough balls,  using the rolling pin, press it into the pie pan.
• Add in the pie filling mixture and pile it high and deep over the edges of the pie crust.
• Roll out the second dough ball over the pie filling and after that, press the sides down and make them touch the bottom pie crust
• Place a few pats of butter on top of the dough or use a pastry brush to spread an egg wash over the top to give it a glaze when it's done cooking.
• Importantly, cut a few slivers into the top of the pie using a small knife to allow air to escape while it's cooking.
• Before you put the pie in the oven, line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper and place the pie dish on top (to help catch any spillover)
• Bake the pie for 45 min - 1 hour on the center rack of your oven

Apple Pie A La Mode

Serving an apple pie warm a la mode with some vanilla ice cream cannot get any more traditional. It's downright YUMMY!

On the other hand, if dairy is something that you prefer to do without or you are going light on it because of tummy troubles, try a substitute that is just as delicious! 

Certainly, this doesn't have to be just a Thanksgiving dessert as long as you have apples on the shelves, this could become a household favorite!

Brands that I use:

In Conclusion: MAKING Magic Happen

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