Select Page

Warm, flaky and filled with cinnamon spiced apples, this sugar free homemade apple pie recipe is a perfect treat to serve your family year around.

Homemade apple pie is one of those classic, all-American desserts that satisfies you from head to toe. Grab a slice, a fork and a cup of coffee and you’re instantly comforted. 

Apple pie reminds me of my childhood. My Grandma, the original creator of this sugar free pie recipe, often made this dessert often. She’d mix up the dough, roll out the crust, slice up the apples and place them all together in a beautiful pie plate. The sweet aroma of the pie baking made you begin asking, “when will the pie be ready?”.

Growing up, there were some food sensitivities in my family. We avoided sugar — in our baking, cooking, drinks, meals and desserts. When my Mom made a treat, she mainly used natural sweeteners that were lower on the glycemic index such as fructose, agave or fruit juice. Our families favorite way to sweeten fruit pies or crisps was by adding fruit juice concentrate. Using flavorful apples, such as galas or fujis paired with a can of juice concentrate, created a delicious pie that made us feel good when we ate it. No sugar highs, lows or hangovers when we used natural ingredients.

Now that I’m married and have a family of my own, I am continuing the tradition of sugarless desserts in our home. And since it’s currently apple season, you know what that means? Apple pie! Warm, gooey, delicious pie that gratifies your taste buds and your belly!

Have I got your attention yet?

No? Shall I mention golden brown flaky crust filled with cinnamon spiced apples?

Easy From Scratch Apple Pie Recipe

If you’re new to baking pies, don’t be intimated. Here are some hints to successfully bake an apple pie.

A scrumptious homemade pie starts with a good pie crust. The addition of shortening in the recipe below, gives the pastry a flaky, crisp texture. We enjoy using organic vegetable shortening from Spectrum.

To make the pie filling, select a sweet apple such as a fuji. Visit your local fruit farm to pick up a bushel of apples, or if you are creating this pie when apples are not in season, simply grab a bag of organic apples at your area grocery store.

So go ahead! Now is the time. Make an apple pie! And serve yourself a slice … or two … or three. No judgement here!

How to Make a Fruit Juice Sweetened Apple Pie

Makes: 9 inch pie, 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Pie Crust

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of shortening
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
5 Tbs cold water

Apple Pie Filling

6 – 8 apples peeled and sliced thinly (we prefer to use Gala or Fuji apples)
1 12 oz can of frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 – 1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs minute tapioca

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the pie crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter cut the shortening into the flour mixture until pea sized pieces are formed. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time while tossing with a fork until the flour is incorporated and moist.

Gather the pastry to form a ball. Do not knead as this will create a tough pie crust. Divide pastry into two halves – one for the top and one the bottom layer. Set one half aside. We will use this later. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a large circle, approximately 2 inches larger than your pie plate. Transfer crust to plate and trim overhang 1/2-1 inch from the edge of the plate.

For the filling, in a large bowl combine the apples and tapioca. Next, pour the cold apple juice concentrate into a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch and cinnamon. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened. Pour mixture over apples and stir to coat apples completely. Add the filling to the pie crust.

Roll out the remaining crust. Place over the filling. Trim any overhanging pastry with a knife or pair of kitchen scissors. Fold top crust under bottom crust and seal the pie by either pinching the edges with your index finger and knuckles or pressing firmly around the edge with a fork. Cut 3-4 slits in the top crust to help release the steam. Bake apple pie for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is brown and the filling begins to bubble. Cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy.

Homemade Apple Pie Tips

For a crispy pie pastry, place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven. This will make the bottom layer of the crust firm and crispy rather than soggy.

When transferring the pastry to your pie plate, gently roll the crust onto your rolling pin. Then unravel it over the pie plate. This helps to prevent tearing the delicate pastry. See image above.

To speed up the apple peeling process, I love using my apple peeler tool. It peels and cores your apples without you having to do it by hand. Cut the apples in half to create the proper size for the apple filling.

If you’d like to jazz up the look of your pie, braiding the crust or creating a lattice pie adds an extra special touch. I once tried to use a floral embossed rolling pin to create a pattern on the top of the pie. This technique did not prove successful due to the pastry puffing as it bakes. The pattern nearly disappears.

Try These Apple Recipes

Yield: One 9 Inch Pie

Sugarless Apple Pie

Sugarless Apple Pie

Ingredients

  • For the Pie Crust
  • 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of shortening
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbs cold water
  • For the Apple Pie Filling
  • 6 - 8 apples peeled and sliced thinly (we prefer to use Gala or Fuji apples)
  • 1 12 oz can of frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 3 Tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbs minute tapioca

Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

    To make the pie crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter cut the shortening into the flour mixture until pea sized pieces are formed. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time while tossing with a fork until the flour is incorporated and moist.

    Gather the pastry to form a ball. Do not knead as this will create a tough pie crust. Divide pastry into two halves - one for the top and one the bottom layer. Set one half aside. We will use this later. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a large circle, approximately 2 inches larger than your pie plate. Transfer crust to plate and trim overhang 1/2-1 inch from the edge of the plate.

    For the filling, in a large bowl combine the apples and tapioca. Next, pour the cold apple juice concentrate into a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch and cinnamon. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened. Pour mixture over apples and stir to coat apples completely. Add the filling to the pie crust.

    Roll out the remaining crust. Place over the filling. Trim any overhanging pastry with a knife or pair of kitchen scissors. Fold top crust under bottom crust and seal the pie by either pinching the edges with your index finder and knuckles or pressing firmly around the edge with a fork.

    Cut 3-4 slits in the top crust to help release the steam. Bake apple pie for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is brown and the filling begins to bubble. Cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 397mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 6gSugar: 29gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate due to the type of ingredients you are using. It is just a general estimate.

Pin for Later!

Skip to Recipe

Pin It on Pinterest