I’m here to fulfill your dreams of keto apple pie! Yes, you might have thought that a low carb apple pie was impossible. But it’s not! Your day just got a little sweeter. 😉
This Keto Apple Pie recipe is a delicious way to have low carbs but still have pie. In fact we use a secret ingredient which to my surprise, and pleasantly at that, make it taste just like the real thing! So it’s apple pie without the apples!
Well, now we have a Low Carb “Apple Pie” recipe that I will admit sounded strange but in reality, it tastes just like Apple Pie!
Even more surprising is that I’m a fussy eater and even I was impressed. So we are very happy to share this with you so you too can make Keto Apple Pie.
WHAT TO USE INSTEAD OF APPLES?
Apples are high in carbs, even though they are packed with lots of fiber and vitamins. There are about 15 grams of carbs in one cup of apples.
The problem is that you need more than 1 cup of apples in a slice of the pie, so you’re going to have, way more than 15 carbs.
There sure are a lot of carbs in them, that’s why the best alternatives to apples are Zucchini and Yellow Squash.
Yes you heard me right, Zucchini and Squash are 2 great substitutes for apples and they cook up and taste very similar. You can barely notice the difference. You even peel them just like you would peel apples.
There’s also a big difference in carbs between apples and zucchini/squash. Instead of the 15 grams per cup of carbs for apples, in Zucchini and Yellow squash, there are only about 3 grams of carbs in one cup. Yet another reason to use squash instead of apples.
Instead of using 4 cups of zucchini, replace it with 4 cups of apples. Keep all the other ingredients the same. For ½ cup, it’s 10 net carbs per serving.
If that’s still too high, then what you can do is cut your portion down to a ¼ cup and now it will only be 5 net carbs. That might be a little more doable for you.
Unfortunately, if you are strictly counting your carbs, like me and so many other people, apples have 5 times more carbs than squash has.
Why use up all your carbs for the day on a tiny little piece of apple pie when you can use up a lot less and eat more with this Keto/Low Carb Apple Pie??
Now in this recipe you can choose if you want to use just one type of squash for a Keto Apple Pie filling, or you can even mix them. In this particular pie we used yellow squash only, but test them out and see which you like better.
The big difference in making a Low Carb Pie Crust is that you need to substitute the flour with another kind, such as almond flour, coconut flour, or any other nut flour. In this recipe, we chose to use Almond flour.
You may be used to using regular flour to make pie crust and almond flour doesn’t handle the same way. But we did find something that helps to hold your Keto Pie Crust together…Xanthan Gum.
Just a little bit goes a long way to help you with your crust so that it doesn’t fall apart easily.
HOW TO MAKE KETO APPLE PIE
Now that we’ve gone over the basics of what it is, we are finally going to see how to make our Keto Apple Pie.
We are going to learn how to make the bottom crust, the top crust, how to roll the crust, which in this case is made into a lattice design, and how to make the pie filling the low carb way with squash instead of apples….a very delicious way.
INGREDIENTS
Keto Apple Pie Filling:
1/4 cup Powdered Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend (or more to taste)
1/2 cup Butter (salted)
6 tbsp Lemon juice (divided)
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cardamom
1 tbsp Unflavored gelatin powder
5 medium Yellow squash (~6-7 cups, ~50 oz, peeled, sliced and diced into 1/2 inch pieces; or zucchini!)
1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp Maple extract (optional)
Keto Apple Pie Crust:
3 3/4 cup Blanched Almond Flour
1/3 cup Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/2 cup Butter (unsalted, measured solid, then melted)
1 large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
1 tbsp Unflavored gelatin powder
2 tbsp Water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Keto Apple Pie Filling:
In a small pinch bowl, whisk the gelatin powder with 3 tablespoons (44 mL) lemon juice. Set aside to bloom.
In a large 3.5-quart (3.3 liter) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the powdered sweetener, the remaining 3 tablespoons (44 mL) lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. When the gelatin mixture has thickened, whisk it into the pan, until dissolved.
Add the diced squash to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the mixture has thickened, similar to apple pie filling.
Stir in the maple extract.
Set the filling aside to cool until no hotter than lukewarm, at least 20 minutes.
Keto Apple Pie Crust:
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
To make the pie crust dough, follow steps 1-3 from this almond flour pie crust recipe, BUT you will use the amounts of almond flour, sweetener, sea salt, butter, egg, and vanilla above. (This is an extra amount for the top crust.)
Add the gelatin powder and water, and use a hand mixer to combine, until uniform.
Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough into the lined pie pan, including the bottom and going up the sides. Set the 2nd half of the dough aside.
Bake the crust in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until just lightly golden.
When done, set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the filling.
Meanwhile, place the remaining half of the dough between two lightly oiled pieces of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin over the parchment paper to roll out to a circle slightly larger than the top of the pie pan, for the top crust.
Keto Apple Pie Assembly:
Preheat the oven again to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), if it has cooled. Make sure the filling and bottom crust are both cooled to no hotter than lukewarm before assembling.
Gently transfer the cooled filling to the cooled bottom crust.
Lift the top piece of parchment paper off the rolled out top crust. Using the bottom piece of parchment paper, carefully and rapidly flip the top crust over onto the pie, then gently peel off the parchment paper. Use a knife to cut any excess top crust off the edges, making sure it still completely covers the bottom crust. Use your fingers to press the edges down to seal. Cut 4 slits in the top of the pie.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are browned. Cover the edges of the pie with foil and bake for an additional 5-15 minutes, until the top crust is light golden and semi-firm to the touch. (It will not fully firm up until after cooling.)
Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely before cutting or removing from the pan.
HOW MANY CARBS ARE IN KETO APPLE PIE?
If you cut your Low Carb Apple Pie into 12 slices, then each slice will be approx 8 carbs a piece. For a dessert, that’s really good.
What more could you ask for? A piece of the pie that tastes just like Apple Pie without all the carbs that Apple Pie has. So I guess you can “have your pie and eat it too”!!!