Grain Free Apple Pie Made with Chebe
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Is pie crust your nemesis? Making a grain free apple pie is so much easier when you use Chebe All-Purpose Mix as your base!
Grain Free Chebe
My first attempt with a grain free pies with Chebe was back in 2015. Since that time, I developed a great friendship with the owner at Chebe, Dick Reed. He had asked me at that time to make pie, any kind of pie, with his tapioca-based Chebe All – Purpose Mix. I followed their directions for grain free pie crust on their website. It tasted good, but it wasn’t light and flaky like I remember from pre-diagnosis.
After comparing multiple “regular” pie crusts recipes, I discovered what my recipe lacked. Fat. Or more appropriately, MORE fat. The Chebe recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of oil for a dough that will make two pie crusts. All the traditional apple pie crusts recipes I read used 6 – 8 tablespoons of butter. So, I “compromised.” I used the 2 tablespoons of oil that Chebe called for, plus I added 4 tablespoons of butter.
Linda Fedewa – Queen of Gluten Free Pies
Now, rolling a pie crust leaves me weak in the knees. At least, it did until my amazing friend Linda taught me how to make one. Linda manages to share tips that make baking easier. Watching her work the dough is mesmerizing. I could describe it for you myself, but it’s easier just to show you. The 5 minute video above will change your life!
One thing I love about Linda is her ability to adapt. She constantly “plays” with recipes, seeing if she can improve even her tried and true recipes. I made a few changes of my own since creating my grain free apple pie three years ago. For one, I purchased a food processor and no longer freeze and grate my butter. I have no idea how I lived without this wonderful contraption for so long.
Best Apples for Pie
The first time I made my grain free apple pie, I spent many hours on “pie filling” research. For example, what’s the best apples for pie filling? (the tarter the better) and how many apples should I use? What the best proportion of sugar to apples? I finally decided on this recipe from Nicole Hunn, a.k.a. Gluten Free on Shoestring. Her recipe for Gluten Free Apple Pie in a Bag fascinated me. I’ve never heard of baking an apple pie in a paper bag before. Since that first grain free apple pie, I have used this trick EVERY time when baking a fruit pie. I used it when I made my blueberry pie as well.
Since that first grain free apple pie attempt, I am a bit more flexible. No more rushing to buy specific apples that I would never eat on their own. Life is stressful and hectic enough without having to buy “special apples.” I say use whatever apples you have on hand. They still baked perfectly and the pie tasted divine. (I might hesitate in using Red Delicious apples, as they can be “mealy.” Nobody wants mushy, mealy pie.)
Meant for Sharing
However, one thing has not changed since I first made this grain free apple pie. It is definitely meant for sharing. The first time I shared this apple pie with members of our Celiac Disease support group. Some of them had tried my previous pecan pie and all agreed that this apple pie with the extra butter in the crust made a DRASTIC difference.
When I remade this pie this year (2018), I drove to my husband’s school to share it with a student who would have been otherwise left in out a Pi Day lesson. Isn’t it beautiful when we can help one another feel included instead of excluded?
Can’t find Chebe near by? You can also use my galette crust recipe. Just double it for a top and bottom crust. It is not, however, grain free. Need a grain free pie crust from scratch? Try this Almond Flour Pie Crust from Wholesome Yum.
Grain Free Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1 pkg Chebe All Purpose Mix
- 1/2 tbsp powdered milk can leave out if you're dairy-free
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tablespoons cold butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, cut into cubes
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 tbsp ICE water
For the Filling
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 6-8 medium apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 2/3 c. sugar can be mix of white and brown
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch 9 g, can be ground from tapioca pearls
- 1 tsp cinnamon or Penzey's Baking Spice
For the Egg Wash
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Start by preparing the dough first. Add Chebe All-Purpose mix, powdered milk and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. To that, add the cubed, cold butter and process until the mixture looks more like sand. No visible chunks of butter should remain. (If you do not have a food processor you can freeze and grate the butter like Linda shows in her video.)
- Remove top to the food processor and add the 2 eggs and 2 tbsp of oil. Process until fully blended and the dough takes on a uniform yellow tint.
- While processing, slowly add ICE cold water, one tablespoon at a time. A soft dough ball should form. Stop processing and turn dough out onto a silicone mat. Make sure to get out any residual flour in the food processor.
- Knead the dough until all remaining flour has been processed and a firm, small dough ball develops. Set aside as you work on the filling.
- Peel 6 to 8 medium apples. Place slices in a medium bowl that contains 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Continue to toss apple slices in the juice as more are added to the bowl.
- Once all apples are peeled and sliced, add remaining ingredients (sugar, salt, starch and spices) to the bowl and mix together well. Set aside.
- Divide the dough ball approximately in half. Place one half on a silicone mat for rolling and set the other half aside. (You may want to place it in the refrigerator to chill.) Add grain free flour to the silicone mat to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the dough out one way, then turn 180 degrees the other way, and roll in the opposite direction. It may be helpful to flip the dough over when doing this to prevent sticking.
- Carefully place the rolled pie crust in the bottom of a pie dish and press into the bottom and sides.
- Fill the bottom crust with the apple pie filling.
- Roll the other half of the dough and cover pie filling. Tuck the edge of the bottom crust under the top, and pinch the top crust over the bottom to seal the pie.
- Place the pie in a brown paper bag and place on top of a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, and remove pie from bag. Place pie back in the oven for 5 minutes to continue browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours. This pie is best if allowed to sit overnight.
**Chebe Bread provided the ingredients for this post. I was not otherwise paid or compensated for my time. This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**
BEAUTIFUL pie (apple pie is my favorite). The end result is worth every second spend creating it! Great recipe!