Apple Pie Crisp

When Family Traditions Evolve

*Alpha-Gal Friendly Recipe

*Diabetic Friendly Recipe

In my family, we take our apple pies seriously! 

Our renowned apple pie goes back to a recipe from our great grandparents.  And we LOVE it!!  It is made for every big celebration.

In our family, apple pie making contests were common with everyone making their own special tweak, blindly tasting and voting on the best.  They were all amazing, mind you!

No matter what slight change any of us might have made, these pies were the best apple pies you could ever find!  The apples were allowed to candy within the buttery sweet, warmly spiced filling held safely by an oh so flaky crust with just a hint of salt. The top crust was always adorned with crust creations, allowing a peek of what was on the inside. An apple with leaves, or a message and sometimes simply a heart conveying the love with which this pie was made and hoped to give.

About 30 years ago, my apple pie won best in show with more than 100 other pies entered!

Various magazines asked for my recipe but I declined. I felt a recipe like this needed to be shared more personally.   At the table with family, friends or new friends.  After all, it was a tradition.

Tradition for tradition’s sake kind of misses the point in my opinion. Traditions that change and evolve with the needs, desires and lives of the tradition holders makes more sense to me, noting and holding historical reference for the OG (original). 

While this recipe is not our famous apple pie, it takes lots of it’s cues directly from that pie. 

I wanted to create a pie that could be made and eaten anytime because it was more nourishing, faster and easier than the original.

This is what I came up with, Apple Pie Crisp!

I’d love to know what you think.  Did you make this for your family?  Could it be the beginning of a new family tradition?

P.S.  The recipe may look like a lot, but after you make it once, you will see how fast and easy this Pie Crisp can be. 

Watch the video here!

https://fb.watch/oVPwTICSO1/

Recipe:

Start with about 6-8 tart sweet apples. I actually prefer Gala or Pink Lady.

Quarter and slice apples long way into medium thin slices. 

½-1 cup additional fruit if desired such as cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or other fruit. Wash and dry before adding and mixing into the apples.

Arrange apples, and fruit if adding, in a glass pie plate so that there are no big pockets of air space yet they are not stuck right to one another. 

Do not overfill pie as this can result in sticky spill over of the delicious juice into the oven and create a burnt mess. (Speaking from experience here)

Spices: All measurements are to my taste.  Make your own and adjust to your unique taste!

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg

Juice of 1 lemon or 2 Tablespoons

4-6 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (depending on apple tartness)

Add to the top of the fruit the cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, lemon juice and maple syrup. 

(In our regular pie we would not want the addition of a liquid like maple syrup because the crust holds all the liquid and steam in.  In fact we add a bit of flour to the apples prior to adding the spice. We also add butter!  I don’t miss any of that with this Pie Crisp!) 

Prepare your Pie Crisp topping. 

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup walnuts 

1 cup rolled oats

Blend in a food processor (or chop medium fine) these three ingredients until they are coarsely ground. 

Add:

2 Tablespoons Almond Butter (smooth)

3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

Pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in food processor until the mixture resembles coarsely ground graham crackers.

Using your fingers, place your crumble topping generously all over the top of the pie making sure it is evenly distributed over the entire Pie Crisp and that no apples are hanging out above on their own. 

You will bake this at two temperatures. 

First Covered in a hotter oven, 375, for 15 minutes.

Now a lower, slower oven, 300, for a long, slow bake, Uncovered, giving those apples ample time to mingle with the spices and syrup. 45 min to one hour. 

45 min. gives a more firm apple, an hour give a softer more candied apple.

Share and Enjoy a modern take on an old family tradition!

*Alpha-Gal Friendly recipes are recipes that, to the best of my knowledge, have no Alpha-Gal containing ingredients.  Likewise the recipes that are listed as diabetic friendly are listed as such with the best knowledge I have regarding this condition. These statements are in no way a substitute for consulting with your own physician or registered dietician. These statements come from my own research and are in no way to be taken as conclusive.  

You should always do your own research on individual ingredients to determine if an ingredient fits within your own allergy or dietary profile.      

Lisa Spector