Go Back
The ULTIMATE Healthy Apple Pie Recipe -- truly the BEST apple pie I've ever had! Sweet filling, flaky crust & only 129 calories! You'll never use another apple pie recipe again! ♡ healthy homemade apple pie from scratch. clean eating healthy apple pie.

The Ultimate Healthy Apple Pie

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 1 pie, 10 slices
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 55 minutes
This truly is the best healthy apple pie I’ve ever had! It has a rich flaky crust, sweet filling, and lots of cozy spices. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, the 4th of July, or any time you’re craving apple pie! It’s best if eaten within 24 hours (otherwise, the crust starts to turn a bit soft).
4.85 from 46 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

FOR THE CRUST

FOR THE FILLING

  • generous 2 ½ cups (305g) ⅛”-thick slices Fuji apple, cut in half (about 2 medium)
  • generous 2 ½ cups (305g) ⅛”-thick slices Gala apple, cut in half (about 2 medium)
  • heaping 1 ½ cups (175g) ⅛”-thick slices Granny Smith apple, cut in half (about 1 medium)
  • 3 tbsp (24g) cornstarch
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp (45mL) water
  • 1 tbsp (15mL) pure maple syrup

Instructions

  • To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, the back of a fork, or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of ice water. Sprinkle the liquid mixture over the flour mixture, and stir until fully incorporated. Continue to add ice water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
  • Place a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Using your hands, form the dough into a 1”-thick circle. Place the dough in the center of the plastic wrap, and lay another large sheet of plastic wrap on top. Fold up the excess plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. (If chilled longer than 1 hour, let the dough “thaw” on the counter for 5-15 minutes or more, depending on how much longer it was chilled, before rolling it out.)
  • While the dough chills, prepare the filling. (NOTE: I typically wait to slice the apples until now to save time!) Toss together the apple slices, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg until the spices are evenly distributed on the apples. Drizzle in the maple syrup and water, and toss the apples again until they’re evenly coated.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F, and place a dark metal baking sheet into the oven on the middle rack. Lightly coat a regular 9” pie plate (not deep dish!) with cooking spray.
  • Leaving the dough between the sheets of plastic wrap, roll it out until it’s 1” to 2” wider than the top of the pie plate. Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap, and gently invert the pie dough into the prepared pie plate. Peel off the second layer of plastic wrap, and gently press the pie dough into place. Trim the overhang.
  • Transfer the filling on top of the pie dough, and gently but firmly press down to eliminate as much space between the apples as possible. (I use my hands to do this!) Cover the top of the entire pie plate with foil, trying to “bump up” the center so it’s not touching the apple slices.
  • Place the foil-covered pie plate on the dark metal baking sheet in the oven. Bake the pie at 425°F for 15 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F, and continue to bake for an additional 40 minutes. Carefully remove the foil from the top of the pie plate, and continue to bake at 350° for another 15 minutes (for a total of 70 minutes) or until the outer crust is golden in color. Let the pie cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Notes

IMPORTANT PIE PLATE NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Before you start making this recipe, measure your pie plate! This recipe was designed specifically for a standard-sized 9” pie plate — not a deep dish 9” pie plate. If you measure from the inside of your pie plate, it should be no more than 1 ⅜” tall. This is the pie plate that I used. (And this is my favorite rolling pin!)
 
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your pie crust dough, and it can also give the fully baked crust a tough texture. If the dough is still dry after adding 2 tablespoons of water in Step 1, continue adding a bit more ice water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until all of the flour is fully incorporated.
 
IMPORTANT APPLE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: The combination of apples in the Ingredients list created the best flavor and texture for the filling! My taste testers and I tried the following combinations: just Fuji, just Granny Smith, Fuji + Granny Smith, Honeycrisp + Gala + Granny Smith, and Fuji + Gala + Granny Smith. The last one was definitely our favorite! (But any of the last three options will still taste delicious!)
 
I don't peel my apples because I don't mind the texture of the peel. You can definitely peel your apples, if you prefer! (Peeling the apples will also make the filling's texture a bit softer!)
 
There should appear to be more apples than will fit in the pie dish — that’s good! You want there to be a small mound of apples extending up past the rim of the pie plate. The apples shrink as they bake, so you should end up with a flat top once your pie has finished cooling.
 
IMPORTANT FILLING FLAVOR + TEXTURE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This pie yields a filling that’s firm yet soft (not mealy or mushy!). For a completely soft filling without any touch of firmness, use this recipe of mine instead.
 
For a sweeter filling, substitute additional maple syrup for an equal amount of water (i.e. 1 tablespoon of maple syrup for 1 tablespoon of water).
 
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. I haven’t tried any gluten-free flour blends with this pie crust, so I’m not sure how that would turn out.
 
BUTTER NOTES: Salted butter may be substituted for the unsalted. I'm still working on testing stick-style vegan butter, but I’ll update the recipe accordingly soon.
 
I don’t recommend substituting tub-style butter (regular or vegan) or coconut oil. Tub-style butter is already soft when chilled, not solid, and coconut oil melts at a much lower temperature, so neither will produce the same flaky texture in the crust.
 
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
 
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
 
CINNAMON TIP: This is the type of cinnamon that I use because it has a stronger, warmer, and slightly sweeter flavor. If using regular cinnamon and you'd like a stronger spice flavor, increase by ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
 
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: I'm still working on perfecting a gluten-free version, but I’ll update the recipe accordingly when I do.
 
DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: I'm still working on perfecting a vegan version, but I’ll update the recipe accordingly when I do.
 
PIE CRUST "COOKIE" CUTTERS: The pie cutters that I used for the apples and leaves in my photos are no longer sold in stores, but this set is similar!
 
For more information regarding the ingredients and instructions, please see the Nerd Alerts (#1-9) in my blog post above.
 
{clean eating, low fat, lower calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.