Healthy Apple Pie Recipes

Apple pie is one of those desserts that is incredibly packed with flavour whilst also being intensely satisfying. It tastes delicious with cream, ice cream or custard, and is perfect hot from the oven or cold as a snack.

♥ Apple Pie

1. Preheat your oven to 200°c/gas mark 6. Grease (with butter) your favourite pie dish.
2. Slice, peel and core enough apples to fill your pie dish, this will depend on the variety you use. Cooking apples are a simple choice, but Bramley apples can have a more traditional taste.
3. Mix your sliced apples with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon in a separate bowl.
4. Roll out readymade shortcrust pastry (or the following wholemeal pastry recipe) in two circles, one large enough to cover the base and sides of the dish, and one to fit as a lid.
5. After pressing your pastry layer onto the dish, fill with your apple, sugar and cinnamon mix. Dot butter over the top - about 2 tsp.
6. Lay on top the other pastry circle and press together the edges with your fingertips or a fork. Brush with 1 beaten egg.
7. Decorate with any excess pastry, and cut some slits in the top of the pastry, in order to let steam escape. Cook for about an hour.
8. Serve warm with Greek or sheep's milk yogurt.

♥ Wholegrain Pastry

1. Mix together 6 oz / 180g plain flour and 6 oz / 180g wholemeal plain flour in a bowl. You could also try a 25/75 mix, or use buckwheat, spelt, rye or barley flour in combination.
2. Rub in 5 oz / 150g butter until it resembles breadcrumbs; all the 'crumbs' should be a similar size.
3. To mix it into a dough add a few teaspoons of water until the mixture comes together and is not sticky.
4. Wrap in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour. It is now ready to use.
5. You can freeze the pastry like this, or roll out then freeze, or prebake for 10 minutes, then freeze. This is a convenient way to ensure there's always pastry on hand when you need it.

Read our chocolate and desserts page for more delicious healthy dessert recipes.

♥ Swiss Apple Turnovers
Maybe not an apple pie as such, but it is a version of the classic.

1. Core, slice and peel 6 soft, red apples, then put them in a pan on a medium heat. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of sugar and add 2 tbsp butter. Add 2tsp lemon juice (fresh) and 1tsp cinnamon. Stir until the apples are softened (15 mins).
2. Wait to cool, then transfer to a food processor and blend to a paste.
3. Stir 1 cup/1/2 pint ground walnuts and a little tbsp of sugar together in a bowl. This will be used as a topping for the turnovers.
4. Get 1 sheet of filo (phyllo) pastry. Butter the edges of one half, and then fold, so it becomes twice as thick. Dollop the apple puree into the middle of this sheet, about 2 cm away from the edges. Fold the pastry diagonally over the filling, to form a triangle. (There are many ways to fold these turnovers, so experiment!)
5. Brush with melted butter, and pinch seal at the sides. Scatter over the walnut-sugar mixture.6. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes in a 180c oven.