Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Hand Pies
Try this Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Hand Pies recipe
Try this Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Hand Pies recipe
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- topping
- filling
- pie dough
- 1/2 cup raw pecan butter (see directions)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (136 g other starches do not work here)
- 1/2 cup white rice flour (80 g performed better with both taste & texture than brown rice flour, i used this one)
- 7 tablespoons coconut sugar (63 g)
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons hot water (helps make the rice and tapioca flours
- 1 granny smith apple peeled & chopped (you'll need 1 heaping cup of 1/2 inch cubes, 130 g)
- 4 tablespoons coconut sugar (36 g)
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (storebought blend or see note below for sub)
- 1/4 cup chopped pecan pieces
- 1 tablespoon or so of raw sugar and extra spice for sprinkling sweet bite, but you can just use coconut sugar if you don't want the extra ingredient, but we loved the raw sugar)
- note: as always use a scale for accurate results with gluten-free baking, to avoid room for error. i tested these pies with different starches and flours (with many fails!) and this is the best combo. it's crispy, buttery and has good structure. therefore, i do not recomm
- apple spice blend: if you can't find the apple pie then just combine 3/4 teaspoon quality cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- Carbohydrate 7.44471 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.064232 g
- Fiber 0.576800017356873 g
- Protein 0.417732 g
- Saturated Fat 0.015778 g
- Serving Size 1 1 hand pie (26g)
- Sodium 40.76705 mg
- Sugar 6.86790998264313 g
- Trans Fat 0.0137592 g
- Calories 31 calories
Step-by-step
- Time saving tips: You can make both the pecan butter and the dough the day before you bake the pies, then it all comes together really fast. You can even make the filling the day before as well and just keep stored in the fridge.
- First, you need to make the pecan butter. Don't fret, it only takes 10 minutes. Storebought does not work, it's too oily. It is important to use raw pecans and not roasted, because the roasted are too oily. Add 2 cups raw pecan halves/pieces to a food processor and process into a flour. Scrape down the sides and process for about 10 minutes or so until it is very, very smooth and creamy. You will need to scrape down the sides a couple of times during. Do not stop processing once it is a paste, you need to keep going until it is very soft and smooth and the consistency of a soft buttercream frosting. It should be smoother than almond butter. You will have extra, but will only need ½ cup for the dough. Clean and dry out your food processor before the next step. The pecan butter should be cooled and at room temperature before the next step, so that's why I recommend making it earlier.
- Next, make your dough. Add the tapioca starch, rice flour, coconut sugar and salt to a clean/dry food processor. Pulse just to blend together. Measure out only ½ cup of the pecan butter. Make sure you completely level this off of the measuring cup for accuracy in the dough. Add the pecan butter to the food processor, with the hot water (I warmed my water for 30 sec in the microwave) and vanilla. Process until it all comes together into a really sticky dough, resembling thick peanut butter, a few seconds. Scrape the sides and process once more. It will not be like a traditional pie dough, it will be more sticky and loose, but will firm up a lot in the chilling step. Scrape out your every bit of dough onto plastic wrap. Wrap it up and form a ball and place in the freezer for 2 hours. The dough will be too sticky to use immediately. If wanting to store the dough overnight, store in the fridge instead of the freezer. Do not remove until ready to use right away.
- While the dough is chilling, make your apple pie filling. Add your chopped apples, apple spice blend and coconut sugar into a small pot and stir around to coat all the apples. Add the water and stir. Turn the heat to medium. Once it starts to sizzle, immediately turn to the lowest heat, cover and let cook for just 5 minutes, just until the apples have began to soften and is looking syrupy. You just want to slightly cook them, so they will be fully cooked after the oven baking step. Let the filling cool off.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line a metal sheet pan with parchment paper.
- After the dough has chilled, remove and unwrap. Use the cold dough immediately so it's easy to work with. Place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper, add another piece on top of the dough and roll out into a large round piece at ⅛ inch thick, rolling out from the center of the dough, to the edges. You don't want it any thinner or the dough can break. Remember, this dough has no gluten, so it is delicate, but it does work really, really well and bakes up beautifully. Using a round cookie cutter or glass about 3 inches in size, cut out 20 circles. There will be enough dough for 10 hand pies, which means you should get 20 circles total by reusing all the dough up. Keep re-rolling out the dough until you've made 10 pies. You may have a little leftover.
- Place each bottom dough piece onto the parchment lined pan that you will bake with. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the apple pie filling onto the center of each piece, spread out, leaving a little space to seal the edges. Be careful about overfilling them, or the tops will break and ooze out. Add a few of the pecan pieces as well. Place the tops on gently and press down the edges with your fingers. It sticks very easily together. Use damp fingers if necessary. If any of the dough slightly cracks, just dampen a finger and smooth it back out. For decorative edges, you can crimp them with a fork. Lastly, with a sharp knife, cut a tiny slit opening on the tops of each pie, this will allow a little steam to escape. The slit should only be about ½ inch.
- Lightly dampen a pastry brush with water and brush the tops of each pie, just to moisten them, so the sugar will stick. Sprinkle extra apple pie spice or cinnamon and raw sugar (or coconut sugar) all over the tops. Don't be shy with the sugar. The pies themselves are mildly sweet, so this is where the nice sweet bite comes from.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, just until the tops are firm and no longer soft. Mine were perfect right at 15 minutes, but your oven may take a minute less or more. Just keep an eye on them and feel the tops for a crisp touch. Set your timer so they don't burn. Remove and immediately transfer to a cooling rack. Eat while warm. These hold up perfectly, just like a gluten-filled pie crust. They hold together well and are super easy to hold! Enjoy! Keep leftovers in a sealed container. Reheat them in a low heat oven just until warm and crispy again. They will not be crispy if reheated in the microwave, but still delicious.
My Unexpected Baking Adventure: Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Hand Pies
As a busy marketing executive, my life revolves around deadlines, presentations, and the ever-present hum of my laptop. Free time is a precious commodity, often squeezed between conference calls and client emails. So, when I found myself with an unexpected afternoon off, my mind didn't immediately leap to elaborate culinary creations. Instead, I was drawn to something simpler, something comforting, something I could share with my colleagues: apple hand pies.
Now, I'm not exactly a seasoned baker. My attempts at croissants ended in a sticky, floury disaster, and my sourdough starter stubbornly refused to cooperate. But these hand pies? They were different. The recipe, discovered in a flurry of online searches, promised a surprisingly simple process, and the results—oh, the results!—were a revelation. The delicate, flaky crust, the sweet-tart filling bursting with juicy apples and warm spices, it was a symphony of flavors and textures that even my most discerning colleagues couldn't help but rave about.
The best part? This recipe was completely vegan and gluten-free. Being mindful of dietary restrictions is important to me, not only because several of my friends follow these diets but also because I strive to make healthier choices myself. And the fact that this recipe was so easily adaptable to both vegan and gluten-free needs made it even more appealing. Substituting certain ingredients was straightforward, and the taste didn't suffer one bit. The pecan butter, for example, added a unique nutty flavor and helped bind the dough, giving it that perfectly crisp texture. I’d never made pecan butter before, but the process was incredibly easy and the outcome was fantastic – a delicious nutty creaminess that added a wonderful unexpected touch.
The baking process itself became a mini-meditation. The rhythmic rolling of the dough, the careful placement of the apple filling, the satisfying crimp of the edges – it was surprisingly therapeutic. It was a welcome escape from the daily grind, a chance to reconnect with something more grounded and tactile than spreadsheets and presentations. The aroma that wafted through the kitchen during baking was divine, a warm and comforting scent that filled the air with a sense of homemade goodness.
Watching my colleagues' faces light up as they savored the warm, sweet pies was the ultimate reward. The shared enjoyment, the casual conversations sparked by these simple treats, it was a reminder of the joy that comes from simple acts of kindness and culinary creativity. Those 15 minutes spent baking weren't just about creating a dessert; they were about crafting connection and creating lasting memories, a small act of nurturing in a busy workweek. I've since tried several variations, even experimenting with other fruit fillings and different spices.
The success of this venture inspired me to try more baking projects, venturing into different flavor combinations and exploring new techniques. The unexpected afternoon off led to a surprising discovery: a newfound love for baking, a stress-relieving hobby, and a delicious way to share my efforts with those around me.
It's amazing how a simple recipe, a dash of unexpected free time, and the right ingredients can result in much more than just a perfect pastry. It's a reminder to appreciate those small moments, to embrace the unexpected detours, and to find joy in the simple act of creating something beautiful—and delicious—with our own hands. And who knows, maybe next I’ll tackle those croissants again.
