Make your holidays even more welcoming with these Gluten Free Upside Down Apple Pies to satisfy everyone’s diet. Add vanilla bean ice cream, a touch of powdered sugar, or serve them standalone for the perfect individualized dessert!
Hi there, it’s Kelly from A Thing of Beauty, and if you’ve ever stumbled across my blog you’ll know that I had to go gluten free due to an extreme sensitivity about a year ago and ever since, I’ve devoted my time to cooking and falling back in love with food! The holidays can be one of the worst times for anyone with a food allergy or avoidance with all of the delicious cakes and pies on the dinner table, which is why I was determined to come up with the perfect gluten-free take on the classic apple pie.
One of my other struggles during the holidays is coming up with the right portion size – I never want to bake a full-size pie because I feel wasteful when just one person is enjoying it. A mini pie was the perfect solution, and with a little surprise twist when it comes out of the oven!
I used some of my favorite granny smith apples for this Gluten-Free Upside Down Apple Pies recipe, but obviously any fruit that you enjoy will go great in these pies. I like to use the freshest, least ripe apples I can find for that intense, crisp flavor!
Gluten Free Upside Down Apple Pies
There are a few extra materials you’ll need to bake these delicious mini pies: domed ramekins, an apple peeler/corer, and small fall cookie cutters. You need oven-safe ramekins to get that gorgeous domed shape when you reveal the pies – I found mine at my local supermarket so they’re easily available!
When it comes to a gluten free crust, I highly recommend purchasing a pie crust mix from the supermarket. You’ll still have to add in butter, eggs, and water and put it together, but it will save you time trying to get the correct flour measurements. If you’re feeling adventurous, the typical ratio for a gluten free pie crust is 1 part flour to 1/4 part cold butter to 1/2 part egg. Then you add water to get the desired consistency. But this can be tricky and time consuming so I recommend purchasing a mix, especially if you’re a beginner gluten free chef!
Enjoy these simple Gluten Free Upside Down Apple Pies; they’re sure to be a hit with the hidden cookie-cutter surprise!
Ingredients
- Gluten free pie crust mix
- 2 granny smith apples
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Start by preparing your gluten free pie crust mix. Look for a doughy, slightly wet consistency, and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- While the pie crust is chilling, prepare the filling. Start by peeling and coring apples, either by hand or with a corer.
- In a mixing bowl, combine apples, melted butter, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and the two sugars until well combined.
- Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap.
- Use the top of your ramekins to cut out one circle for the top and one for the inside. Make the inside crust slightly larger than the circumference of the ramekin.
- Cover the inside of your ramekin with melted butter, cut out a small shape from the leftover crust, and place in the bottom of the dish. Top with the inside crust.
- Fill the ramekin to the top with the pie filling and top with the top crust.
- Make a slit in the top crust and brush with remaining melted butter and a sprinkle of sugar.
- Bake in a 400ºF oven for about 25 minutes or until slightly browned on top.
- Allow the pies to rest in the ramekins for about 20 minutes and then gently tip them out of the dishes onto a serving dish.
- Serve warm, or with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream!
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Roll out your crust between two sheets of plastic wrap for no mess, no sticking, and easy clean up!
We hope you love this Gluten Free Upside Down Apple Pies recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Kelly from A Thing of Beauty, as much as we do. If you love this delightful recipe, stop by our Desserts section to find more like it. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss a single recipe, and you can visit our Pinterest boards for even more incredible dessert ideas. Enjoy!
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