Make a healthier apple tart with this recipe for lighter and allergy-friendly Dairy Free Caramel Apple Pie – it’s gluten free and vegan!
Looking to save a few calories but still enjoy a little gooey sweetness now and then? Apple pie is a great dessert because it largely fruit-based, making it a sensible choice for people watching their calories – if you choose the right slice!
You really have to watch your pie: some apple pies (like this homemade caramel apple pie) can weigh in at over 600 calories per slice!
I decided to do a recipe make-over and create a healthy and simple version of a caramel apple pie that won’t break the calorie bank. This Caramel Apple Pie is whole-food based and is perfect for people on special diets.
Whether you are allergic to dairy, soy, or are a vegan, you can still enjoy this pie without the trans fats and white sugar in traditional apple pie. You can actually feel good about eating this Dairy Free Caramel Apple Pie!
This pie crust took some time to get right, but the work paid off! This crust tastes great and works nicely for many other recipes, such as homemade pop tarts. This crust is whole grain and because it is gluten-free, it won’t get tough if you over-work it like a traditional pie crust.
A rustic pie that is healthy and easy to make? Absolutely! Now that is a dessert you can really enjoy!
For more info about the calorie saving benefits of Silk Pure Almond Milk Unsweetened and more great recipes, check out Silk.com!
Dairy Free Caramel Apple Pie (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Apple Filling:
- 3 cups sweet-tart apples cored and sliced thin (unpeeled)
- 3 Tablespoons Easy Caramel Sauce recipe below
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Easy Caramel Sauce for drizzling
Pie Crust:
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons solid palm oil
- ¼ cup Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed I used golden flax seed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Prepare the apple filling:
- Halve the apples, core, and slice thinly crosswise (across shorter side). Slice enough apples to make 3 cups
- Toss the apples with the ground cinnamon, and Easy Caramel Sauce until well coated. Set aside
- Prepare the crust:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt
- In a small bowl, combine the Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla and the ground flax seed and set aside for a couple minutes to allow to thicken
- Meanwhile, use a pastry cutter to cut the solid palm oil into the flour mixture until crumbly
- Add the flax gel to the flour mixture and stir until well combined and a stiff dough forms. You can add more almond milk 1 Tablespoon at a time if the mixture seems too dry
- Press the dough firmly together into a ball. Place between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick
- Place the rolled dough onto a baking stone or parchment-lined baking sheet
- Add the apples to the center of the pie crust, leaving about 2-inches of space between the edge of the crust and the filling
- Fold the pie crust over the filling all around the pie, leaving some space in the center of the pie uncovered
- Bake on a baking stone or a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 40 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and the apples are tender
- Let the galette cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving
- Drizzle with Easy Caramel Sauce and enjoy!
Nutrition
Dairy Free Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy almond butter or other nut butter
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine ingredients and mix well until combined and smooth.
- You can add more or less milk depending on the consistency you want: add more milk if you want thinner sauce, less milk if you want thicker sauce!
Nutrition
Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie. She’s a food allergy mom and healthy living blogger based in Wyoming. Sarah is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Certified Health Coach, Revolution Running certified running coach, and an ACE Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Can we use coconut oil instead of palm oil?
I wouldn’t recommend using coconut oil in this recipe instead of palm oil unless you reduce the amount. Coconut oil has a lower melting point, so the pie crust likely won’t hold together as well. I want to revisit this recipe since it’s older, but the palm oil is easier to work with than coconut oil for pie crust. If you’d like a coconut oil pie crust, it might be better to find a recipe that has been created specifically with coconut oil to make it easier since it might not be a 1:1 replacement with coconut oil.
Do we have to use that particular carmel sauce for this recipe or is it possible to use another? I’ve heard a lot of bad things about agave and am thinking of using medjool date carmel instead.
Hi Aryn, you can certainly use a different type of dairy-free caramel sauce if you like. Pure maple syrup or coconut sugar syrup would work good in place of agave. I actually don’t use agave anymore, I used to use it in some of my older recipes (this one is an older one of mine) so I completely understand that you wouldn’t want to use agave 🙂
I love the rustic look of your galette. 🙂 Glad this is a healthier version from the apple pie. have a great weekend.
Thank you, Amy 🙂
I thought palm oil was an evil no no?
Hi Shannon! Palm oil is a tropical oil that is high in saturated fats, making it a solid non-animal oil similar to coconut oil. While many people have vilified saturated fats in the past, natural saturated fats are bad for you in moderation. Palm oil is a healthier alternative to hydrogenated shortening (like Crisco) because palm oil is all natural and minimally processed. New research is finding that even real butter is healthier for you than margarine or shortening made primarily of trans-fats. Coconut oil used to be considered a bad food, but is now considered whole food “gold” if you choose the right kind. For this recipe, I used Spectrum Organic Palm oil.
this looks DIVINE!
Thanks Lindsay! Everyone’s recipes for Silk are tremendous : )
Ooooohhh, I definitely want to try out that caramel sauce! Such a great idea!
It’s a great sub for dairy-allergy people. My kids have nut allergies, so I have made this with SunButter, too. It’s so versatile! I bet it would taste good with Justin’s hazelnut butter, yum!
I love galettes. This looks great!
Thank you Melanie! This was the first galette I have ever made. They are easier to make than regular pie – I’m hooked!