Low Sugar Apple Pie Recipe (2024)

Apple pies are wonderful, but they can have a few too many calories for some diets. If you still want to enjoy this classic dessert, you can make it a little healthier by cutting out some of the sugar. It's not hard to do because after all, apples add a fair amount of sweetness themselves, so the pie really doesn't need a lot of sugar to make it delicious.

This apple pie recipe uses a combination of easily found apples at the grocery store: Gala and Granny Smith. The pie is on the tart side because of the Granny Smith apples, but there are many apple varieties you can choose from. You may notice this pie is missing a top crust; leaving it off is another way to cut back on both sugar and fat that you might otherwise get with a traditional pie crust or a crumb topped pie.

To add a healthy dose of sweetness, try serving this pie warm with a scoop of low-fat, low-sugar frozen yogurt or low-fat, low-sugar ice cream. If you are just getting used to enjoying your desserts with less sugar, you might find the transition a little challenging at first. But soon you will savor the natural flavors of the apples and find it quite satisfying; you probably won't miss the sugar at all.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
3 tablespoons water, ice cold
Cooking spray

For the Filling:

2 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Granny Smith apples
2 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Gala apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Steps to Make It

Note: There are multiple steps to this recipe, which are broken down into workable categories to better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Pie Crust

Gather the ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Cut in the chilled butter, using 2 knives or a pastry blender.
Sprinkle in the ice water into the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork after each addition.
Using your hands, form the dough into a ball.
Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle between 2 sheets of plastic wrap coated with cooking sprayto reduce sticking.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so it becomes slightly firm and uniform.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the pie dough. Turn the dough over into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, and remove the remaining layer of plastic wrap.
See Also
Olive Garden Chicken Scampi - CopyKat Recipes
Using your fingers, press the dough into the pie plate and flute the edges.

Make the Apple Filling

Gather the ingredients.
In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining sugars and flour.
Combine the sugar mixture with the apples and toss the mixture lightly with a fork.
Pour the apples into the pie crust.
Use a knife to cut the remaining butter into small pieces, and distribute the butter pieces over the top of the pie.
Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 F and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Tip

If the crust starts to become too brown while baking, gently create a foil ring around the edges of the pie and put it back into the oven.

Variations

If you are following a gluten-free diet, feel free to use a gluten-free pie crust recipe with this recipe. It will work.
Consider adding other spices to the mixture, including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom. Or apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
Feel free to use other apples in this pie, but keep in mind you want ones that are firm and that will hold their shape when baked, and not fall apart. Consider Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp.

How to Store Low Sugar Apple Pie

This pie is best kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to four days.

Low-Sugar Dessert Recipes & Ideas

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
163	Calories
7g	Fat
23g	Carbs
2g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories	163
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 4g	22%
Cholesterol 18mg	6%
Sodium 163mg	7%
Total Carbohydrate 23g	9%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 11mg	1%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 74mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.