This easy low-carb Keto Apple Pie has a perfectly buttery pie crust that envelopes a delicious filling you may not expect. Sure to satisfy and surprise!
Appleless apple pie? You bet! By swapping zucchini for the apple in this Keto Mock "Apple" Pie we've created a delicious pie that honestly tastes almost exactly like apple pie and is perfect for the keto diet!
We start by making our keto pie crust that we also use in our Keto Pecan Pie and our Keto Pumpkin Pie. It's flakey, buttery, and holds together perfectly - even enough to pinch the crust and create designs. How awesome is that? We went with a simple leaf design on top but you could even do a lattice top.
Let's talk about a few tips to help you create the perfect gluten-free/keto pie crust:
- To make sure your dough holds up it's insanely important that your dough is COLD so be sure not to skip the chilling of the dough.
- Another key component of making the dough texture perfect is by using both almond flour and coconut flour. We love how the two play together to create a delicious flaky crust.
- To roll out the dough without it sticking to anything, place the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and top with another sheet before using s rolling pin to roll it out.
- Let it cool completely before slicing with a sharp knife.
Here are a few more answers to common questions?
Why is a pie with zucchini called an apple pie? What's in Keto Apple Pie Filling?
Well, simply because no one searches for "zucchini pie" and this keto pie is meant to taste just like an apple pie.
Zucchini has a great texture and sweetness to it that it works well for a mock apple pie. We add a bit of lemon juice for the tang that a granny smith apple would typically provide and cook the zucchini down with butter, brown "sugar" (erythritol), powdered erythritol, vanilla, and apple pie spice.
Do I have to use xanthan gum?
We create a thick syrupy texture by adding a pinch of xanthan gum as a thickener. You don't have to use it but you'll need to cook down the zucchini a bit more so that the mixture is thicker. Try starting with simmering for 30 minutes instead of 20 if not using xanthan gum.
How do I prevent the crust from burning?
You'll see in the recipe that we call for carefully wrapping the crust edges in foil after baking for a bit. This allows the rest of the pie to bake without the crust burning to a crisp.
Can I use a normal pie dish?
Yes, you can. Please do note however that this recipe yields a 10.5" pie so you can either scale the recipe down or use a 10" pie dish. Also, can we admire this cast iron pie pan for a second? Who knew those existed??
Are there other ways to serve the apple pie filling?
YES!! Here are a few of our favorites:
- on top of ice cream
- on top of keto waffles or pancakes
- in a smoothie - just blend it up with almond or coconut milk...yum!
How many carbs / net carbs are in this Sugar-Free Apple Pie?
There are 13.4g TOTAL carbs and 7.1g NET CARBS per slice. This information does not include ice cream or whipped cream.
This recipe isn't meant to be a dessert for every day but a dessert for special dinners and holidays like Thanksgiving. For reference, a typical slice of apple pie has over 40g of net carbs. We try to keep all of our keto recipes under 10g of net carbs per serving.
Keto Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 5 ½ cups almond flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 6 large eggs
- 1 stick + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup granulated Swerve erythritol
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 7 cups diced peeled zucchini 2.25lbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup powdered erythritol
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Apple Pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup brown erythritol
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a medium bowl mix all of the ingredients together until a thick ball of dough forms. Knead two or three times until smooth. Cut the dough in half and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large 10.5” cast iron skillet. Once melted add in the remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened. Whisk in the xanthan gum and continue to cook another minute until thick. Remove to a bowl and let cool.
- Press half of the dough into the skillet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before adding the filling to the crust. Sprinkle the top with the brown erythritol.
- Roll out the remaining dough between two sheets of parchment paper to roughly the size of the top of the pie. You can either gently transfer the dough to the top of the pie, pinching the border together to seal and cutting a star in the middle or you can also cut the dough into strips to create a lattice effect on top. Or choose any design you prefer.
- Transfer the pie to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, cover the edges with foil to prevent burning and continue to cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool before slicing.
Cheryl says
You can also sub chayote squash for apples in any recipe. Steam them a bit before using in a baking recipe. They are excellent.
Dale says
Just thinking - definitely not criticizing - the crust looks thicker than my preference - the filling thin comparatively. When I make this, I may try to do a 2/3 crust recipe and possibly increase the filling by 25% - always hit or miss when it comes to things like eggs and butter adjustments though.
I am not sure if the crust will hang together as yours does, and by increasing the filling whether it may have a tendency to become more of a "zucchini" pie. It might be easier for me just to use less of the dough. Great concept though - I do miss my apple pie!
Liz says
What is the sugar alcohol value? Have you counted the sugar alcohol in the carb count? Or do we still get to subtract the sugar alcohol value from the carb value?
Alex Lester says
We don't calculate the sugar alcohols into our recipes as they have zero effect on the nutritional information we provide.
Lamanda Meckle says
May I use a Stevia based sweetener instead, and do you think this pie filling will freeze well. I don't want it to turn to mush, or get watery when I thaw it......
Cast Iron Keto says
You should be able to swap a stevia-based sweetener, as long as it's 1:1 for sugar. As for freezing, I think it would get too watery - you can, however, make the crust ahead of time if needed. Hope this helps!