Can You Make Apple Pie With Applesauce?

Yes! Unlike traditional apple pie with its apple slices, sugar, and spices between two pie crusts, applesauce pie is made by mixing applesauce, sugar, eggs, butter, and spices to form a custard that’s then poured into a pie shell and baked. Although it sounds odd, it tastes amazing.

In fact, AnnArbor.com writer Mary Bilyeu states that she discovered a recipe for applesauce pie in an Amish cookbook entitled New Recipes From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams. She loved the “richness and spice” because the resulting flavor was “simultaneously unique and familiar.”

Although I came up with my applesauce pie independent of the cookbook, our recipes are similar, and also loved the unique, old-fashioned flavor. If you like desserts that taste like grandma (or great-grandma) would have made them, then this pie is for you.

Why Make Applesauce Pie?

Even if you already have a favorite apple pie recipe, this applesauce version is worth a try for a number of reasons:

It’s Easy

No Peeling – The worst part of making an apple pie is prepping the apples. But with this pie, all you have to do is open a jar of applesauce. Even if you make my microwave applesauce, you don’t have to peel with that recipe, either!

One Crust – Making homemade pie crust is time-consuming, and if you have to make a double-crust fruit pie, putting on the top crust can be nerve-wracking. But with this recipe, there’s only a bottom crust.

Any Time of the Year (With Canned or Storebought Applesauce) – If you use storebought or canned applesauce, you can make this apple pie at any time of the year: not just when apples are in season.

It’s Unique

Custardy Texture – When people think of a custard pie, they usually think of pumpkin, sweet potato, or even egg custard. The smooth, velvety filling is great when combined with a crispy pie crust.

Hint of Spice – Although normal apple pie has spices, the cinnamon and other flavors come through a bit stronger in this recipe. Honestly, the filling has the perfect combination of apple, butter, and spice flavors.

So, if you’re in the mood for apple pie but want to try something different, this recipe is for you.

What Type of Applesauce Should You Use?

I think this easy recipe is flexible, so multiple types of applesauce will work:

Microwave Applesauce

When I made the pie, I made a thick version of unsweetened microwave applesauce for the filling. Made with ripe golden delicious apples and fresh lemon juice, it’s full of apple flavor. And since it’s thicker than normal apple sauce, it’s perfect for pie filling.

Storebought Applesauce

When researching this recipe, I realized that other food bloggers used unsweetened storebought applesauce. Although it’s not quite as thick as my microwave applesauce, a bit of cornstarch or flour will thicken the applesauce filling.

Canned applesauce.

If you have your own homemade canned applesauce, you could use that, too. I saw some recipe videos on YouTube in which people used canned applesauce for the filling.

How To Thicken Applesauce For Pie Filling?

At this point you might be thinking that applesauce is too watery to use in a pie filling. Normally, you’re right, but the my applesauce pie recipe thickens the filling with multiple ingredients:

Sugar – Sugar absorbs some of the liquid, thickening the applesauce.

Butter – Butter is a saturated fat, so it’s solid at room temperature. After the pie bakes and then cools, the butter that’s mixed into the applesauce will help thicken the filling.

Eggs – Eggs are a binding agent in many recipes, especially custard pies. This recipe is no different.

And if you use storebought applesauce, or a homemade applesauce that’s thinner than my microwave version, you can add:

Cornstarch – I use cornstarch to thicken the fruit filling in my peach pie with frozen peaches recipe, as well as many other pie and cobbler recipes. A Tablespoon of cornstarch will help in this recipe, too.

Applesauce Pie Ingredients

This applesauce pie recipe has 2 parts: the custard filling and the crust. All you need is:

Applesauce – 1 cup of my thick microwave applesauce, storebought, or canned.

White Sugar – 1/2 cup (If your applesauce is sweetened, you may only have to add 1/4 cup, or depending on your tastes, you might even leave this out)

Light Brown Sugar – 1/2 cup (Even if your applesauce is sweetened, I still recommend adding at least 1/4 of light brown sugar since the molasses adds a distinct flavor)

Eggs – 2 large eggs help thicken the applesauce filling and hold it together

Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon tones down the sweetness and brings out the other flavors

Butter – Butter thickens the filling and adds richness–honestly, butter makes everything better, haha!

Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg come together to spice the filling perfectly

Salt – As with almost all dessert recipes, a bit of salt helps to bring out the flavors

*Cornstarch – 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch will help thicken storebought applesauce.

9-inch pie crust (one) – You only need one crust for this pie, so if you prefer to make your own crust, this recipe is half the work.

As you can see, this applesauce pie recipe is fairly basic. It’s incredible how a few fairly ordinary and unassuming ingredients can come together to make something so delicious.

How To Make Applesauce Pie

Like stated above, learning how to make applesauce pie is easy: you just have to follow a few directions:

Make the Homemade Applesauce (If Not Using Storebought)

If you want to follow the recipe exactly as I made it in the video, the first step is making the thick, rich homemade applesauce. You will need to make 2 batches. For more detailed instructions, see my unsweetened applesauce in the microwave recipe.

Step 1. Cut up apple chunks to get 3 cups – You’ll probably need to use 1 pound of whole apples. Simple cut around the core – WITHOUT peeling – into chunks that are more or less the same size.

Step 2. Add 1.5 Tablespoons lemon juice – This is to prevent browning and bring out the flavor.

Step 3. Cover with plastic wrap – Just enough to seal in the heat and moisture.

Step 4. Microwave – Cook on HIGH in 5-minute increments for a total of 15 minutes, stirring after each increment.

Step 5. Blend – Blend the cooked apples with an immersion blender to form a smooth paste.

Step 6. Make 2 batches – As stated above, you will probably need to make 2 batches to have 1 full cup of applesauce.

Although making your own applesauce for the pie filling is a bit more work, I highly recommend it since it will be a lot more flavorful than any storebought kind.

BTW: Be sure to let the applesauce cool down to about room temperature before adding the eggs: you don’t want to accidentally cook them.

Make the Applesauce Pie Filling

Once you have 1 cup of applesauce (whether microwave, storebought, or canned), it’s time to make the filling. Making the filling is really easy: all you have to do is combine the sugar, eggs, butter, spices, and salt (and cornstarch if using storebought apple sauce) and the mix them together.

How Much Sugar to Add to the Filling?

In total, I used 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. However, in the video I started out with 1/3 cup of each and then tasted the filling. I felt it wasn’t quite sweet enough, so I added more.

If you’re making this applesauce pie for the first time (especially if using applesauce that already has some sugar in it), I recommend adding a bit less sugar (maybe 1/4 cup of each) and then taste the filling. As any chef will tell you, you can always add more later, but you can’t take way.

Don’t Accidentally Cook the Eggs

Although making the applesauce filling is really easy, the one thing you want to keep in mind is to not add the eggs to hot butter or applesauce. Otherwise, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.

That’s why in the video I added the melted butter to the room temperature applesauce, then the sugar, spices, salt, and then finally the eggs. By combining the melted butter with the applesauce, sugar, and other ingredients, I lowered the temperature of the butter so I could add safely add the eggs.

Pour the Applesauce Filling into an Unbaked Pie Shell

Once the applesauce filling is made, simply pour it into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Use a spoon to distribute it evenly and smooth it out.

Bake

Bake the pie at 350F, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Serve

After a few hours, the pie should be cool enough to serve.

How to Serve Applesauce Pie?

Honestly, I think that my old-fashioned applesauce pie is best on its own. However, if you want, you can add:

Ice Cream – Apple pie with vanilla ice cream is a classic combination.

Whipped Cream – Whipped cream / Cool Whip is commonly put on custard-style pies such as pumpkin, so you might like it on this pie, too.

How Long to Bake Applesauce Pie?

As stated above, I baked the pie at 350F, uncovered, for 45 minutes. I recommend placing it on a baking sheet or pizza pan: it’ll be a lot easier to take in and out of the oven.

Can I Use Regular Applesauce (Not Unsweetened)?

Yes! As stated in the ingredients sections, you can use sweetened applesauce to make this pie–just use less sugar. Honestly, you’ll have to be the judge in terms of how much sugar you put in the pie.

My guess is that you might only need 1/4 cup of white sugar, possibly less–or even none. However, recommend adding the 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, or at least 1/4 cup since a hint of molasses in the background is what gives apple pie its characteristic taste.

Can I Use Flour to Thicken the Filling Instead of Cornstarch?

Yes! Although I prefer cornstarch since you don’t need as much and it has less effect on the taste, you can use flour to thicken the filling. Substitute 2 Tablespoons of flour for the cornstarch (flour isn’t as good of a thickener, so you will need twice the amount).

Can I Use Apple Butter to Make the Pie Filling?

Yes! I haven’t tried this, but I think that an apple butter pie would be delicious. You probably wouldn’t need to add as much sugar or extra spices, either. If you substitute apple butter for applesauce in this recipe, please tell me about it.

Can I Add a Top Crust to this Pie?

I think so. Honestly, I think part of the beauty of this applesauce pie is the simplicity: mix a together the filling, pour it into a bottom crust, and then bake.

However, if you want something more like a traditional apple pie, I think you could add a top crust if you wanted. Just remember to cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

How Long Does Applesauce Pie Keep?

This pie should keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. After that, the moisture in the filling will probably start to make the crust soggy and the filling less flavorful. Personally, I wouldn’t cover it in the refrigerator since trapping in the moisture might make the crust soggy faster.

A Chef’s Review

My applesauce pie recipe was fantastic. As others have noted, this old-fashioned dessert has a flavor that’s both unique and familiar at the same time. While it definitely has good apple flavor (especially if you use my microwave applesauce), it has a buttery richness and flavorful spice that sets it apart.

Although you could definitely use storebought applesauce, I think making your own with my recipe is worth the bit of extra effort. Not only will your filling be thicker, it’ll also have more apple flavor.

So, if you love apple pie and cobbler–or apple desserts in general–and you’re looking for something different that’s similar enough to not be odd yet different enough to be unique, this recipe is for you.

Possible Changes to the Recipe

Although I thought this pie turned out perfectly, possible changes include:

Granny Smith Apples – Although I prefer golden delicious when baking, most people use green apples. I wonder what difference that would make.

Storebought Applesauce – It would make the recipe super simple, for sure.

Replace some of the butter with evaporated milk – It wouldn’t be as rich, but it’d also be lower in calories, too.

Applesauce Pie Recipe Variations

Other variations of this pie I’d like to try include:

Apple Butter Pie – As stated above, I think you could replace the applesauce with apple butter.

Biscuit Crust – Amy of AttaGirlCooks.com made an applesauce pie with biscuit crust, and it looks great.

Graham Cracker Crust – I think my graham cracker crust with cinnamon recipe would be great since the flavor of the crust would match the spices in the filling.

More Easy Apple Dessert Recipes

If you like apple desserts, take a look at my other recipes:

Apple Dump Cake

Apple Cobbler with Pie Crust

Stove Top Apple Dumplings

Unsweetened Microwave Applesauce Recipe

Applesauce Pie Recipe Directions

YouTube Video:

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

The post Applesauce Pie Recipe appeared first on ParnellTheChef.

What Are Apple Dumplings?

Apple Dumplings History

Although the first recipes can be traced back to 18th century England, in the United States apple dumplings are usually associated with Pennsylvania Dutch culture. According to a PAEats.org article, old-fashioned apple dumplings consist of a whole apple, peeled and cored, sometimes stuffed with spices or nuts. The apple is then wrapped in pie crust, covered in a butter sauce, and then baked.

Traditionally, apple dumplings were sometimes eaten for breakfast with milk poured over them. Nowadays, they are often served as a dessert, either plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Modern Recipe Variations

Modern apple dumpling recipes can vary greatly from the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch version. Instead of pie crust, some versions call for wrapping the apples in crescent rolls, puff pastry, or even biscuit dough.

In addition to a buttery sauce, some people add lemon-lime soda such as Mountain Dew or Sprite. Other recipes call for caramel sauce, too. As you can see, modern apple dumpling recipes are very diverse, some differing greatly from the old fashioned version.

How Does My Recipe for Stovetop Apple Dumplings Differ?

Although apple dumplings are delicious, many people shy away from them because peeling, coring, stuffing, and wrapping each apple individually is very time-consuming. Nobody wants to do all that.

However, I’ve made southern-style blackberry dumplings by boiling frozen berries with pie crust, and the result was amazing. So, I started thinking: I wonder if I could do something similar with apples.

At the same time, I saw a recipe by The Hillbilly Kitchen YouTube channel that was basically what I had in mind. Inspired by that video, I decided to give it a try.

Stovetop Apple Dumplings Ingredients

This recipe has two parts: the apples and the dumplings. Let’s go over the ingredients for both:

For the Apples

Apple Slices – I used 1 pound (about 2.5 cups) of sliced apples.

Apple Juice – Usually, I use water to make stovetop dumplings, but since I was making apple dumplings, I decided to use apple juice and water.

Lemon Juice – As with other fruit desserts, lemon helps to bring out the flavor.

Light Brown Sugar – The bit of molasses goes well with apples. Normally, I use light brown sugar, but in the video I used dark brown sugar because that is what I had on hand.

Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Salt – Even with desserts, a bit of salt really brings out the flavor.

For the Dumplings

Self-Rising Flour / All-Purpose Flour – If you have self-rising flour, go on and use it. Otherwise, use all-purpose flour and add salt and baking powder (exact measurements down below).

White Sugar – A bit of sweetness never hurts.

Melted Butter – Butter makes everything better.

Vanilla – A bit of vanilla is the secret ingredient in these dumplings.

Milk / Buttermilk or Sour Cream + Water – Regular milk is fine, but I wanted to use up leftover sour cream–besides, the acidity helped to make the dumplings light and fluffy.

What Apples Are Best For Apple Dumplings?

Old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumplings are usually made with Granny Smith apples. Although many chefs cooks with Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and their tartness balances out with sugar nicely, I prefer to cook with Golden Delicious apples.

Why I Use Golden Delicious Apples in Cooking and Baking

As I explained in my southern apple cobbler with pie crust recipe, I think Golden Delicious apples are superior. They have almost as much pectin as Granny Smith apples, so they hold their shape nicely when baked. Although they are usually tart as well, they also have sweetness, along with more of an apple flavor than green apples.

Additionally, Golden Delicious apples can be traced back to West Virginia, Granny Smith to Australia. Since I like to make southern recipes, it makes sense to use a southern apple. Although I suggest using Golden Delicious apples in this recipe, Granny Smith or any other tart apple will work, I think.

How to Make Stovetop Apple Dumplings

Although learning how to make stovetop apple dumplings is easy, there are a few important steps:

Peel the Apples

As I state in the video, I wanted to see if I could make these dumplings without peeling the apples. Honestly, I thought that boiling the apple slices would soften the apple skins to the point of not being noticeable–but I was proved wrong.

Although the skin did not bother me too much, I highly recommend peeling the apples. Apple skins are a lot tougher than you would think, so they’ll still be noticeably unless you puree the apples to make applesauce. Even though it’s more work, I think the improved texture is worth it.

Add liquid

Once the apple slices are in the pot, it is time to add liquid so that the fruit does not burn. Normally I add water when making cobbler filling or stovetop dumplings, but this time I decided to use 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 water. When making apple dumplings, it just seemed to make sense.

Although using apple juice was good in this recipe, I would recommend using water. Apple juice has some acidity, and since I did no want that much acidity in the final dish, I had to boil the dumplings for a long time. In order to control the acidity and shorten the cook time, I recommend using all water.

Add Lemon

Lemon really brings out fruit flavors, so I make sure to it to berry cobblers. I usually squeeze lemon juice over apples as I slice them for pies and cobblers, the bit of lemon really helping to enhance the flavors.

So, I decided to add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice to the stovetop dumplings. I only add juice, no zest, because I did not want to overpower the apple with taste of lemon.

Add Sugar and Spices

After adding the lemon and bringing the pot to a boil, it was time to add the sugar and spices. Since the apple juice had natural sugar, I started off with just 1/4 cup sugar, I then added 2 Tablespoons of extra sugar because I did not think it was sweet enough.

Ideally, I would recommend 1/4 cup of light brown sugar (which I didn’t have), and 2 Tablespoons of dark brown sugar. But honestly, you can adjust the sugar to your liking.

I also added spices at this time, too. Whenever I make apple desserts, such as my southern apple cobbler with pie crust, I always use the same combination of spices. So, to this recipe I added:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

If you’ve never tried this combination of spices with apple desserts, I highly recommend it. It’s enough spice to accentuate the apples, but not so much as to compete with the apples. In my opinion, it is perfect.

Boil the Apples

Once the sugars and spices are in the pot, boil the apples on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You need to make sure the apples on are on their way to getting soft before adding the dumpling.

Spoon Drop Dumplings Ingredients

Although I usually prefer pie crust dumplings, I decided to mix up a batter and make spoon drop dumplings. The dumpling batter had very few ingredients:

1/2 cup Self-Rising Flour*

1/4 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla – This is the secret ingredient. It really makes the dumplings taste like dessert.

1/4 cup milk or buttermilk**

*Or, you can use all-purpose flour and add 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

**Although I would normally have added regular milk or buttermilk, I used 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and 1/4 cup water. Buttermilk or sour cream will help create an acidic environment to make the dumplings fluffy.

Drop In and Cook the Dumplings

After mixing the ingredients together, I used a spoon to drop the raw batter into the pot. Most cooks on the Internet seem to use Tablespoons when dropping in dumpling batter, but I think that 1 teaspoon, maybe 1.5 teaspoons, is the perfect dumplings size.

Once all the dumplings were added to the apples, I continued cooking on medium for 10 minutes. Although I did run my spoon around the edge of the pot, I did not mix thoroughly since I did not want to break up the dumplings.

Serve

10 minutes later, it was time to serve! The apples were tender (except for the skins, which I will get to later), the dumplings were soft and fluffy, and the syrup was sweetened and spices perfectly.

Although these apple dumplings are great on their own, they’re also delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Stovetop Apple Dumplings FAQ’s

Here are quick answers to a few questions that a lot of my readers / followers might have:

Can You Make Apple Dumplings Without Peeling the Apples?

I did not peel the apples when making these dumplings, I highly recommend that you do. Even though the apple flesh was nice and soft, the peels were still noticeable. While this dessert was still very good, the fact that there were small bits of apple peel floating around negatively affected the texture.

Can You Make Dumplings With Pie Crust?

Yes, you can! As I referenced earlier, I usually cut up pieces of pie crust to use as dumplings. In addition to adding pie crust dumplings to cobbler filling, I also add them to stovetop blackberry dumplings, among others.

If you choose to use pie crust dumplings, I would use 1 9-inch pie crust. Simply cut it into strips and then into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces, drop the dumplings into the boiling liquid, and cook for 10 minutes.

Can You Freeze Stewed Apple Dumplings?

Unfortunately, I don’t think apple dumplings would freeze well. My guess is that the dumplings would get soggy and the apple mushy. Considering this, this dessert is best enjoyed immediately after cooking.

A Chef’s Review

Overall, these stovetop apples dumplings were good. Sweetened and spiced perfectly, this would be a great fall or winter treat if you are craving apple pie or cobbler but want something easy.

Even though you can make this recipe without peeling the apples, I highly suggest that you do. I know it’s an extra step that is time-consuming, but it will result in a better culinary experience.

Possible Changes to the Recipe

If I were to make this recipe again, I would:

Peel the apples – Like I said, apple skins do not break down completely, so they through off the texture a bit.

Use different apples – I am curious how this recipe would turn out with Granny Smith apples, or perhaps a combination of apples.

Pie crust dumplings – I usually use pie crust dumplings, so I will have to try those next time.

Other Dumpling Recipes

If you love southern-style dumpling recipes as much as I do, you’re going to want to try:

Peach Dumplings on the Stovetop – Pie crust, sweet syrup, and fruit chunks go together perfectly.

Stovetop Apple Dumplings Recipe

YouTube Video

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

The post Stovetop Apple Dumplings Recipe appeared first on ParnellTheChef.