Apple raspberry pie recipe
This outrageously delicious apple raspberry pie marks a first for my blog – the first pie recipe! Long overdue – especially since the statement to the right clearly says “I do eat pie.”
That means this is also the blog debut of my practically legendary pie crust made without shortening or butter. Here’s the backstory:
After heart problems forced me to stop eating saturated and trans fats, I thought I would never make or eat pie again (and believe me, I cried myself to sleep over that one). Then I saw a crust recipe in Saveur made with white flour, vegetable oil and whole milk. The old Cathy would have scoffed at this idea, but I had to give it a try – especially considering that a pie with this crust won the Iowa State Fair pie contest!
I gave the recipe a bit of a health makeover by using half whole wheat pastry flour, plus organic canola oil and fat-free milk. The result was shockingly good, and I was a Pie Queen once again. Not a good thing for my waistline, but great for my happiness level.
Don’t be skeptical, you butter lovers. This crust is so tender and flavorful, people will shake their heads in disbelief when you tell them it’s made with oil. My mother-in-law proclaimed it as good as her grandmother’s lard crust, and that’s about the highest compliment I could receive. A few people who commented on the Saveur site had problems with the crust, but I think it’s nearly foolproof if you follow my instructions and these three rules of thumb:
1. Measure everything accurately. A tablespoon means right to the top of the measuring spoon!
2. Measure the flour by spooning it gently into your measuring cup rather than scooping, then level off with a knife.
3. Never refrigerate the dough.
Got that?
Apple Raspberry Pie
Filling:
5 cups peeled, thinly sliced apples (about 5 apples)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (about 12 ounces)
Crust:
2 2/3 cups flour, half all purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup organic canola oil or high-oleic safflower oil
6 tablespoons fat-free milk or soy milk
1 teaspoon milk and 1 teaspoon sugar, for brushing top crust
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the apples, lemon juice, spices, sugar and corn starch in a large bowl, then gently fold in the raspberries.
Whisk the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the oil in a glass measuring cup and add the milk, without stirring. Pour this mixture into the flour and stir briefly, just until combined. Divide the dough in half and form two balls.
Place a 15″ long piece of wax paper on your work surface, putting a few drops of water under the paper to keep it from sliding around. Put one ball on the paper and press it into a 6-inch circle. Top with another piece of wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin to a 12-inch circle (the edges may extend beyond the top and bottom of the wax paper slightly, but you can loosen it with a knife when you lift the dough.) If your circle is uneven, simply tear off a piece from one part and add it to another – it’s easy to make repairs.
Remove the top sheet and turn the dough over into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing to remove any air pockets. Pour in the filling. Roll out the second disc between fresh wax paper and place it on top of the pie. Fold the top crust under the bottom all the way around, and crimp the edges. Cut some slits in the top, then brush very lightly with milk and sprinkle on a little sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake about 45-50 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Cool 3 or more hours before serving.
cannot wait to try this crust!
This pie was the most delicious pie ever! I am Cathy’s mother-in-law. For 50 years I have used my mother’s and my grandmother’s recipe for pie crust using lard!!!!!!!!! It was so easy to roll out and it was flaky, tender, and delicious. Then Cathy introduced me to this heart-healthy recipe. I was very skeptical. I tried it. Well, let me tell you…. it equals the flakiness, tenderness and overall taste. It exceeds it. I have been converted. No more lard for me. Thanks Cathy for your unending quest for healthy DELICIOUS options. This recipe is the best!
Boy, Cathy, you have the best Mother-in-Law possible.
And the pie looks great!!! It’s definitely on my list of things to try.
(BTW, your Quinoa salad just made my summer!!!)
Yes, I certainly do, Darienne! And if you liked the quinoa salad, you’ll love the quinoa stuffed peppers I’m going to post next week (the photo was ugly so I have to make it all over again.)
It is officially apple pie time! This looks AWESOME!
This looks great! My mother was the greatest pie baker in the history of pie, but I did not inherit her talent. She also used lard. Blackberry apple was one of her specialties.
I’ve been using a crust recipe similar to yours, but yours definitely looks worth trying, Cathy. I offer up a prayer to St. Janet, the Patron Saint of Pie Baking (my mom) before anything goes into the oven, and it’s less likely to bubble over.
Hi Cathy,
I’m a pie queen also, along with 2 stents! I’ve perfected my pies over the last 2 years, although I bake them for the same length of time, as I did B. S. (before stents), 425 for 15 minutes and 375 for a half an hour. I use the same method for making crust, with a scant 2/3 ‘s cup canola oil and enough cold water to make a cup of liquid. I mix my flours depending on what’s handy and as for the filling it’s been delightful mixing whatever fruits are handy. I like the sound of apples and raspberries mixed, I’ll have to try that! I wanted to thank you for sharing your journey. It helps people like myself! Paula
Wow, what a light and delicious pie crust! I made this pie tonight. It was really easy. I’ve made crusts with butter and crisco and all the bad stuff before and actually found this version to be easier and just as tasty. Plus, I love that you use whole wheat flour in it too!
Could you use this crust with a pumpkin pie?
So glad you made the pie, Sally. Interestingly, this recipe was featured on Salon.com this week and there are a ton of very skeptical (to put it politely) comments on there. Maybe you should set those people straight! And yes, you can use this crust with any pie and it works great.
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[…] Raspberry Apple Pie from What Would Cathy Eat […]
Hi Cathy,
I’ve had bariac surgery and need to know the calorie, fat and sugar content? I have been making pies using sugar free, and they have come out wonderfully, but to cut down on fat would be awesome.
Thanks
Sorry, I don’t know how to calculate the exact sugar and fat content, but generally I’d say that if you cut the pie into 10 pieces, each piece has about a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of added sugar. So it’s not ultra-low in either sugar or fat, it’s just lower in saturated fat than most pies.
Cathy,
This pie crust recipe is a winner! I’ve been baking pies for over 30 years and initially was very skeptical about not using any butter/crisco. After baking the family a pumpkin pie the other night using your crust recipe, we are all sold!
Thanks much for sharing.
Gina, that’s great to hear. I’m so glad you tried it!
Can you make the crust, roll it out, put it in the pie plates and freeze until ready to fill and bake?
Actually, I’ve had bad luck even refrigerating this crust, so I wouldn’t try freezing it.
Hi Cathy; I really enjoy your blog and the healthy recipes! This looks great! I am wanting to make an apple pie w/out the raspberries. Any suggestions on altering the recipe to just include apples? As far as the sugar and spices go? Thanks!
Hi Lori, thanks for the comment! I think you can just add another large apple in place of the raspberries, and increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon. Let me know how it turns out!
Baked your amazing pie tonight as an Easter treat, we used blueberries and apple as the filling, OMG your pie crust is AMAZING thanks Cathy!!
Thanks, Joey. I’m glad you liked the crust. Personally, I don’t know why it’s not world famous
[…] recipe for the crust is adapted from the “What Would Cathy Eat?” site and it’s […]
We just made the pie tonight and it was delicious! The crust is unbelievable! A+ on this one.
Kristy, YOU get an A+ for making both this pie and my brownies in the same week! Thanks.
Cathy,
This was a great recipe!!! I made it for my Aunt’s birthday yesterday and it was a hit with the entire family! I am an aspiring Dietitian, so I am always looking for recipes with healthy, tasty compromises.
This was the first pie crust I have ever made, and it was so simple and turned out beautifully crisp and golden.
I used half cake flour + half whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour and swapped out the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour— it still tasted great and had more whole wheat!
Thanks again– you’ve won me over as a visitor to your blog!
I made this last week. The pie part was delicious (even without any dotted butter). The crust was a scarlet disaster. I’m an experienced baker, and I could not make it work. I wound up tossing it and used a tried-and-true recipe.