Apple pie is a winter favourite; apples are in season, spices are warming and immune boosting and hearty sweet dishes help us feel cosy.
These free from vegan apple pies are made with a flaky, sweet pastry of tapioca, macadamia nuts and coconut butter and a sugar free fruity filling that is mildly sweet and a little tart.
Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava, a root vegetable grown in the tropics. A good source of carbohydrates, it also provides fibre, B vitamins, vitamin K, potassium, iron, manganese, copper, calcium and selenium.
Makes 6 – 10 Apple Pies
Ingredients
Pastry
- ½ tbsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 50 g coconut butter
- 85 ml water
- 100 g macadamia nuts
- 175 g tapioca flour
Filling
- ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp nut butter
- 1 tsp ground vanilla powder
- 1 tbsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 40 g raisins
- 100 ml orange juice
- 200 g apple
Method
Pre heat your oven to 180°C.
For the pastry, blend together the coconut butter and water until a cream has formed. Set aside and blend together the tapioca flour, macadamia nuts and cinnamon. Combine everything to form a dough and cover and leave to rest while making the filling.
Dice the apples and combine in a pan with the other filling ingredients. Cover and leave to simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring two or three times. If you want a sweeter filling, add two tablespoons of maple syrup to the final mixture.
Mold the pastry by hand into 6 – 10 mini pie cases or shape around the inserts in a silicone muffin tin. Make the base thin and the sides thick. Fill with the apple mixture and top with shapes or a lid if desired.
Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!