Healthy Pie Recipes
Pie is a staple dessert around the holidays. Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice your waistline to eat your favorite pie!
Key Takeaways:
- Lots of people enjoy baking and eating festive pies during the holiday season.
- Traditional pie recipes contain high amounts of sugar and unhealthy fat.
- You can make your favorite healthy pie recipes this holiday season by following these instructions.
Try these healthy pie recipes to enjoy your holiday season to the fullest!
Table of Contents:
- Cherry Oatmeal Crumble Pie
- Light Apple Pie
- Tips for Making Healthy Pies
Cherry Oatmeal Crumble Pie
Do you love a delicious cherry pie during the holidays? Choose this clean, healthy cherry pie recipe this year!
Ingredients
To make this healthy cherry pie, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cup of white flour
- 3 cups of cherries, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup of oats
- ½ cup of white flour
- ¼ cup of oil
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 3 tablespoons of maple syrup (or substitute honey or agave nectar)
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite sweetener
- 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar (or substitute ⅛ teaspoon of stevia)
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
It is best to prepare the ingredients as listed so that duplicate ingredients are separated properly. This will make the baking process more efficient.
Preparation Instructions
Follow these steps to make your Cherry Oatmeal Crumble Pie:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line the bottom of a pie pan (8-inch works best) with parchment paper
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 ⅓ cup of white flour with ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Stir in the maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar and ¼ cup of oil until the mixture is the consistency of pie dough
- Smooth this dough into the bottom of your pie pan and bake for 12 minutes
- In a separate bowl, toss the cherries and sweetener together to evenly coat the cherries
- Spread the sweetened cherries over the baked pie crust
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients to make an oatmeal crumble
- Sprinkle the oatmeal crumble over the layer of cherries in the pie pan
- Bake the pie for 50 minutes for the best texture
- Allow the pie to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing or serving
You can enjoy this recipe fresh out of the oven or eat it at room temperature. Enjoy your healthy cherry pie this year!
Light Apple Pie
Apple pie is a classic sweet treat in America. Enjoy the lighter version of this yummy dessert this holiday season!
Ingredients
To make the Light Apple Pie, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- 6–7 cups of apples, sliced about ¼ inch thick
- ⅓ cup of brown sugar (or substitute coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 12 tablespoons of butter, unsalted and cold
- 8–10 tablespoons of ice water
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (or substitute tapioca flour)
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of milk of your choice
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 egg, beaten
You will likely need about seven medium-sized apples to make enough filling for this pie. We recommend choosing Granny Smith, Jonagold, or Honeycrisp apples for optimal taste.
Preparation Instructions
To make this healthy pie recipe, follow these instructions:
- Refrigerate your unsalted butter for at least one hour before starting this recipe — the butter should be very cold when it is used
- Cut the chilled butter into cubes, about ½ an inch apiece, and set them aside
- Make a small bowl of ice water and set it aside
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt
- Add in the butter cubes and combine using a food processor or dough blender — small pieces of butter will remain
- Add about five tablespoons of ice water to the mixture
- Add in the apple cider vinegar
- Continue adding ice water until the dough is the appropriate texture
- Place the dough in the fridge for at least two hours before rolling it out
- In a separate bowl, add the sliced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch or tapioca flour, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Roll out the chilled pie dough into two circles
- Press half of the dough into a pie plate, crimping the sides as you go
- Add the apple filling mixture on top of the dough evenly
- Place the other half of the dough on top of the pie, cutting slits throughout the top to release steam
- Brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg combined with the milk of your choice
- Bake the pie for 20 minutes, uncovered
- Reduce the heat to 375 degrees
- Cover the pie with foil or use a pie shield around the edges and bake for 30 to 35 minutes more, covered, until the top is golden brown
- Allow the pie to cool for three to four hours before slicing or serving
This Light Apple Pie offers a healthier alternative for those who love apple pie around the holidays. You can’t even taste the difference!
Tips for Making Healthy Pies
Most people love eating pie around the holidays, but making healthy pie is a bit more challenging. Follow these tips to put a healthy twist on your favorite holiday pie recipes!
You can use naturally sweet fruits and vegetables in your healthy pie recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth. Sweet potatoes, carrots, pure pumpkin, and beets are great swaps for pie ingredients with refined sugar.
You can also use these swaps to color your pies. Beets have a beautiful purplish-red hue that makes any pie look sweeter.
Using whole wheat flour does not change the texture or taste of a pie, but it does make it healthier. If you want to avoid refined white flour, swap it with a whole-grain or whole-wheat alternative.
Lastly, everyone knows that pies are notorious for their sweetness. You can swap regular sugar with artificial sweeteners like stevia to amp up the flavor without the extra calories.
Pie is a classic holiday treat, and you don’t have to give it up to stay healthy this holiday season. Follow these healthy pie recipes and tips to make the most of your healthy holiday season!
