I had every intention of making an applesauce pie. But a reader requested a Dutch apple pie, and I try really hard to deliver on all of your requests. So I pushed my applesauce plans aside and tried to go a more traditional route…
Which completely failed because I really can’t be traditional. I try, but nope!
As I was researching Dutch apple pie, I found a lot of pies with a traditional bottom crust and a crumbly top. Then I came across what I think is the true Dutch apple pie, which is made in a springform pan with a cake-like deep-dish crust. Now I see what makes it special. But I haven’t figured out how to make that work without a lot of butter and gluten and eggs…yet.
But the idea of a crumbly-topped apple pie sounded scrumptious, so I made my own unconventional creation: Caramel Apple Crumble Pie!
Plantains in the crust. Dates in the filling. Oats in the crumble. It’s not Dutch, but it’s delicious.
Oh, and this pie is reminiscent of last week’s applesauce in one way…there’s apple juice in filling!
Plantain pie crust? My mind was a little blown when I came across this whole-wheat banana crust recipe from Happy Herbivore. Using a cold banana instead of cold butter, genius! Switching up the flours to make in gluten-free was easy. But instead of the underripe banana I used a ripe plantain, which is naturally firmer than a banana. It’s easy to roll out, sturdy to flip, and not chewy like an oat crust. Plus I’ve been wanting to work plantains into another dessert recipe ever since these brownies.
Caramel Apple Crumble Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- CRUST
- 1 ripe plantain (refrigerated overnight)
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour)
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 tbsps coconut sugar
- FILLING
- 4 medium apples (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 12 pitted medjool dates
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 2 tsps cinnamon or apple pie spice
- CRUMBLE
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3–4 tbsps non-dairy milk
Instructions
- FOR THE CRUST: Stir together the flour and coconut sugar.
- Using your hands, work in the chilled plantain. Keep mixing and kneading until it forms a cohesive dough.
- Roll out the crust and transfer to a floured pie pan. Set aside.
- FOR THE FILLING: Blend the lemon juice, dates, cinnamon, and apple juice on high.
- Pour over the apple slices and toss to coat.
- Transfer to the pie pan.
- Bake for 20 mins at 350F.
- FOR THE TOPPING: While the pie is baking, mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork until crumbly.
- After 20 mins of baking, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle on the topping to evenly cover the apples.
- Bake for another 30 mins at 350F.
- Remove from the pan and let it cool. Slice and eat.
Notes
Crust adapted from Happy Herbivore’s Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Plaintain crust?! That’s pretty genius!! I can barely handle how deliciously beautiful this pie is. I’ve never been a fan of traditional pies, so this is right up my ally!
Also these photos are goooooorgeous!
It’s almost crumble bar-esque, which I know you love. Like a giant crumble bar 🙂 And I have to divulge a secret: I took all these pics on my porch while it was pouring rain and the wind was blowing and getting me really wet haha!
Ain’t nothing you can’t do with plantains! Aren’t they just the best for baking…everything!?
Stellar pie, and it I’m saying that, that means a lot 😉 It’s pretty and warm and moody and comforting and evokes the spirit of love and hugs as apple recipes tend to do with their smells and aromas while cooking or baking 🙂 xoxo
Thank you my dear! I don’t think I realized you were so anti-pie, but I’m glad it passes your very high standards! If I could get a caramel apple crumble pie candle I would 😉 Smell hug!
I have to agree with the others here Natalie, genius idea, beautiful presentation. Will be making this soon and hopefully it comes out tasting as awesome as it looks!
Thank you Becky, you are so sweet! I hope you try it and love it too 🙂
I love everything about this! Looks amazing! And I use smashed bananas to replace oil all the time…I can’t believe I never thought to “cut in” cold banana slices in place of butter. Genius!
Me too! I usually blend them up, but this is works better for a roll out-able dough (and you don’t have to clean the blender!) You gotta try it Jenn 🙂 And thank you for your sweet comment!
YOU ARE BLOWING MY MIND!!!! I would never have thought of using plantains for a pie crust! Picking some up this weekend for sure to do some experimenting! OMG I am so excited. The possibilities are endless. Do you think I could use a different flour other than GF?
Thanks girl!! I drove all over town trying to find some plantains that were actually ripe when I got this idea…so worth it 😀 haha All purpose or wheat flour will work, not sure what flour you had in mind?? Oat flour works too if you still have the tapioca starch in there.
I think I’ll go for oat flour!! 🙂 Thanks!
Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering just looking at the photographs!!!! This pie looks amazing Natalie, and the crumble on top looks incredible! I love caramel and apple together, so I just know I’m going to love this pie! You are so talented! Pinned!
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Thank you!!! Caramel and apple are the best pair! This reminded me how much I want to make actual caramel apples, the on a stick kind. Mmmm one of my favorite fall treats <3
Natalie, this is just a beautiful pie! I love the warm colors so much! Of course I love the apple and cinnamon SO MUCH! Love the fully textured filling too! I also have to comment how much that I loved that you gave credit where it’s due to Happy Herbivore about the banana crust….too many bloggers out there DON”T DO THAT because of ego. You are a lovely person and your unconventional pie is stunning. I am not a traditional type of person either, love to always give my own twist to many recipes. Sometimes classics are great, but sometimes a twist is in order! I love how this is just like an apple crisp but also like a pie!
It’s nice to find a fruit that we can obsess over together haha 😀
All the drama that seems to be popping up lately about lying and fakeness and stealing online has just made me want to be even more honest and up front! We’re all in this together as bloggers, no one has to lose for someone else to win. That’s what I love about the blogging world. I just wish everyone felt the same and supported one another. Thank you for leaving such kind comments. I have always been impressed by how supportive you are to me and other small bloggers even though you are much more experienced and well-known in the vegan blog world. A lot of bigger bloggers aren’t, and it says a lot about you that you are willing to take the time <3
Whoa!!!!! I popped over here to leave feedback for your applesauce and got majorly distracted by this PIE!!! Talk about beautiful! That crust sounds insane…plantain crust?!? I am super intrigued. Apple pie is seriously my favorite and this looks better than any apple pie I’ve had. That crumbly topping is perfection, but those apples…I just can’t get enough of. Looks amazing, Natalie!
Hahaha there are just two many appley things to look at around here 😀 The crust is so funky and easy to make. I just tried a banana version for another upcoming pie recipe and it worked really well two, plus it’s naturally a little sweeter! I’m sure you have lots of great local apples to choose from right now to bake with too 🙂 Thanks Mandy!
This looks amazing! I need to give this a try. Sounds like a perfect thanksgiving dessert.
Thanks Maddie! I absolutely agree…although I may have another Thanksgiving pie coming up soon to give it a little competition 😉
Mmmmmm this recipe is making me drool!! Love the idea of adding plantains to the crust! Genius!
Thanks Bethany! I have to admit I’m pretty excited about the crust too 🙂
Oooh, I’m with Mandy — this pie is dangerously distracting! <3 I love all that carameliness going on in there! And haha — I always go looking for one idea and come back with twenty and make something completely unrelated that turns out awesome, but then brings me right back to square one — the thing I was supposed to be working on 😀 I'm glad you decided to make this though — it's a beauty.
Oh I know, recipe “research” is so fun and distracting…I often fall into the pinterest vortex of delicious distracting things! But hey sometimes it leads to multiple recipes from one idea, so I’m cool with it 🙂
Aaaaah I love how rustic this pie looks! Those big chunks of apples and the healthy streusel mmmm <3 Perfect for the holidays!
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Thanks girl! I love the chunky hunky look too hah!
you are a fat free, fruit-full genius! i bet you could make this raw too? dehydrate a plantain crust maybe!?
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Lol comment totally made me smile, thank you! Dehydrated plantain crust, that is a fantastic idea…but I don’t have a dehydrator anymore 🙁 If you try it let me know, I really think you could be on to something here!!
This looks lovely natalie! I think i have too much baking to do, that I need to move on to apples! It’s been awhile since I’ve made apple-anything, and this looks perfect!
Lol baking overload!! You have to get to something apple-y before apple season is gone though…well not really, since we can get apples in the middle of summer haha!
Hi this looks amazing!!! just wondering does it have to be plantain or can be banana….and is it a ripe plantain
I used a very ripe plantain, but yes a banana works too. Check out the crust of this recipe, its the same thing but with banana: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/home/2015/11/17/fruit-sweetened-pumpkin-pie
Hi! are you going to make an updated recipe of this that is sugar free? fall is coming soon =)
thanks!
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I’m not sure I will remake this one specifically with only fruit-sweetening, but I hope to do some sort of apple pie this year! Thanks for the input, I will keep it in mind 🙂
I cannot wait for that Apple pie recipe! Thanks!
Great recipe. I have never cooked with plantains, but everything went well.
One question on recipe. The filling instructions say add cinnamon to filling, but ingredients has no cinnamon in filling. Am I missing something?
I just added
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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Hi Bill! So happy it turned out well! Oops that’s my mistake, it should have 2 tsps of cinnamon listed on the ingredients list!