Low Sugar Apple Pie

By
Kimberley Eggleston
Kimberley Eggleston
Kimberley Eggleston is a registered dietitian, nutrition class instructor, and food writer who specializes in healthy cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/27/21
Low sugar apple pie and slices of apple pie on plates

The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
163 Calories
7g Fat
23g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 163
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 163mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 74mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Apple pies are wonderful, but they can have a few too many calories for some diets. If you still want to enjoy this classic dessert, you can make it a little healthier by cutting out some of the sugar. It's not hard to do because after all, apples add a fair amount of sweetness themselves, so the pie really doesn't need a lot of sugar to make it delicious.

This apple pie recipe uses a combination of easily found apples at the grocery store: Gala and Granny Smith. The pie is on the tart side because of the Granny Smith apples, but there are many apple varieties you can choose from. You may notice this pie is missing a top crust; leaving it off is another way to cut back on both sugar and fat that you might otherwise get with a traditional pie crust or a crumb topped pie.

To add a healthy dose of sweetness, try serving this pie warm with a scoop of low-fat, low-sugar frozen yogurt or low-fat, low-sugar ice cream. If you are just getting used to enjoying your desserts with less sugar, you might find the transition a little challenging at first. But soon you will savor the natural flavors of the apples and find it quite satisfying; you probably won't miss the sugar at all.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

  • 3 tablespoons water, ice cold

  • Cooking spray

For the Filling:

  • 2 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Granny Smith apples

  • 2 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Gala apples

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Steps to Make It

Note: There are multiple steps to this recipe, which are broken down into workable categories to better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Pie Crust

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for low sugar apple pie crust

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.

    Flour and salt in a large glass mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  3. Cut in the chilled butter, using 2 knives or a pastry blender.

    Butter mixed in with flour and salt in a large glass mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  4. Sprinkle in the ice water into the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork after each addition.

    Ice water in a the flour butter mixture in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  5. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball.

    Pie dough forming into a ball on a white marble counter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  6. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle between 2 sheets of plastic wrap coated with cooking spray to reduce sticking.

    Pie dough rolled out and covered in plastic wrap on a white marble counter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  7. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so it becomes slightly firm and uniform.

    rolled out pie dough on a white marble counter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  8. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the pie dough. Turn the dough over into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, and remove the remaining layer of plastic wrap.

    Pie dough in a pie pan

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  9. Using your fingers, press the dough into the pie plate and flute the edges.

    Shaped pie dough in a metal pie pan

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

Make the Apple Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for low sugar apple pie filling

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  2. In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice.

    Apples and lemon juice in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining sugars and flour.

    Granulated sugar, brown sugar and flour in a white bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  4. Combine the sugar mixture with the apples and toss the mixture lightly with a fork.

    Apple slices, sugar and flour in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  5. Pour the apples into the pie crust.

    Apple filling and pie dough in a pie pan

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  6. Use a knife to cut the remaining butter into small pieces, and distribute the butter pieces over the top of the pie.

    Butter on top of the apple filling and pie crust

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  7. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 F and bake an additional 30 minutes.

    Baked low sugar apple pie in a pie pan

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

Tip

  • If the crust starts to become too brown while baking, gently create a foil ring around the edges of the pie and put it back into the oven.

Variations

  • If you are following a gluten-free diet, feel free to use a gluten-free pie crust recipe with this recipe. It will work.
  • Consider adding other spices to the mixture, including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom. Or apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Feel free to use other apples in this pie, but keep in mind you want ones that are firm and that will hold their shape when baked, and not fall apart. Consider Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp.

How to Store Low Sugar Apple Pie

This pie is best kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to four days.