Our friend Mark Murphy shared this gluten-free apple pie with us, and it has been a fall favorite at the farm ever since. Mark is a designer and curator by trade and, as it turns out, a very good pie baker. He built the filling around Spring Honey, lemon, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and he chose a white rice flour crust that bakes up crisp and golden. Nobody at the table needs to know it is gluten-free. They will just ask for a second slice.
The apples do most of the work here. Pink Lady and Honeycrisp slices soak in the spiced honey mixture for twenty minutes before they go into the shell, and a splash of juice pressed from the peels and cores keeps every bit of the fruit in the pie. A modest drizzle of honey over the top crust stands in for the usual egg wash and gives the lattice a beautiful shine.
Why This Gluten-Free Apple Pie Works
Gluten-free pie dough has a reputation for being fussy. It cracks, it crumbles, and it does not stretch the way wheat dough does. Mark's method solves that with a few small habits rather than a long list of specialty ingredients:
- Everything goes in the fridge first. The rolling pin, the mixing bowl, and the greased pie dish all get chilled before you start. Cold tools keep the butter firm, and firm butter is what gives a rice flour crust its texture.
- The dough gets a short rest. Ten to fifteen minutes on the counter before rolling makes it pliable enough to press and smooth without tearing.
- Cold water is your repair kit. A small bowl of it sits next to the board. Dab your fingers, smooth any cracks, and seal the edges. Rice flour dough reforms easily under gentle pressure.
- Strips instead of a full top. Cutting the top crust into strips for a lattice is far easier than lifting a whole sheet of gluten-free dough, and letting a few apples peek through lets them caramelize at the edges.
- Honey on top, not egg. A light drizzle of Eastern Shore honey over the crust crisps and browns it as it bakes.
The Best Apples for Apple Pie
Mark uses two large Pink Lady apples and two large Honeycrisp. Pink Lady brings a tart, firm bite that holds its shape in the oven, and Honeycrisp adds juice and a rounder sweetness. Slice them uniformly, about an eighth of an inch thick, so they cook evenly. Save every peel and core: they get run through a juicer, and half a cup of that fresh apple juice goes straight back into the filling.
If you only have one variety on hand, Granny Smith or Braeburn will work in place of the Pink Lady. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh, which break down into sauce.
Which Honey to Use
Mark chose our Spring Honey for the filling, and it is a lovely match. Spring Honey is light, floral, and bright, which lets the lemon and apple flavors come through instead of covering them. Harvested once a year on Chesterhaven Beach Farm, it tends to sell out, so if you do not have a jar, here is how the rest of our Eastern Shore honey behaves in this pie:
- Wildflower Honey is the all-purpose choice, warm and layered, and it keeps the filling delicate.
- Autumn Honey is darker and bolder, with an earthier flavor that leans into the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Sourwood Honey has buttery, caramel-like notes that feel made for a baked apple dessert.
Every honey we sell is naturally gluten-free. If you want the details on why, and what to check on a honey label, read our guide to whether honey is gluten free.
How to Make a Rice Flour Pie Crust
The crust in the recipe card uses white rice flour, kosher salt, baking powder, unsalted butter, and one lightly beaten egg. The card makes a single crust, so double it if you want a bottom shell and a lattice top. You can swap in almond, coconut, brown rice, or buckwheat flour, and our friend Joyce Wallace, a dedicated gluten-free baker, gets her best results from a blend of two or three flours rather than one.
Work the egg and butter together, add them to the dry ingredients, and mix by hand. For the bottom shell, roll the dough out and cut it into quarters before moving it into the chilled dish. It is much easier to lift a quarter than a whole round. Press the pieces together in the pan, smoothing the seams with cold, damp fingers. A French pastry roller gives the most even results, and a well-floured surface and a wooden spatula make the dough easier to handle. Gluten-free dough asks for slow, steady pressure, so take your time.
Baking and Cooling
Pour the filling into the shell, lay the strips over the top, and bake. Mark gives two options depending on how deep your pie is: 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or a slower bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 90 minutes. Then comes the hard part. Let the pie cool for an hour to an hour and a half before you cut it. If you want firmer, cleaner slices, refrigerate it for two hours after it has cooled.
Make It Your Own
As always, we encourage you to play with your food. A few ways to change this pie up:
- Replace half of the apples with sliced pears.
- Mix a handful of blackberries in with the apples.
- Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla cashew milk ice cream.
- Spoon a little honey caramel sauce over each slice.
New to baking with honey instead of sugar? Our guides to baking with honey and substituting honey for sugar cover the ratios and small adjustments that make it work.
More Gluten-Free Honey Desserts
If this pie earns a spot in your fall rotation, a few more from our kitchen belong next to it:
- Our classic old-fashioned apple pie with honey, for the wheat-crust version with a double top.
- Honey baked apples, when you want the flavor of apple pie without rolling any dough.
- Gluten-free snickerdoodles sweetened with honey.
- Gluten-free pumpkin muffins for the morning after.
- Our full collection of gluten-free desserts with honey, and our roundup of easy fall dessert recipes.
Happy baking! If you make this gluten-free apple pie, tag us on Instagram. We love to see what you chef up.
FAQs About Gluten-Free Apple Pie
What flour is best for a gluten-free apple pie crust?
This recipe uses white rice flour, which bakes up crisp and golden. Almond, coconut, brown rice, and buckwheat flour all work too, and a blend of two or three gluten-free flours tends to give the most reliable dough.
Can I use honey instead of sugar in apple pie?
Yes. This pie uses a tablespoon of Spring Honey in the filling alongside cane sugar, and a light drizzle of honey over the top crust in place of an egg wash. Honey adds floral depth and helps the crust brown and crisp.
What are the best apples for gluten-free apple pie?
A mix of two large Pink Lady and two large Honeycrisp apples. Pink Lady stays firm and tart in the oven, and Honeycrisp adds juice and sweetness. Granny Smith or Braeburn can stand in for Pink Lady. Avoid soft apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh, which turn to sauce.
Why does gluten-free pie dough crack, and how do I fix it?
Rice flour dough has no gluten to stretch, so it cracks instead of tearing. Chill your rolling pin, bowl, and pie dish first, let the dough rest 10 to 15 minutes before rolling, and keep a small bowl of cold water nearby. Damp fingers smooth cracks and seal seams easily.
Does this gluten-free apple pie need an egg wash?
No. A modest drizzle of Eastern Shore honey over the top crust crisps and browns it as it bakes, so there is no need to brush on an egg mixture.
How long should apple pie cool before slicing?
Let it cool for an hour to an hour and a half. For firmer, cleaner slices, refrigerate the pie for two hours after it has cooled.
Is honey gluten-free?
Pure honey is naturally gluten-free because it comes from flower nectar, not grain. Our guide to whether honey is gluten free covers what to check on a label.
