Delicious No Sugar Apple Pie

This apple pie ditches white sugar entirely and relies on frozen apple juice concentrate to do all the sweetening. Cooked down with cornstarch, water, and apple pie spice into a glossy, thickened glaze, the concentrate clings to the Granny Smith slices and bakes into the kind of jammy filling you’d recognize from a roadside fruit stand.

Granny Smith is the right call here. The tart, firm flesh stands up to a long bake without turning to mush, and its natural acidity balances the concentrated apple sweetness so the filling never veers into cloying territory.

For a closer-to-classic finish, sprinkle a packet of granular sugar substitute over the apples before topping with the second crust. Skip it for a leaner, fruit-forward version. The pie is naturally diabetic-friendly without it.

The recipe also notes you can skip the crust altogether for a lower-calorie version. The thickened apple juice glaze sets up firmly enough to hold the apples in a pie pan, almost like a deep-dish crisp without topping.

Pro Tips

• Cook the apple juice concentrate, cornstarch, and water until it visibly thickens and turns translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Underdone cornstarch leaves a chalky aftertaste.
• Slice apples thin and even (¼ inch) so they cook through. Thick chunks stay crunchy in the center while the edges go soft.
• Cut steam vents in the top crust before baking to prevent the filling from blowing out the sides as the apple juice mixture bubbles.
• Cover the crust edge with foil if it browns too fast. A long bake is long enough to overdo a thin pastry rim.

Variations

• Add ½ cup chopped walnuts to the filling for crunch.
• Stir 2 tablespoons of dried cranberries or raisins into the apples for natural extra sweetness without added sugar.
• Brush the top crust with milk and dust with cinnamon-blended sugar substitute for a glossy finish.