This moist, fruit-forward, spiked (with bourbon) treat is like a luscious, crust-less apple pie or a rustic European pudding. I don’t know what to call it, though: cake? tart? pie? It defies traditional descriptions, deliciously. Hence my nondescript name: gluten free apple dessert. But what this dessert lacks in a fancy name it makes up for in flavor, and in the added benefit that it’s healthier than most!
No crust, a little gluten-free flour, fiber-rich gluten-free oats, applesauce to reduce the fat, a couple eggs and loads of fresh apples … difficult to describe, yes, but thanks to Facebook, I’ve already received several suggested alternative names for this delicious dessert: Crustless Drunken Apple Pie; Gluten-Free Apple Heaven; Apple Bread Pudding; Drunken Bourbon Apple Heaven; Apple Bourbon Delight; or perhaps my favorite, “Back off kids, it’s mine!” One reader even suggested that this dessert needs no name: “it doesn’t last long enough to bother..why get attached?” I tend to agree!
No crust, a little gluten-free flour, fiber-rich gluten-free oats, apple sauce to reduce the fat, a couple eggs and loads of fresh apples … difficult to describe, but thanks to Facebook, I’ve already received several suggested alternative names for this delicious dessert: Crustless Drunken Apple Pie; Gluten-Free Apple Heaven; Apple Bread Pudding; Drunken Bourbon Apple Heaven; Apple Bourbon Delight; or perhaps my favorite, “Back off kids, it’s mine!” One reader even suggested that this dessert needs no name: “it doesn’t last long enough to bother..why get attached?” I tend to agree!
Gluten Free Apple Dessert Recipe (Low Fat)
Ingredients
- 4 cups peeled and chopped apples (approximately 4 apples)
- water + 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbs. sugar
- 1 cup gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/3 cup certified gluten-free quick/instant oats (Gluten Free Harvest Oats)
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 2 eggs or alternative
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (cane, coconut palm, etc.)
- ¼ cup bourbon or apple cider
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup butter or non-dairy alternative (I used Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks), melted
- ¼ cup applesauce (“natural,” no sugar added)
- demerara sugar, ice cream or whipped cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Oil an 8- or 9-inch spring-form pan and set aside.
Peel and chop apples, placing them in a large bowl with water and lemon juice to help prevent the apples from browning. Once all the apples are chopped, drain them and toss with cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together gfJules Flour, gluten free oats, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In another small bowl, combine melted butter and applesauce. Set aside.
Whip eggs in a mixing bowl with whisk or whisk attachment until foamy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add sugar, bourbon and vanilla. Once mixed, add the butter-applesauce alternating with the dry ingredient mixture until combined.
Fold in apples and spoon into prepared pan.
Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove sides of the pan (run a butter knife around the inside of the pan if necessary to loosen).
Sprinkle with demerara sugar, if desired.
Serve warm on its own or topped with ice cream or whipped cream.
Pin it for later!
i couldn’t find the nutrition label. ? calories per serving? size of serving?
This was so easy to make and super light and tasty! Hubby loves the bourbon!
Nice!!! Looks like you nailed this recipe, Julie! So happy everyone was pleased with how it turned out. Thanks so much for taking the time to share a pic before your hubby dove in! 😉
~jules
Hi, I like your recipe but you completely left out how to assemble the pie crust. I had to reread it a couple times. What do I do after I set aside the dry and wet pie crust ingredients? Do I add them together? And then after that, do I press the dough into the pie dish or do I roll? I take it id be adding the apple sauce to the dry GF flour mix with the oats and baking soda?
Oh my never mind. I feel completely ashamed that I was reading another recipe and crossed it with this one and got completely confused! I see where I went wrong and this isba crustless pie. Going to try it out. Thank you
No problem, Nicole — glad you got it figured out. Enjoy the recipe!!!
~jules
I will try this using Quinoa instead of oats. I cannot eat oats-they do not like me! Never have, probably never will. I will let you know how that goes & what else I may need to add. I will rate once I have tried my alternatives.
Great – I’m anxious to see what quinoa is like for you in this recipe!
~jules
Hi Jules!
Can’t wait to make this for Fall….But, the bourbon – I didn’t think it was GF?
Headed to the Apple Orchards this weekend! Thanks for the wonderfully yummy recipes
Hi Jane, apple orchards are calling me, too! There are so many great recipes we can make with apples – there’s no end to the possibilities! As for bourbon, yes, it’s GF unless the particular distiller adds mash in after distillation for flavoring, but I don’t know of any mass market ones that do. The distillation process removes the gluten molecules so even though it’s made with gluten, there’s no gluten in the finished, distilled product. There’s more information about that in this article – hope that helps. Cheers!
~jules
Jules, love your new site, and recipes! Looking forward to trying some of them very soon.
This apple cake looks so moist and delicious. Since it has oats in it, I’d name it:
‘Appily (as in happily)
‘Appily-Oats Pie
Thanks so much, gfchopstix! Love that name, too!
~jules
I’d call it Apple…Yum
Very well put, Barb!
~jules
I will try it this weekend! A Carmel Apple Pie dessert would be great also. Mmmmm.
Yum, Maria. Yes!!!
~jules
Name: Apple sliced pudding
I like it, Kim. Thanks!
~jules