Heart Healthy Apple Pie

Wondering if apple pie is healthy because it’s made mostly of apples? The fact is that apple pie can be as healthy or unhealthy as the ingredients it contains. Many store-bought apple pies are loaded with sugar, fat, sodium and preservatives. But when you make homemade apple pie, you can control what goes in it so you can enjoy a healthier pie that still tastes delicious. Our version adds whole wheat flour and uses less shortening than many pie crust recipes. The filling contains loads of fiber-rich apples, with just enough sugar to enhance their natural sweetness and cinnamon and nutmeg to round out the flavor experience. The result is a heart healthy apple pie that is low in calories and has decent nutrition stats.

To make apple pie healthier, it’s best to make it from scratch. This way, you can use less shortening in the crust and can add some whole grain flour to up the fiber content. Using fresh apples and relying on their natural sweetness instead of dumping in a ton of sugar will not only make apple pie healthier and lower in calories but it will taste better. To make a low calorie apple pie, consider only using a top crust instead of making a two-crust pie. Or you may prefer this Apple Crumble or Apple Crisp, which combines apples with a tasty oat topping.

Of course, everyone who bakes homemade apple pie wants it to be the best apple pie recipe anyone has ever tasted, but that doesn’t always happen. To enhance the taste and texture, it helps to slice your apples thinly so your sugar and cinnamon mixture coats the apples evenly. Using in-season apples (this is the perfect apple picking recipe!) and spices that have not been sitting in your pantry too long provides the freshest flavor. Baking is a pretty exact science, so stick to the recipe as closely as possible and check for doneness, because oven temperatures may vary.