Swedish Apple Pie
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Swedish apple pie is full of sweet, cinnamon-y apples that are draped in a buttery crust, no rolling pin required.
Even though my family loves to eat apples all year long, in the fall I tend to start tucking them into everything we eat. Breakfast is obviously a go-to, like in these whole wheat apple cinnamon muffins, but we also like to go savory in one of my older son’s favorite dinner dish, which combines apples with sausage and cabbage. And then of course there is the classic apple pie.
I’m not quite sure how apple pie came to be known as such a quintessential American dessert, but plenty of other cultures have embraced the apple pie and put their own spin on it. One of my favorites is Swedish apple pie.
There are all sorts of variations on Swedish apple pie (you might be familiar with the one sold at IKEA), but this version from my copy of Swedish Recipes Old and New is a favorite. The cookbook was created by the American Daughters of Sweden in 1955, so you know these are the recipes that have been cooked for generations!
In my opinion, community cookbooks like this are one of the best ways to see into the past. And being able to taste the past makes it even better!
The best thing about this Swedish apple pie recipe is that there is no fussy crust to roll out. In fact, this is more like a cake than a pie, and very similar to a cobbler. That means I can make it any time I want without needing to wait for dough to chill or crying about cracked crusts. (It’s happened.) And, it also means I can cut into it and enjoy right away — who has time for pie to cool?
As the pie bakes the batter fills in the spaces between the apples, creating bits of buttery, cakey goodness for each bite.
When it’s done baking you have the moment of truth where you have to flip the pie out onto a plate, but if a few apples stick to the pan you can just sneakily put them back in place. And don’t forget, a good dollop of whipped cream will hide any structural damage.
Make it a fully Swedish night by cooking up some Swedish meatballs for a main course!
Swedish Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups sliced, peeled apple, peeled
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan.
- Spread apples evenly in the pan. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle over the apples.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
- In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder, then stir into butter mixture. Batter will be somewhat thick, more like cookie dough than a batter.
- Spoon batter over apples and spread as best you can to cover all areas.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let pie rest in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate or cake stand. Serve warm with whipped cream.