Dairy Free Paleo Cassava Flour Apple Hand Pies
Warm spiced apples wrapped in a tender, golden crust — these hand pies deliver everything you want from a classic fall dessert without a drop of butter or dairy in sight. The secret is solid coconut oil worked into cassava flour the same way you'd treat cold butter in a traditional pastry, creating those essential flaky, crumbly layers that make a great pie crust. Cassava flour is a true one-to-one swap for all-purpose in pastry work, so the dough rolls out beautifully and holds its shape through baking. The filling comes together in a single skillet with diced apples, maple syrup, warm cinnamon and ginger, and a touch of arrowroot starch to thicken everything into a glossy, jammy center that won't leak all over your baking sheet. A quick egg wash gives the tops that irresistible deep-golden finish you'd expect from any bakery-worthy hand pie. They're portable, individually sized, and genuinely impressive — the kind of thing you bring to a gathering and watch disappear before you've even set down the tray. Let them cool for a full ten minutes before you bite in, because that filling stays molten long after the oven is off.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 cups cassava flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil, solid (not melted)
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
For the filling
- 3 medium apples (about 1 lb), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- 1
Make the filling: melt 1 tbsp coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the arrowroot starch and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute more, until the juices thicken and coat the apples. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely, about 20–30 minutes.
- 2
Make the crust: whisk together the cassava flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the solid coconut oil in small spoonfuls and work it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
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