Gut Friendly Paleo Cassava Flour Apple Hand Pies
Warm spiced apples tucked inside a tender, golden crust — these little hand pies deliver everything you want from a classic fall dessert without any of the grains or refined sugars that can leave your gut feeling off. Cassava flour is the real star here, behaving more like traditional all-purpose flour than most grain-free alternatives, which means you actually get a flaky, rollable dough that crimps and holds together beautifully. Coconut oil stands in for butter, and maple syrup sweetens the filling just enough to let the cinnamon and ginger shine through. A small amount of arrowroot starch thickens the apple juices into a glossy, jammy filling that stays put inside the crust instead of leaking everywhere. Every ingredient is straightforward and recognizable — no gums, no starches you can't pronounce, no dairy — which is exactly what makes this kind of baking feel trustworthy. The individual portions are practical too, easy to pack, share, or save for later without any of the mess of slicing a full pie. Let them cool for a few minutes before you bite in, because that filling stays molten longer than you'd expect, and the wait is absolutely worth it.
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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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