Walnut Free Paleo Cassava Flour Apple Hand Pies
Flaky, golden, and filled with warmly spiced apple, these little hand pies are the kind of treat that makes people do a double-take when they find out they're grain-free. Cassava flour is the real hero here — it behaves more like all-purpose flour than most grain-free alternatives, giving the crust a tender, rollable texture that actually holds together without any nuts or nut-based flours in sight. Solid coconut oil works in place of butter, getting worked into the dough just like a classic pastry technique to create those satisfying flaky layers. The filling is straightforward and deeply satisfying: diced apples cooked down with maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and a touch of arrowroot starch to get that glossy, jammy consistency that stays put inside the crust. A squeeze of lemon juice keeps everything bright so the spices don't feel heavy. These are genuinely portable, easy to pack, and impressive enough to bring to a gathering where nobody needs to know they're eating something made without conventional flour or refined sugar. Let them cool for a full ten minutes before biting in — the filling holds heat like a little furnace 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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