Say hello to your new favorite apple dessert! This Swedish Apple Pie (or crustless apple pie) is part cake and part pie and 100% delicious and easy!
Peeled and sliced apples are tossed with sugar and spices and topped with a batter that creates a cake-like crust over the top when baked. That's right....no fussy pastry or rolling pin required! And quite honestly, it's every bit as delicious (or maybe even more so) than traditional apple pie.
You are going to LOVE this homey, cozy dessert! I can't wait for you to try it at home. Ready to get started? Keep reading for step-by-step instructions for baking an irresistible Swedish Apple Pie in your own kitchen.
Why This Recipe Works
- It has a short list of easy-to-find ingredients and comes together in a snap.
- It has all of the flavor of an apple pie but without all of the work.
- The texture of the top crust is tender and cake-like with crisp exterior making it the perfect compliment to the warm apple filling.
What Are the Origins of This Recipe?
Swedish Apple Pie is really a variation of an apple crisp or crumble but with a cake-like topping. Known as smulpaj (or crumb pie) in Swedish, versions of this dish vary widely, some having more of a crisp or crumble like topping containing rolled oats and/or chopped nuts. My take on Swedish Apple Pie which has a more cake-like topping is adapted from a couple of recipes I found in my mom's collection of vintage Scandinavian-American cookbooks.
Ingredients
- The star of the show here is obviously the apples. I like the Granny Smith variety because of their tart-sweet flavor and their ability to hold their shape after baking, but any apple you happen to have on hand will be just fine.
- Cinnamon, cardamom, lemon juice and sugar are tossed with the apples to give them that cozy fall spice, sweetness and a welcome bit of acidity from the lemon juice.
- The easy topping is made with flour, baking powder, salt, an egg, brown sugar and vanilla. It's a simple but perfect way to encase the apples.
- Finally, a bit or turbinado or raw sugar is sprinkled over the top for a bit of crunch on top of the tender cake-like crust.
Special Equipment Needed
- A deep dish pie plate
How to Make This Recipe
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and buttering a deep dish pie plate.
- Peel and core about 2 pounds of apples. Slice into ½ inch slices.
- Toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon juice and just a pinch of salt. Transfer to the prepared pie plate.
- Melt the butter in a medium bowl and cool to room temperature. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Add the egg, brown sugar and vanilla to the cooled butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Spoon the batter over the top of the apples and spread to cover as evenly as possible. Don't worry if it's not perfect. This is intended to be a rustic dessert.
- Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are bubbly, about 50 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to cool the dessert before slicing. If you cut into it while it is too warm, the filling won't have a chance to set up. It will still be delicious but you won't get clean slices.
- Serve with this easy vanilla sauce recipe! It is a traditional and super delicious compliment to this cozy dessert.
FAQs
Yes! If you plan to enjoy it in a few hours, leave it on the counter at room temperature and cover with plastic wrap once it has cooled completely. For longer storage, transfer to the refrigerator tightly covered with plastic wrap. Slice and serve, warming individual pieces in the microwave if desired. This dessert keeps well in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Creamy Vanilla Sauce (pictured below) is a traditional (and super delicious) choice, but ice cream and/or a drizzle of caramel sauce would certainly be welcome as well!
Related Recipes
Looking for more Scandinavian-inspired apple recipes? I've some delicious choices below:
Recipe
Swedish Apple Pie (Easy Crustless Apple Pie)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds apples peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch thick slices
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled + more for greasing the pie plate
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with butter and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula.
- Spread the batter evenly over the top of the apples and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling around the edges. Cool before serving.
Notes
- I like Granny Smith apples in this recipe, but any apple you have on hand will be just fine.
- Be sure to cool the dessert before slicing. If you cut into it while it is too warm, the filling won't have a chance to set up. It will still be delicious but you won't get clean slices.
- Serve with this easy vanilla sauce recipe! It is a traditional and super delicious compliment to this cozy dessert.
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Swedish Apple Pie and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
Beachhouse3 says
More focus on the apples than with traditional pies
Leslie says
I made the Swedish Apple Pie recipe and served it with the Creamy Vanilla Sauce for a gathering to discuss a book by a Swedish author. It was loved by all! My husband made me promise to save him a piece after he saw the recipe and loved it as well. Thank you!! I'm looking forward to trying your Swedish Pea Soup with Ham next!
Kristi says
That's fantastic, Leslie! So glad your book group and hubby enjoyed it! Let me know what you think of the soup if you have a chance. Thanks again for your feedback!
Kristi
Jolee says
Hubby was looking for a recipe similar to something his mom made from apples grown in thier yard. He googled and thought your recipe was closest to what he remembered so we gave it a try. Using a mix of apples, I doubled and made in a 9 by 13 dish. I did not peel the apples as hubs mom didn't in hers. With the peels left on, the apples pieces are more separate and the slices are not as neat but apples were still perfectly tender. The buttery sweet cake/crust topping with slight crunch goes wonderfully with the not too sweet and perfectly spiced apples. Hubs was happy. And given how easy to make, he will get apple 'pie' more often.
Helen says
Hi Kristi I love all your recipes. Would it be possible to convert the measurements into metric please? Thank you.
Kristi says
Hi Helen,
Thanks for your request! I have a lot of people mention this so it is definitely on my to do list.
Kristi
Sandra Lopez says
Copy/ Paste recipe into ChatGPT and ask it to convert!
Diane says
Thank you! This is very yummy. I used both honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples. The flavor was wonderful! It turned into our entire lunch, we kept going back for more.
Rennae says
I've tried several swedish apple pies, and this is the best!! I made with 6 Granny Smith apples. So delicious everyone wanted more at Thanksgiving, there were no leftovers and I will just have to make another one soon!
Kristi says
Thanks for the comment, Rennae!
Sharon Selby says
This turned out delicious I will be adding it to my favorites.
Charlotte Powers says
Apple Cake Crustless Apple Pie will, now, be our Easter desert. Wonderful & good for us. What a nice way to have our "Apple-a-Day."
Kristi says
I love that, Charlotte! Thanks so much for your comment!
Kristi
Candee says
Definitely thinking about trying this for Christmas dessert. It looks and sounds delicious. My daughter-in-law is allergic to cinnamon, any tips on a substitute? I was thinking nutmeg but thought I would ask.
Kristi says
Absolutely! You could also do cardamom or ginger or allspice. Any of the warm spices would work well here. Please let me know how it turns out!
Kristi
Melissa says
Used gala apples, maple for vanilla, added chopped walnuts before turbinado sugar. Will be making it again!
Kristi says
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for your comment! Love the idea of maple and walnuts in this recipe. Yum!
Kristi
Gayle F says
Has anyone tried a gluten free version of this?
P. Funk says
I love this pie and was so happy when I found your recipe. I couldn't wait to make it, so I skipped the "demo" part and went right to the recipe. After I put it in the oven and was cleaning up, I realized that I didn't put any vanilla in it. Went back to the recipe and could not find where to put it in.
Kristi says
Thanks so much for that catch! I went ahead and edited the recipe. Hope you still enjoyed it!
Hannah says
Thank you for the recipe! I made it for the second time today and as I thought I was already a pro I only went with the short recipe summary! Therefore I of course did NOT add in the sugar with the apples! I am stupid I know! It is in the oven right now so we will see hiw it turns out. i am afraid that the apples will stay too hard without the sugar. Just letting you know so you can maybe fix it in the recipe?
Otherwise love it! Thank you! ❤️
Kristi says
Sorry about that, Hannah! Recipe is fixed. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Kristi
Marcia says
An excellent alternative to apple pie! No pie crust to deal with and it was ready for the oven in no time! Texture and flavor is excellent.
Many thanks!
Kristi says
Thanks, Marcia! I'm so glad you liked it. It's definitely our new favorite apple dessert around here.
Happy Baking!
Kristi
Sharon Selby says
The ingredient list should show everything in order as it's added to the recipe. Example, the brown sugar should be shown in order with the butter and egg instead of under the flour. It's confusing and easy to miss that it should be added to the butter and egg, not the flour. Otherwise, this is a delicious recipe and added to my favorites
Kristi says
Thanks for pointing that out, Sharon! I will get it changed. Glad you enjoyed it despite the confusion!
Kristi
Naureen says
Planning to make this for Thanksgiving! If I pre-mix the apple mixture a bit ahead of time (like a couple of hours) does it draw water from the other ingredients and get soggy and watery in the pie? Or should I try and complete the process as soon as the apple mix is ready?
Thank you!
Kristi says
HI Naureen,
I haven't tried making it ahead but I think you'll be fine. Since there is lemon in the apple mixture, that will keep the apples from browning (which is my biggest concern). They really shouldn't get watery. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Sue says
It sounds delicious!
Fyi, the two links mentioned to your easy vanilla sauce are not working. (Yet.)
Kristi says
Thanks, Sue! I will get that vanilla sauce up and running by the end of the day today. You've got to try this recipe. It's SO easy and delicious!
Kristi