A Crustless Apple Pie for People Who Don’t Like Making Crusts

Name: Crustless Apple Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups cooking apples ((2 large Granny Smith and 1 large Golden Delicious peeled and sliced, 1.5 lb)); 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 10 tablespoons butter (melted ); 3/4 cup sugar; 1 egg (slightly beaten ); 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted )

Last updatedAugust 5, 2024

78 Comments

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Sneak Preview: This Crustless Apple Pie (aka Swedish Apple Pie)recipe couldn’t be simpler. Bake batter-covered apples in a pie plate with no crust .

slice of crustless apple pie on a plate.

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What if you could have the cinnamony goodness of juicy baked apples without messing with a separate crust? This popular Swedish Apple Pie makes its own crust.

The “crust” is on top–sort of.

The sweetened batter you spread over the sliced apples will seep down between them in the oven. As a result, the part left on top will turn golden brown and crunchy.

Happy Bakers Speak Up

“I just popped another pie in the oven! This will be the fourth pie for us in about three months. It’s perfection. Cheers!” —SHEILA A.

What kind of apples should I use?

I’ve tried several different apples and settled on a combination of two large Granny Smith apples and one large Golden Delicious. These apples will ensure your pie has the perfect level of sweetness and will release just enough juice without becoming mushy.

Can I make substitutions?

You can substitute pecans for walnuts. Either way, toasting them before you add them to your batter will bring out the flavor.
Bleached flour can be used in place of unbleached flour.
Ground cardamom can be used in place of or in addition to cinnamon.

📌Kitchen Secret📌 –Coring Apples

To keep the tips from breaking off your apple quarters, remove the core starting from the bottom instead of the top. This technique will make your slices more uniform.

Serving No-Crust Apple Pie

Hot out of the oven: Expect a deliciously messy pie that perfectly melts your ice cream.
Make ahead: Bake, cool for several hours, and refrigerate. To serve, warm slices in the microwave for a few seconds to release the cinnamon aroma and add a cozy feeling.

If you love cinnamon apples, try my Microwave Cinnamon Apples for a similar flavor profile with less sugar.

How To Make Crustless Apple Pie

sliced apples in pie plate. — Peel and slice apples 1/4-inch thick. Place in a greased 9-inch pie plate.

squeezing lemon juice over apples. — Squeeze lemon juice over the apples.

sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon. — Add sugar and cinnamon.

melted butter in Pyrex measuring cup — Melt butter.

Adding sugar to melted butter. — Add sugar and a beaten egg.

Adding salt to to the filling mixture. — Stir in the flour and salt.

Adding pecans. — Add pecans to the batter. Stir.

batter spread over the raw apples — Spread batter evenly over the sliced apples.

slices of baked apple pie with whipped cream garnish. — Bake in a 350˚F (170˚C) oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.

Parting thoughts: If you’re a pie person like me, be sure to check out this Fresh Strawberry Pie, and my Fresh Nectarine Pie. If you like a pie with a non-traditional crust, this French Silk Chocolate Pie is worth all the calories. See my entire collection of pies here.

Swedish Apple Pie--slice in front of pie — This is an old picture of Crustless Apple Pie, often seen on Pinterest.

Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

Yield: slices

Crustless Apple Pie

By Paula Rhodes

Bake this Crustless Apple Pie in a standard pie crust dish. A sweet batter spread over the apples turns into a crust on top. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream along-side it.

5 from 92 votes

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Video

Prep time: 15

Cook time: 45

Total time: 1

Ingredients

2 ½ cups (312 g) cooking apples (2 large Granny Smith and 1 large Golden Delicious peeled and sliced, 1.5 lb)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
10 tablespoons (142 g) butter melted
¾ cup (149 g) sugar
1 (50 g) egg slightly beaten
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (98 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (57 g) chopped pecans toasted

Instructions

Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Fill the pie plate with 2 1/2 cups (312 g) cooking apples. The pie pan should be about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and stir to coat apples.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the apples and combine.
Mix 10 tablespoons (142 g) butter, and 3/4 cup (149 g) sugar in a separate bowl. Stir in 1 (50 g) egg (beaten), 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (98 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup (57 g) chopped pecans.
Spread the batter over apples.
Bake at 350˚F (18˚C)for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
If you want neat slices, chill the pie for 2-3 hours. Slice the pie when ready to serve and reheat individual slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before serving with ice cream or whipped cream.

Equipment

Nutrition

5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Help others find this recipe in search results on the web.

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Paula Rhodes, owner

As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.

4.50 from 92 votes (82 ratings without comment)

78 Comments

Susan says:

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This is now my go to Apple ‘Pie’
Recipe! So easy and delicious!

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Susan,
  
  Glad you like it. Thank you for the 5-star rating. It’s a great way to celebrate fall!
  
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2. Marti says:
  
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  Hi ! Looking forward to trying this recipe as I’m terrible at pie crusts ! I have a glass 9.5 inch glass & a metal 9 inch… which is best for this pie ? Thank you !
  
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  1. Paula says:
    
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    Hi Marti,
    
    For this pie, I would choose the glass. However, the metal pan would also work.
    
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Nikki says:

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Thanks for sharing this. I’m not good at making crust so this was wonderful to bump into. However, I precooked my apples first.. I used 2 tbsp water and cooked for 4 mins, added 1 tbsp butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Placed in baking dish then covered with ur topping. The topping wasn’t as runny as it looks in ur picture but it came out very tasty. Will make again

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Eddy says:

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Delicious, made this for my wife, who loves apple pie but not the crust. This was the first crust that she liked the apples cooked perfectly the overall taste is just so good. I substituted walnuts.

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Judy Price says:

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Ingredients that I had on hand, simple instructions, beautiful results, perfection presentation, and great taste! I did, however, add 1 teaspoon each of vanilla and almond flavoring. First time to this site, but I’ll surely be back.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Judy,
  
  Welcome! Glad you liked the pie. I like your additions. That is the beauty of a simple recipe. It’s leaves room for the creative cook to customize to their own tastes. Thank you for writing.
  
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Lyndon says:

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Hi, just made this for the first time. It is delicious. I cut back on the sugar by about half, as I dont like too sweet things and that was just enough. My wife thought it was a bit oily so I am trying to think how to cut down on the butter without making it too dry. Do you think I could substitute milk or water for some of the butter without losing too much taste? Gin might also be nice 🙂

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Lyndon,
  I haven’t experimented with any substitutions for the butter. Let me know if you try it.
  
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2. Lyndon says:
  
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  Hi, I made this again yesterday. I had to get rid of some apples I bought that dont taste so nice on their own. (think red or golden delicious) I had to adjust everything up because I used 550 gm of apples. I cut back on the butter and instead of the adjusted 320 gm I used 160 gm butter and 50 gm milk. This worked ok because the extra apple adds some water, the batter tastes a bit like shortbread. If I can find some nice, fresh grannies, I will make this again.
  
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Jill Uher says:

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I’m don’t really care to eat pie crust so I was so excited to make this recipe. Everyone loved it! Definitely a pie that will be made often.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  So happy everybody loved it. Thanks for coming back to say so.
  
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Ches Packer says:

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This looks to be very similar to a recipe my mother made years ago that she called English Apple Pie. Our family always had it with whipped cream and we loved it. I’ll try your recipe soon. Thank you!

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Ches,
  Yes, this recipe has been around for a long time. Whipped cream or ice cream is a must! Hope it is as good as you remember it.
  
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Sheila Acosta says:

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I just popped another pie in the oven! This will be the fourth pie for us in about three months. It’s perfection. I use slightly less sugar in the batter. It’s way to0 important to have it in order for the crust to form it’s killer crispy cheweyness, so don’t reduce it too much. I also add a wee bit of freshly grated nutmeg because we love it. Be sure to bake it until there is a lovely golden crust on top. It’s winter and we keep our home pretty chilly, so the batter is a bit stiff and for that reason we put dollops of batter evenly over the top and spread it out. It smells so good in here right now I can’t stand it! This pie gets better each day, if it lasts that long. Cheers!

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Sheila,
  What a ringing endorsement! Thanks so much for adding your tips. They will surely help other bakers.
  
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Pam says:

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Your recipe has an error in the amount of apples. 3 large apples, probably 1 1/2 lbs., do not slice up to only 2 1/2 cups, but quite a bit more. The 2 1/2 cups is very skimpy for a 9″ pie anyway. I decided to go with 1 1/2 lbs. of apples, which did fill the pie pan to the 3/4 level, as you said.

The topping baked up a little denser than I would have preferred, but the flavor was fine.

Hope this helps others who want to make this recipe!

P.S. Hello to you, a fellow Home Economist from another one!

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Pam,
  Thanks for writing. I need to add a weight for the apples to avoid confusion. As you probably know, 9-inch pie plates are not all equal in the volume they hold, so there can be some discrepancy there, too.
  
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Kent snyder says:

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I made this recipe and with a couple small modifications – slivered almonds instead of walnuts – and more butter, and some nutmeg and allspice, and the result was great. One question: you state 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of flour… you didn’t mention if it was sifted or not before measuring. If you measured your flour by weight the distinction would not be necessary. I measured it not-sifted, and the batter seemed a bit thick, so I thinned it a bit and everything came out great! So I assume your measure was for sifted flour.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Kent,
  I like the way you made this recipe your own. I do not sift flour normally, only for cake recipes that specify it. However, you are exactly right about weighing the flour. I have added weights to my bread recipes for that very reason, but I still need to add weights to my dessert recipes. Thank you for the reminder.
  
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Debbie says:

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Always a favorite- especially for one such as me who has not perfected pie crust 101. Flavor is yummy!

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Debbie,
  
  Yes, this one is always good to have in your back pocket; even if one makes good pie crust, sometimes there is no time for it. Thanks for writing.
  
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Dana A Benvenuti says:

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So good I used gluten free all purpose flour and it came out great

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Constança says:

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Absolutely delicious! And with vanilla ice cream!… yammy!!

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Debbie says:

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Great recipe! And especially like since I don’t have tp make a crust! Love pies but pie crust is not my specialty. Maybe I need to make more!

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Connie says:

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Thanks so much on your tip on coring apples. I love apples and use them in many recipes. Thanks again for an amazing blog. I get really excited when I see an email from you. Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgivings.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Connie,
  
  So nice to hear from you again. Your kind words made my day! Paula
  
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Bojana says:

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i love this recipe. my batter came out stiffer then yours and i had to use my hands to spread it evenly, but it baked into a delicious pie. i also added an apricot and a peach to the apples, just to use them up, they were the last in the fruit bowl, and i think this pie would be equally nice made with just apricot or just peaches. can’t wait to make it again. this first one was gone in one day.

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Pam says:

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Do you know the Weight Watchers smart point value? Or nutrition info?

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Laura says:

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What can I substitute for regular flour? Would coconut flour or almond flour work? Too many carbs in regular flour. LOL

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Faith says:

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enjoy this yummy!

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Faith says:

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enjoy!!

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AlyB says:

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Thank you, Paula, Sandy and Amanda! This pie was fantastic and so easy to prepare. It’s like a cross between apple crisp and pie – heaven! It will certainly grace my Thanksgiving Day table this year.

Continued thanks for all you share on your blog, Paula. Your styling and photography are top-notch, just like your recipes 🙂

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1. AlyB says:
  
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  We enjoyed this recipe again for TDay 2019 and it was the most popular dessert on the table. Thanks for re-sharing the post and reminding me of this quick and excellent pie, Paula!
  
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  1. Paula says:
    
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    I’m so glad to hear this!!!!! Thanks for writing.
    
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Deb Koltis says:

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I have done this recipe for years as I’m not a pie crust eater. This recipe can be done in a gluten-free version as well and if you don’t like pecans, I’ve used walnuts too. Great recipe for great eating 🙂

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Alexa says:

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AMAZING!!! This is literally te best recipe I have ever found online! Even my apple hating brother can’t resist the taste of it. I’ve made more than three times in the last two weeks so good so buttery so sweet. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing recipe.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Glad to hear it. Easy too since you don’t have to make a crust! Thanks for writing.
  
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Pam says:

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Love your blog! Could you tell me what kind of apples you used. I think I’ll try this recipe for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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Angie says:

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After perfecting the 1st attempt, this is surely a keeper. Not that I’m a crust-a-phobe, but it just makes life easier, (talking about a novice in the kitchen plus a 20 month old toddler, whew!) and you still get all that cinammony goodness, yum!
Thanks a lot for sharing. Stay inspired Paula!

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Angie,
  So glad you liked the pie and thanks for writing to say so. Sometimes no crust can be a good thing.
  
  Good luck with your toddler and cooking. Could be a challenging combination. 🙂
  
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Georgie says:

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I love this recipe. Since I’m diabetic, I made it with Splenda. Because splenda makes things a bit dry, I added a splash of milk to the “dough” to help it go over apples easier. It worked pretty well though nothing would have been as good as pure sugar! If a person doesn’t like the amount of butter, I guess they could use Smart Balance. But nothing tastes as good as real butter! Thanks for posting the recipe.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Georgie,
  Inspired. Love how you improvised to suit your particular diet. Thanks for taking the time to write and share.
  
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Rummy says:

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This pie is amazing! Thank you for sharing the recipe. It’s so easy to make and so delicious!

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Gary says:

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What size pie plate did you use since 2.5 cups of apples is not a whole lot.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Gary, 9-inch. You are right–not a lot of apples. But this is not the traditional apple pie. It’s not cake either but the apples are bound together by a very thin but rich batter which is why you don’t need a crust to hold it. This is definitely one of the most popular recipes on this blog although certainly not original with me.
  
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  1. Gary says:
    
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    Great! Thanks for your swift reply. It’s on the weekend menu!
    
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Betty says:

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I am so excited about this recipe. I like different recipes that I have never tried before. Thanks.

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tricia says:

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I had the pleasure of meeting two special members of your family last night at a book signing – Sandy & Amanda. It was fun to learn about your creative website. I look forward to making Sandy’s pie, as well as a few other recipes from salad-in-a-jar.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Tricia, Welcome. Know you must have had a great time seeing Pioneer Woman. Sandy’s pie is fabulous. You won’t be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by.
  
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  1. tricia says:
    
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    Paula, would you please thank Sandy for me? My family loves the Swedish Apple Pie.
    I’m going to share your website with a friend who is a blue ribbon pie baker at the TX State Fair. Thanks so much – and I think your new photo with your treasured bowl is really cute.
    
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    1. Paula says:
      
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      Thanks Tricia, and I’ll pass the word on to Sandy.
      
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Charlotte says:

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I have been making this recipe for 10 years now and will never go back to a traditional 2 crust apple pie. It is always requested that I bring it for potluck’s and family get togethers. Over the years I have tried using margarine and sugar substitutes but nothing compares to the original recipe.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  I have not tried any substitutes myself so good to know. I’m always amazed at how popular this dish is considering how easy it is.
  
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Laura says:

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I stumbled upon your website last week when I was searching for a balsamic salad dressing recipe, your creamy balsamic dressing was great but this pie recipe is to die for! Even my husband who is not usually a desert lover asked for seconds! I did cut the butter down to 8 T and am going to work on a few other edits to cut down on fat and calories as I know I will want to be making and eating this often! Thanks for posting, it was delicious.

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Pat says:

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Can’t wait to try it! I’v passed it along to all on my mailing list….

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David says:

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I don’t want to eat anything that contains nearly one cup of sugar and 10 tablespoons of butter. I’ll pass … thank you.

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1. Paula says:
  
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  David, Each to his own. Only a small slice is needed for a special treat. Thanks for dropping by.
  
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2. Tresa says:
  
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  Negative Nancy…I mean David – strikes again. Seriously, if you don’t have anything nice to say or constructive, why say it? Just…move along.
  I am definitely going to try this recipe today for Thanksgiving….as I realized I am out of shortening to make my crust! Thanks for the recipe, Paula.
  
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  1. Paula says:
    
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    You’re welcome, Tresa. Hope you liked it. paula
    
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Suzette says:

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Thanks for sharing this fabulous looking recipe! I can’t wait to try it—I have always hated to make pies because of that obnoxious crust thing!! I’ll take this to the next Brother’s Keeper get-together at church…..

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1. Paula says:
  
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  You will be the hit of the party. Be sure to serve with ice cream or whipped cream and of course, warm.
  
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Ann says:

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This looks wonderful, Tyler LOVES Apple Pie- so I might have to do this one…

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marykristen says:

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I am going to have to try this recipe! Thank you!

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Katrina says:

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Ooh, one of my downfalls is apple pie! YOu’d think it was chocolate, but sitting here Sunday night was a French Silk Pie and a little apple galette I made with the leftover crust and I only took a little bite of the pie and ate way too much of the galette! Love the easy idea of no crust!

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Susan says:

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What a fabulous looking pie! (And pie dish!) I am definitely going to be making this one before the end of the week! Can’t wait to taste it!

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mike says:

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These are some of the most wonderful apple pie photos I’ve ever seen… this looks WONDERFUL! Now… are “cooking” apples Granny Smith or Golden Delicious? I just inherited a bunch of Fuji’s from work…. and yes, I’m a recovering crust-a-holic. I’ve made one too many bad ones!

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Susie says:

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such a delicious recipe, am so glad it made it to the blog!

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Kitchen Butterfly says:

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♥ from one apple pie lover to another!

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Sandy says:

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Thank you Paula for featuring one of my favorite recipes. I usually only make it on special occassions when there are plenty of friends and family to help me eat it. Your pie turned out beautiful and I could almost taste it just by looking at it. Thank you for the kind words. I love having an extended family.

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Mimi says:

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Nice idea to skip the crust, I’ll count that as a calorie savings, making this a reduced calorie apple pie. See how I am working it into my diet.
Mimi

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Debbie says:

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Looks great and perfect for me as I am not a pie crust lover. Unfortunately, my husband is but he will eat anything sweet!! Well, anything really! Can’t wait to try it!!

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Mommas Soapbox says:

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You always make the most YUMMIEST (is that a word?) recipes!

Love not having to make a crust. I’m going to have to try this one out….

Hunk and the rugrats are sure to love it.

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Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says:

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I love the idea of no pie crust! I will have to try this recipe!

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Amanda says:

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Mmmm, I think I should have taken some leftovers home. 🙂

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Jill says:

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That looks so delicious, and how nice that there’s no crust to roll! The topping looks a little questionable before baking, but it sure looks good after!

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MaryMoh says:

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I would really love a piece of this. Looks so pretty and delicious. Beautiful photo.

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