Hold-The-Sugar Apple Pie

This apple pie skips the cup of sugar that most apple pies require, instead concentrating sweetness through frozen apple juice. The technique is simple but clever: thaw a 12-ounce can of frozen apple juice concentrate and use it as both the cooking liquid and the sweetener. The concentrate has roughly four times the natural sugar of regular juice, packing the equivalent sweetening power without any added refined sugar.

Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. Soft varieties like Red Delicious turn to applesauce in this method. Slice them thin and uniform so they cook evenly.

The two-stage cornstarch slurry is key. Mixing 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with the spices and ¼ cup of cold concentrate first prevents the lumps that form when starch hits hot liquid. Stir this slurry into the simmered apples right at the end for a glossy, properly thickened filling.

The pie shell is fully baked beforehand. The hot filling goes into a cool, crisp shell, then chills to set. This is more like a fresh apple tart than a baked pie, with apples that hold their shape and a flaky bottom that doesn’t go soggy.

Pro Tips

• Use 100% pure apple juice concentrate, not apple drink concentrate (which often has added sugar).
• Don’t oversimmer the apples. Pull them when just tender; they’ll continue softening as the filling sets.
• The whipped cream variations are not negotiable; they make the pie. Try the lemonade-spiked one for a bright, tart contrast.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to let the filling set up properly.

Variations

• Add 1 cup of fresh cranberries to the apples for a tart fall version.
• Top with toasted pecans or walnuts before serving for crunch.
• Spike the filling with 1 tablespoon of bourbon for an adult version that still keeps the no-sugar approach.