Apple Pie with Walnuts, Molasses & Einkorn Flour

Apple Pie with Walnuts, Molasses & Einkorn Flour

What do you do when the most important person in your life skips the birthday cake request and asks for a rustic apple pie instead? You don't reach for a pastry book; you grab a few apples and start building a texture that feels like a hug.

I’ve never had much patience for the "science" of pastry, so I treated this crust more like a sturdy foundation than a delicate dough. I didn't reach for a pastry book; I reached for the einkorn flour and built a stable base that could hold up a heavy filling. With a few simple steps, I turned a few humble apples into a dessert that everyone actually remembered long after the plates were cleared.

Here's what I put together:

  • Einkorn flour (I used two large tea cups to get a thick, sturdy crust)

  • Butter (Cold cubes used as the fatty binder; about half a standard pack, or roughly 125g)

  • Molasses (The dark, liquid sweetener; one full tea cup to make the filling thick and syrupy)

  • Apples (Three medium ones, peeled and cut into cubes to provide the juicy bulk)

  • 2 Eggs (One for the dough and one for the filling to act as the setting agent)

  • Walnuts (A large handful of crushed pieces for an earthy, crunchy component)

  • Cinnamon

Here's what I did:

  • Preheated the oven to 160°C to keep the bake gentle and the flavors concentrated.

  • Kneaded the einkorn, butter, and egg together until I had a sturdy, tacky dough.

  • Pressed the mixture into a silicone mold, making sure the edges were about a centimeter thick to hold the filling.

  • Pre-baked the crust for ten minutes so it stayed crisp and golden under the filling.

  • Stirred the apples, egg, molasses, cinnamon, and walnuts together into a thick, fragrant mix.

  • Filled the einkorn base and let it bake for another twenty minutes until the edges were bubbling.

  • Replace the walnuts with whatever nuts you prefer.

Here's what happened:

The result was a heavy, comforting pie where the einkorn crust gave a perfect, toasted snap against the syrupy apples. The molasses didn't just sweeten the fruit; it gave it a dark, almost smoky character that lingered. It was exactly the kind of "non-cake" birthday treat I was hoping for, and it tasted even better once it had cooled down and the juices had settled.

Dare to try it differently:

  • Shift the bulk: Mix the apples with pumpkin or sweet potato for a different seasonal twist.

  • Play with the binder: Use a thick nut butter or coconut oil in the crust to change the fat profile.

  • Adjust the base: Swap some of the einkorn for ground oats if you want a softer, more crumbly bite.

  • Switch the sweetener: Swap the molasses for agave nectar, maple syrup, dates, or coconut sugar if you want a different kind of sweetness.

Once I stopped worrying about making it look like a "proper" pie and started focusing on the ingredients, the kitchen gave me a win.

Dare to Play with Food

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