Here’s the thing… I love pie. Love, love, love it! But at Passover, when leavening is not an option, making a tasty pie crust becomes much more difficult. This recipe evolved out of my need for a Passover pie substitute (because let’s face it– it’s really, really hard to get through an entire week without pie). I did away with the crust entirely and instead relied on matzo cracker crumbs to hold the filling together. The result is something between an apple crumble, a pan dowdy and a pie. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious!
Bake this Passover dessert in an old-fashioned pie dish, and nobody will complain about the missing crust… the flavor is very similar to a nutty apple pie. The candied pecans add a crunchy sweet topping to this decadent Passover treat. Serve ala mode for extra deliciousness.
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Passover Apple Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 5 ripe granny smith apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 3 egg matzos, crushed into large crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter or butter substitute. Add applesauce, white sugar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Stir till well combined, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and add diced apples to pan. Stir apples till they are well coated with sugar mixture. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for exactly 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook. Uncover apples at the end of cooking and remove from heat; allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, place crushed matzos into a large mixing bowl and cover with water. Let matzos soak for 1 ½ minutes (no longer), then drain in a colander. Gently squeeze the matzo crumbs in the colander to remove excess moisture.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the salt.
- Add eggs to the matzo and stir till well combined.
- Pour cooled apples and sugary syrup from the pan into the mixing bowl with the matzos. Stir till combined. Reserve the pan.
- Spray a deep pie dish generously with cooking oil spray. Pour the apple mixture into the pie dish.
- In the same saucepan you used to cook the apples, melt 2 tbsp butter, or butter substitute, then stir in 3 tbsp brown sugar and mix to form a thick syrup.
- Stir chopped pecans in the syrup till they are well coated. Remove pan from heat.Sprinkle candied pecans evenly over the top of the apple pie.
- Bake pie for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and pie is cooked through. Serve warm.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
This pie was excellent… So delicious, thank you. I will definitely make it again 💖
This is pie fantastic, for Passover and all year round especially for people with dietary restrictions. Texture is wonderful which is sooo important in a pie.
Would there be substitute nut you’d recommend if we don’t have pecans on hand ?
Chopped walnuts would also work, with a slightly different flavor. 🙂
This looks like a good use for leftover haroset, too. I will have to give it a try.
I was looking for ideas for leftover haroset and found this – i think i will give it a try too! Thank you Tori for this receipe!
This pie was the star of our Pesach! And I didn’t have any applesauce, so I used a food processor to grind up the leftover charoset and used that instead – tasted AMAZING and repurposed my leftovers! thanks !!
Great idea with the charoset!
This pie was absolutely delicious and a huge hit! I assembled it two days ahead, removed from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking, and baked for 50 minutes. It turned out perfectly. I plan to make it again, even not for Passover.
hope you’re enjoying a Happy Pesach, I really look forward to your delicious recipes.
Chag Sameach to all your family from Greta
Thanks Greta! Chag Sameach 🙂
Hi Tori
Is it better to assemble the day before, refrigerate and cook it for the first time right before you serve it as opposed to reheating?
Thank you
Elese
Yes, I would assemble it ahead and cook it fresh instead of reheating if that is an option for you.
Made exactly as per recipe except used 4 gluten-free matzot instead of 3 regular. This was a huge hit at our seder and is definitely a keeper!
Good to know this held up with GF matzo too!
I made this for pesach this year thank you so much for sharing it with us . It was a big hit and so delish . def doing it again next year !
For a Passover cheesecake. My niece’s B/day falls around passover. Cheesecake is her favorite. I had the idea to use macaroons as the crust, Used almond flavored, pressed them into my spring form pan w/pam spray, made my usual cheesecake receipe baked it as usual. Added sugared strawberries on top.
It Turned out fabulous family loved it . And my niece had her favorite.
How can I make the apple pie vegan. Will the recipe work without eggs
Hi Dvora, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. This recipe uses egg as a binder, so it’s an important ingredient. We have not experimented with a vegan version, however we do have a tutorial for vegan egg replacements that you might might want to give a try. Since we have not made it this way, I cannot guarantee it will turn out.
https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-vegan-egg-substitute/
Hi, I would love to try this delicious looking pie, however we have nut allergys in our family. I was wondering if the topping can be made with matzo farfel instead of the nuts. Sort of like a “Matzo Crunch” type topping?
Tzipi, I think this would probably work out fine… however I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t give you specific advice here.
Hi, I’m a beginner baker and want to try this to take to Seder. Can I use a 9″ spring form pan? Do I need to make any adjustments to the directions?
Thank you!
I have only baked this in a pie dish– a springform is for recipes like cheesecake, which will keep its structure when you remove the edges. This pie recipe will hold up better in a pie dish, if you can find one– or, in a pinch, you could use a 9×9 baking dish and make it more like a crumble. I don’t recommend a springform, though. Good luck!
I made this tonight, but I halved it it because it’s just for my hubby and me. I also used Macintosh apples because that’s what I had. It was delicious! I plan to make it for my Seder next year. Didn’t really taste like a typical Passover dessert. Really great. Thanks so much.
I’d love to make this pie for my in laws for Passover. They live approx. 2 hours away. So I’m trying to determine the best way to go here….to make the pie ahead of time and just reheat it (which I would then ask how best to reheat) OR, could I make it a day before, refrigerate and bake the pie when I get to their place?
Appreciate your input. Thanks.
Hi Eva, either option is fine although if you decide to bake it at the in laws (which will make it taste a bit fresher) make sure you keep it cool on the way to their house– perhaps in an ice cooler packed with ice. The risk of food borne illness at room temperature gets significantly higher after 2 hours. If you decide to reheat (although it can be served cold!) pop it in the oven at 325 for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. Enjoy!