Easy Swedish Apple Pie

Easy Swedish apple pie is super easy to make because there is no pie crust! This delicious pie is loaded with warm spice coated apples covered with a cake-like topping and a crisp sugar crust. You get the same great flavor of apple pie without all the work!

Want more apple recipes? Try my Apple Cake with Caramelized Almond Topping, Applesauce Spice Cake with Caramel Icing, or Spiced Baked Apples with Walnuts and Cranberries!

This Swedish apple pie recipe is so delicious and easy to make, you’ll be making this over and over again. There’s no fussy pie crust to deal with, just slice and season the apples, mix the “crust” ingredients together, pour it over the apples and bake. That’s it!

Swedish apple pie is like a combination of a crisp, a crumble, a cobbler and a brown betty. It’s a very beautiful, rustic pie that looks different every time you bake it. And because it’s so easy, it’s a great pie to make with kids.

Why Is It Called Swedish Apple Pie?

It may be called a Swedish apple pie because resembles smulpaj (translated to crumb pie), a Swedish crustless apple pie. Smulpaj can be more like a crisp, using oats in the toping, and sometimes nuts are added to the topping. This is our family’s take on the Swedish apple pie (smulpaj) with a cake-like topping and a crisp sugar crust.

What Apples Should I Use for Swedish Apple Pie?

Ideally you want to use an apple that holds its shape and doesn’t become mushy when baked. I find that Granny Smith apples work the best here, and they’re tartness pairs really well with the sweetness of the added sugar. That being said, you can use other apple varieties like Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Rome. Apples that may turn mushy and aren’t ideal for apple pie are Fuji, Red Delicious and Gala.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Apples: I like a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith, but I’ve also used other apples that I’ve had on hand, like Golden Delicious, and the pie was delicious.
• Sugar: I used a combination of 1/2 cup of light brown sugar (either light or dark will work) and 1/2 cup of white sugar. You can use all brown sugar or all white sugar if you prefer.
• Spices: Warm spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg pair well with apples. You can play around with the amount and type of spices. Try cardamom, allspice or cloves.
• All-purpose flour: Make sure you measure the flour correctly. Fluff the flour up, spoon it into a measuring cup, then slide a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level it off and remove any excess flour. 
• Baking powder: Gives the topping a little lift.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter for all my baking recipes so I can control the amount of salt in every recipe.
• Egg: I used a room temperature large egg.
• Vanilla: Enhances the flavors of the sugar and cinnamon.

How to Make Swedish Apple Pie

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter.
• Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
• Peel and core the apples. Cut them into 1/4″ thick slices and place them in a large bowl.
• Toss the apples with 1 Tbsp sugar and the spices (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg), and transfer them to the prepared pie dish.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

• Add the cooled melted butter, beaten egg, 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla to a large bowl. Stir well to combine.
• Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
• Pour the batter over the top of the apples and smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbsp of sugar.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is fully cooked and golden brown.
• Let it cool before serving. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Cut your apples evenly – The apples should all be about the same thickness, 1/4″ thick. This will help them ensures that they them to cook evenly.
• Cool the butter – Make sure the butter has cooled a bit before adding the egg to it. Otherwise you run the risk of making scrambled eggs, and you don’t want that!
• Play with the spices – Try adding different spices or changing up the quantity. Other spices that would be wonderful in this recipe include allspice, cardamom or cloves.

Variations

• Use different fruits – My mom has made this with peaches and it was delicious! Pears are another tasty option. And the best part is you don’t have to worry about fruits sogging up the bottom crust because there is none!
• Add nuts – Sometimes I’ll add nuts when I want some crunch. Walnuts or pecans are especially delicious. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of nuts into the topping batter.
• Coconut – Instead of nuts, add some shredded coconut to the topping!

What to Serve with Swedish Apple Pie

• Serve with ice cream or whipped cream (my favorite).
• Pairs wonderfully with a warm mug of Glögg (Swedish mulled wine).
• A delicious dessert to go with my Danish breaded pork patties (karbonader).

How to Store Swedish Apple Pie

Let the pie cool completely before storing it. Either place the pie in an airtight container or seal it tightly with plastic wrap. The pie can be stored on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.